Implementation of a Countrywide Monitoring Network for PV-Soiling and Environmental Parameters: The Qatar Dust Atlas

Soiling significantly impacts PV power production, showing both spatial and temporal variability, even within a solar power plant's vicinity. In Qatar, these variations are influenced by local environmental and meteorological conditions. To improve the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of soiling monitoring, new sensors based on dust particle optical characteristics have emerged, such as the Atonometrics Mars Soiling Sensor and Kipp & Zonen's Dust IQ, which require minimal maintenance. Since 2013, QEERI has been at the forefront of PV soiling research, focusing on desert environments. The Qatar Dust Atlas project, incorporating machine learning and modeling, aims to map and forecast soiling, supporting the development of a national monitoring network.