Mathematical model of the soiling process of a photovoltaic module surface

Dust settling on the surface of the photovoltaic module (PVM) forms a film that absorbs part of the solar radiation flux, as a result of which the volume of generated electric energy decreases. An effective method for cleaning the surface of the PVM from contamination should be based on knowledge of the fundamental properties of dust and an understanding of the contamination processes. In this paper, a mathematical model of the contamination of the PVM surface is proposed.