Soiling Measurement Characterisation System Over a PV Solar Field in the Southern Spain

Soiling is one of the main problems that cause power losses in photovoltaic plants. This article presents a method to determine dirt in a photovoltaic plant using three digital cameras and analyzing the average (Red, Green and Blue) RGB values obtained from each of them. The study also incorporates inclined, global, direct and diffuse irradiance data, as well as suspended particle data PM10, PM2.5 and PM1, where the number indicates the size of the particle in µm. In this investigation, three digital cameras were strategically placed to capture images of the panels at regular intervals. From these images, average RGB values ​​were calculated to quantify the level of dirt on the panels. These values ​​were correlated with solar radiation data, the photovoltaic power of the plant and the concentrations of suspended particles. The results demonstrate that analysis of mean RGB values ​​provides a reliable and non-intrusive method for monitoring fouling in PV plants, contributing to more efficient maintenance strategies and an increase in energy production.