Soiling of photovoltaic panels in a PV system, from small-scale residential to commercial to utility-scale, poses a serious problem. The adhesion of dust, pollen, bird droppings, et cetera, over a period of time reduces the performance of these panels.
Among the many solutions available in the market to tackle this problem is one offered by a Portuguese company, Chemitek Solar. It offers water-soluble chemical concentrates that need to be applied on solar panels, and has several such products in its portfolio.
Chemitek’s latest product, named ‘Antistatic Solar Armor 2.0’ (ASA 2.0), is an upgraded version of its previous product, ASA. The company claims that ASA 2.0, when applied on a panel, will help create a barrier against the contaminants, with a durability of at least 1 year under normal soiling conditions. It is also emphasized that the product has been designed for application by various cleaning robots available in the market. Chemitek states that the coating, when applied simultaneously during a cleaning cycle, not only reduces the cleaning time and labor costs but also saves 50% of the water consumed compared to conventional cleaning.
According to the product’s instruction manual, 1 kg of the concentrate is to be dissolved in 1,000 liters of water for application. The solution can be applied using a mechanized brush simultaneously while cleaning the panels. The company claims up to 5% gains in energy production with this solution, as it slows the rate of soiling, vis-à-vis panels without a coating solution.
“We developed the new Antistatic Solar Armor 2.0, with the goal of at least 1 year of lifetime, to align with the yearly cleaning cycle of the majority of the PV plants worldwide. This new version will keep the modules protected for the full time between cleanings, thus minimizing soiling losses year-round", says César Martins, CEO of Chemitek.
Chemitek claims that ASA 2.0 is biodegradable, non-toxic, and has a pH-neutral composition, developed with sustainability in mind. The product, which the company says is TÜV SÜD certified for safety and reliability, will be officially launched at Intersolar Europe 2025.
Chemitek’s website showcases a case study on a 160 kWp system using the earlier product, ASA, following the application of another solution by Chemitek that is exclusively used to remove cement dust from the panels. After the cement removal and ASA application for 5 cycles of soiling and cleaning, the panel without ASA application saw 11.5% more losses in light transmission, presenting the cleaning effectiveness of ASA-coated panels as a preventive measure. We expect more details about ASA 2.0 to be disclosed at the launch event in Munich.
