Performance and Dust Removal: A Field Study and Theoretical Analysis in the Arid Environment in Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32628/IJSRST2613305Keywords:
Dust buildup, solar panels, tilt angle, Kerbala area, Razzaza areaAbstract
The effect of environmental elements such as dust buildup, tilt angle, wind and rain on solar panel efficiency, particularly in dusty regions like Iraq have been studied and monitored. The field study focused on two locations in Iraq: The Razzaza area, which is located between Karbala and Anbar governorate and the University of Kerbala. The findings shows that dust buildup significantly reduces panel efficiency by lowering the surfaces optical transmittance by up to 65% in just one month. Also, the results of the field study were consistent with the theoretical analysis; therefore, the geometrical losses have a much greater effect than the optical losses due to light reflection. The results showed as the tilt angle increased, dust accumulated decreased. Therefore, the highlight of this study was that it found that the optimal tilt angle for optimal performance in Iraq is between 30° and 35°, which maximizes efficiency while minimizing dust buildup. Additionally, during various months of the year, certain weather elements like wind and rain also aid in minimizing the amount of dust that accumulates on the panels. Moreover, the results of the simulation model used in this study support the idea that when the ambient temperature rises, particularly during the hot months of June, July, and August, the solar module's maximum output power falls.
Downloads
References
IEA PVPS. (2025). Snapshot of Global PV Markets 2025. International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. Available at: https://iea-pvps.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot-of-Global-PV-Markets_2025.pdf
SolarPower Europe. (2025). Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2025-2029. SolarPower Europe. Available at: https://www.solarpowereurope.org/insights/outlooks/global-market-outlook-for-solar-power-2025-2029/detail
Geetha, A., Usha, S., Santhakumar, J., & Salkuti, S. R. (2025). Analysis of dust accumulation effects on the long-term performance of solar PV panels. AIMS Energy, 13(3), 493–516.
Babatunde, A. A., Sj Abbasoglu, and M. Senol. "Analysis of the impact of dust, tilt angle and orientation on performance of PV Plants." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 90 (2018): 1017-1026.
Shanmugam, N., Pugazhendhi, R., Elavarasan, R. M., & Rabbani, M. S. (2020). Anti-reflective coating materials: A holistic review from PV perspective. Energies, 13(10), 2631.
Annan, A., & Potočnik, P. (2023). Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Prospects of the Solar Cell Market. Sustainability, 15(21), 15445
Lu, Hao, and Wenjun Zhao. "Effects of particle sizes and tilt angles on dust deposition characteristics of a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system." Applied Energy 220 (2018): 514-526.
Lu, Jicheng, and Shima Hajimirza. "Optimizing sun-tracking angle for higher irradiance collection of PV panels using a particle-based dust accumulation model with gravity effect." Solar Energy 158 (2017): 71-82.
Khodakaram-Tafti, Amin, and Mahmood Yaghoubi. "Experimental study on the effect of dust deposition on photovoltaic performance at various tilts in semi-arid environment." Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 42 (2020): 100822.
Darwish, Zeki Ahmed, et al. "Impact of some environmental variables with dust on solar photovoltaic (PV) performance: review and research status." International J of Energy and Environment 7.4 (2013): 152-159.
Miqdam T. Chaichan, et al. (2023). Sand and dust storms' impact on the efficiency of the photovoltaic modules installed in Baghdad: A review study with an empirical investigation. Energies, 16(9), 3938.
Saini, Raj Kumar, et al. "Effects of dust on the performance of solar panels–a review update from 2015–2020." Energy & Environment 34.6 (2023): 2110-2162.
Jaszczur, Marek, et al. "An investigation of the dust accumulation on photovoltaic panels." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27.2 (2020): 2001-2014.
Chiteka, Kudzanayi, et al. "Influence of irradiance incidence angle and installation configuration on the deposition of dust and dust-shading of a photovoltaic array." Energy 216 (2021): 119289.
Gupta, Vinay, et al. "Comprehensive review on effect of dust on solar photovoltaic system and mitigation techniques." Solar Energy 191 (2019): 596-622.
Dagher, M. Mekawy, and Hamdy A. Kandil. "Computational prediction of dust deposition on solar panels." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 30.5 (2023): 12545-12557.
Younis, A., and Y. Alhorr. "Modeling of dust soiling effects on solar photovoltaic performance: A review." Solar Energy 220 (2021): 1074-1088.
Tahsin, Anika. "Tilt angle optimization of photovoltaic modules considering the effect of dust." (2021).
Kazem, H. A., Chaichan, M. T., Al-Waeli, A. H. A., Al-Badi, R., Fayad, M. A., & Gholami, A. (2022). Dust impact on photovoltaic/thermal system in harsh weather conditions. Solar Energy, 245, 308-321.
Kazem, H. A., Al-Waeli, A. H. A., Chaichan, M. T., Al-Badi, R., Fayad, M. A., & Gholami, A. (2020). A novel model and experimental validation of dust impact on grid-connected photovoltaic system performance in northern Oman. Solar Energy, 206, 564–578.
Yao, Wanxiang, et al. "Analysis of the influencing factors of the dust on the surface of photovoltaic panels and its weakening law to solar radiation—A case study of Tianjin." Energy 256 (2022): 124669.
Zhao, Weiping, et al. "Collision-adhesion mechanism of particles and dust deposition simulation on solar PV modules." Renewable Energy 176 (2021): 169-182.
Aissi, Tarik, et al. "The Impact of Dust on the Efficiency of Various Photovoltaic Panels: An Experimental Study." Solar Energy Advances (2025): 100106.
Said, Said Zakaria, et al. "Dust impact on solar PV performance: A critical review of optimal cleaning techniques for yield enhancement across varied environmental conditions." Energy Reports 12 (2024): 1121-1141.
Yaseen, M. J., Kasim, N. K., & Atwan, A. F. (2022). Prediction of the performance of a solar PV system in Baghdad, Iraq. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2322(1), 012079.
Kalogirou, S. A. Solar Energy Engineering: Processes and Systems. Academic Press, 2009.
Li, Xingcai, and Kun Niu. "Effectively predict the solar radiation transmittance of dusty photovoltaic panels through Lambert-Beer law." Renewable Energy 123 (2018): 634-638.
Kazem, Hussein A., et al. "A review of dust accumulation and cleaning methods for solar photovoltaic systems." Journal of Cleaner Production 273 (2020): 123187.
Adli, T., and J. H. Park. "An Experimental Study of Dust Deposition on Solar PV Panels at Different Heights from the Ground." International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering 12.3 (2021): 277-285.
C. E. A. da Silva, A. M. H. de Matos, T. H. de Oliveira, and L. R. M. P. Simão, “Impact of solar zenith and azimuth angles on the energy yield of a fixed-tilt photovoltaic system." Solar Energy Advances. vol. 6., 100155, 2024.
R. Z. Wang, G. Li, S. W. Chen, Y. T. Xu, T. C. Liu, and G. C. Yang, “Analysis of optical losses in solar photovoltaic systems with anti-reflection coatings,” Solar Energy, vol. 250, pp. 278-286, 2023.
Božíková, M., et al. “The Effect of Azimuth and Tilt Angle Changes on the Energy Balance of Photovoltaic System Installed in the Southern Slovakia Region,” Applied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 5, 2199, 2021.
O. E. Olabode, et al. “The impact of solar radiation and ambient temperature on the performance of a 20 kW monocrystalline PV plant in Nigeria." Iranica Journal of Energy and Environment. vol. 15, no. 4. pp. 402-420. 2024.
Kazem, A. A., et al. "Dust effect on photovoltaic utilization in Iraq: Review article." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 37, September 2014, Pages 734-749.
Emad A. Sweelem, E. T. El Shenawy, Abd El-shafy A. Nafeh. "Effect of Different Dust Accumulation on the Performance of PV Module in Egypt." International Journal of Advanced and Innovative Science and Technology, Vol.4, No.12, December 2015
Kaddoura, Tarek & Anwari, Makbul & Al-Turki, Yusuf. "On the estimation of the optimum tilt angle of PV panel in Saudi Arabia." The Open Renewable Energy Journal 65:626-634, 2016.
Miqdam T. Chaichan, et al. "The effect of dust components and contaminants on the performance of photovoltaic for the four regions in Iraq: a practical study." Renew. Energy Environ. Sustain. 5, 3 (2020).
E. Rodriguez-Ubinas, et al. "Impact of Dust and Shade on Solar Panel Efficiency and Development of a Simple Method for Measuring the Impact of Dust." Int. J. of Energy Prod. & Mgmt., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2020) 293-301.
Yaqoub E. Althuwaini. "Soiling Effect and Remedial Measures of Solar Photovoltaic System Performance in Kuwait." Journal of Power and Energy Engineering, Vol.11, No.4, 2023.
Shariah, A., Al-Ibrahim, E. "Impact of Dust and Shade on Solar Panel Efficiency and Development of a Simple Method for Measuring the Impact of Dust." J. sustain. dev. energy water environ. syst., 11(2), 1110448, 2023.
Ait Ali, A.; Ouhassan, Y.; Abouyaakoub, M.; Chahboun, M.; Hihi, H. The Impact of Desert Regions on Solar Energy Production with the Evaluation of Groundwater for Maintenance: A Case Study in Morocco. Sustainability 2024, 16, 5476.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
