AUTOMATED PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL CLEANING SYSTEM WITH DUST MONITORING

Abstract

The Surface soiling is a critical yet preventable source of efficiency loss in photovoltaic (PV) systems, causing 15–40% power degradation in arid regions. This paper presents the design, implementation, and experimental validation of a low-cost, Arduino-based autonomous cleaning robot integrated with real-time optical dust sensing (GP2Y1010AU0F) for demand-driven solar panel maintenance. The system operates autonomously without human intervention, uses zero water in dry-brush mode, and triggers cleaning cycles only when measured dust concentration exceeds an efficiency-impact threshold. Experimental validation confirms cleaning efficiency of 91.7% with average power recovery up to 25% under high dust loading. The energy payback ratio of 11–13:1 per cleaning cycle justifies deployment. Total hardware cost is under INR 3,200, making the system 50× more cost-effective than commercial alternatives.