Impact of Soiling on Transparency of Different Glass Types: A Comparative Study

To improve the optical properties of photovoltaic (PV) modules, many manufacturers use new glass surface structures that reduce glare. However, these modifications can increase susceptibility to soiling. This research presents a new method for assessing soiling by positioning glasses without solar cells on a reference PV module. The preliminary results are presented together with the soiling data after two months at a selected site. Reference [1] Kipp & Zonen, Pyranometers v. Reference Cells for PV Installations, solar and direct solar radiation, https://www.kippzonen.de/, downloaded September 2023 Glass type Transmission SSG (Reference) 1.00 ± 0.005 Sat3 0.98 ± 0.007 FG 0.95 ± 0.008 SB1 0.88 ± 0.014 SB2 0.85 ± 0.024 Table 2: Transmission of the clean glasses (measured values. Measurement uncertainty 0.54%).