Eran Meller, CEO of Ecoppia, says the market for solar panels is ripe with opportunity in desert-rich regions across the Middle East, India and South America. Unfortunately, these areas are also prone to frequent dust storms, leaving solar installations vulnerable to extreme levels of soiling. Dust can reduce the effectiveness of solar panels by up to 35 per cent, and up to 60 per cent after a strong dust storm, significantly reducing the economic benefits of solar power.
“In 2015, we will see a rise in innovative, water-free cleaning technologies that rely on robotics rather than manual labour.” Katia Moskvitch
The current methods of cleaning dirty solar panels are labour-intensive and require a significant amount of water: cleaning a 100 megawatt installation, for example, can cost US$58 million and waste nearly 420 million litres of water throughout the project lifetime. To lower the labour-related costs of solar power and conserve our precious water resources, we must find a technological solution to overcome performance challenges of desert-sited plants. In 2015, we will see a rise in innovative, water-free cleaning technologies that rely on robotics rather than manual labour and protect the world’s water supply for the communities and crops that need it most.
Via What tech will take off in developing nations in 2015? – AfricanBrains.