DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING OF AUTOMATIC SOLAR PANEL CLEANING MECHANISM

Abstract: With rising electricity bills and concerns about the environmental effect of fossil fuels, the use of environmentally friendly energy sources such as solar power is on the rise. Arrays of photovoltaic (PV) panels are the most common way to harvest solar energy. The accumulation of dust and debris on even one panel in an array affects the array's energy generation efficiency significantly, emphasising the need of keeping the panels' surface as clean as possible. Our project's purpose is to develop an automated solar panel cleaner that will aid in the cleaning of panels for both residential and solar power plants. In particular, we aimed to develop a device that boosts a filthy panel's maximum power output by 15% to make up for the lost power owing to dust and contaminated panels.