PV module cleaner

Nick Lanir Brown, chief business officer at Airtouch Solar, told pv magazine they would supply and install Airtouch AT 4.0 robotic panel cleaning systems for Adani Green Energy’s solar farm in Rajasthan.

A Jordanian research team has designed a cleaning technique for solar modules that uses static electricity to remove dust from panel surfaces. The system features an electrostatic ionizer that reduces attraction between dust particles and their accumulation on modules, improving their energy yield.

Israel-based Airtouch Solar has signed a $3 million deal with Indian developer ReNew for the supply and maintenance of PV panel cleaning robots.

Kärcher, a German company with expertise in cleaning solutions for all industries, has introduced its PV panel-cleaning solutions focusing on the pain points of the Indian solar sector. The range includes high-pressure cleaners, water-driven disc brushes, cleaning detergents, and even safety gear for operation and maintenance professionals.

South African researchers have developed a new cleaning system for solar panels that uses a color-sensing light-to-frequency converter to detect dirt. It can reportedly remove around 95% of the dust from a PV panel in less than a minute, at a lower cost than other systems.

Enray Solutions has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning robot for ground-mount solar installations that draws its power from an on-board PV panel and battery. The robot is designed to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of all kinds of terrain.

GIZ, Germany’s development agency, has partnered with India‘s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to follow up on its successful “kW-to-kWh” study, which has become a quality benchmark for MNRE’s projects in India. PI Berlin acted as lead consultant on the project, and Asier Ukar, senior consultant and managing director of PI Berlin S.L., shares some of the key conclusions.

Tamil Nadu based Next Automation has come up with a tractor-mounted hydraulically operated arm as a fast, accurate, cost-effective, and water-efficient cleaning solution for panels in solar farms.

French chemical company Axcentive and solar module manufacturer Photowatt have developed a PV panel coating based on photoactive nanotechnology. The coating relies on a super-hydrophilic surface that makes the water spread out on the module surface immediately, thus avoiding light scattering effects upon rain.

Nimish Jain brings to Air Touch India, the India arm of the Israeli robotic cleaning specialist for the solar industry, around 13 years of work experience in renewable energy in new market development, operations, strategy and business development functions. He has worked with companies like Solarig Global, Vikram Solar, and Jinko Solar.