More efficient solar panels: nature provides the most innovative solutions

Installing a solar plant is in itself a contribution to the energy transition, but it is possible to do much more: for example, optimizing production by focusing on efficiency. At EGP we are key players in the field of renewable sources, and we are looking for increasingly innovative solutions to do just that. Wind and humidity, nature lends a helping hand At our photovoltaic plants in Peru we have adopted an innovative technique for cleaning the panels without consuming water: this effective solution, which works by fully respecting the environment, is particularly suited to areas where water resources are scarce. The starting point is a procedure that uses specific equipment to identify the parts of the panels where urgent intervention is required. A mechanical arm then conducts the regular cleaning, followed by further manual cleaning. In this latter phase the cleaning also makes use of the power of the wind, which helps eliminate any leftover dust residues: here we are taking advantage of a natural agent in order maximize efficiency in a sustainable way. In Chile there is a peculiar meteorological phenomenon called Camanchaca (which means “darkness” in the local Aymara language), a thick fog that rolls inland from the coast. This has led to an innovative and natural solution. At night this humidity condenses into water: by finding the ideal inclination of the panels, we have harnessed this resource so that the condensed water runs off the panels to clean them. This not only improves the performance of the panels, but it also means that scheduled cleaning has been scaled back from around four to six times a year to once or twice, with a notable saving in the use of water, a precious and rare resource in various parts of Chile. A further benefit in terms of sustainability can be found in the reduction in the environmental impact of the tanker trucks needed for transporting water for the purpose of cleaning the panels. The next step is the Fog Collection project in which the panels are fitted with small grooves capable of channeling the water from the fog in order to reuse it: in one year each panel collects a quantity of atmospheric water sufficient not only to clean the modules but also to meet some of the plant’s other water requirements. Technology and digitalization Alongside nature, the other important resource is technological innovation, in particular digitalization. Our solar parks all over the world are equipped with sensors for detecting any potential inefficiencies in the panels. We have in fact created an IT system called Spyralert that compares the data collected with the predictions from an astronomical algorithm in order to check that the sensors are not producing anomalies: this method is far quicker and more effective than manual checks. With the Zone Monitoring project we are analyzing potential malfunctions in the photovoltaic strings using an algorithm that in this instance also enables us to replace manual monitoring with a technological, efficient solution that sends the collected data to supervisors. Starting with design Panel efficiency can, however, be directly improved in the design phase. That is what we are doing at our 3Sun photovoltaic module factory in Catania. The decision to produce the panels ourselves enables us to reduce imports and focus on innovation in the direction and to the extent that we choose. This means that today we are also pioneers in production, with exceptional results, including an absolute world record in terms of performance. And the prospects for the future are even more promising: we have obtained European funding to make 3Sun the largest factory of its kind in Europe, a Gigafactory working on continuous innovation.

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More efficient solar panels: nature provides the most innovative solutions

More efficient solar panels: nature provides the most innovative solutions

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