Desert applications of PV modules

Desert areas are very interesting for PV application, due to their high global irradiance. These arid regions bear extreme conditions for PV modules. Strong winds and high dust loads cause not only temporary decreases in transmittance but also a non-reversible degradation of the surface, which limits the overall yield. The question is how to show where to place PV modules to maximize the service life and the electrical yield during the module's life time. Stress maps can help to evaluate promising locations and model the soiling potential, which strongly depend on environmental factors such as rain and dust storms. The overall dust deposition is important for an economic feasibility analysis by which the expected energy yield loss in terms of different soiling scenarios can be determined. A correlation between dust deposition and transmittance links the stress map data with the actual expected power output. Therefore a dust deposition setup has been developed.