Presentation Details
| An Abrasion-Resistant Anti-soiling and Anti-reflective Coating for Solar Cover Glass Madupa Abeywardena1, 2, Carmen Wang1, 2, QianFeng Xu3, Alan Lyons1, 2, 3. 1City University of New York Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA.2College of Staten Island, CUNY, Staten Island, NY, USA.3ARL Designs LLC, Summit, NJ, USA |
Abstract
Soiling is a leading cause of performance loss in field-deployed photovoltaic (PV) systems and increases levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) through reduced energy yield and recurring cleaning expenditures. Although anti-soiling coatings have been widely investigated, field trials frequently show limited durability (≤2 years) and strong dependence on site conditions; consequently, active cleaning remains necessary. A principal failure mode is mechanical: many candidate coatings are thin and/or soft and are rapidly removed by contact cleaning and by wind-blown particulates. Module-level mitigation therefore requires an anti-soiling surface treatment that is simultaneously mechanically durable, highly transparent, and compatible with routine (including robotic) cleaning. We have developed a hydrophobic formulation that forms a durable, transparent, anti-reflective (AR) coating on solar cover glass. The coating is designed to (i) reduce soiling accumulation and lower particle adhesion, (ii) retain anti-soiling function under periodic contact cleaning without loss of optical performance, and (iii) increase direct light transmittance through the glass relative to uncoated glass. This AR behavior enables replacement of conventional porous AR coatings, which are susceptible to mechanical damage and contamination thereby providing a pathway to improved long-term optical stability and reduced LCOE. The combined performance arises from nanoscale fillers dispersed within an inherently hydrophobic matrix, producing a hard, wear-resistant surface while maintaining increased transmittance. This presentation will describe the optical, abrasion, soiling and cleaning properties of the coating formed on low-iron glass substrates.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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