DustCom Dust Index Meter

I. Product Introduction

Photovoltaic power generation is a crucial component of green energy, and its stable operation and high efficiency are of great significance in promoting the development of green energy. For long-term operating photovoltaic systems, the contamination on the surface of solar panels cannot be overlooked, as it significantly impacts the system's power generation efficiency. Dust accumulation on the surface of photovoltaic modules obstructs direct sunlight, reducing the absorption and conversion efficiency of light energy by the panels. Additionally, long-term dust adhesion has a certain corrosive effect on the modules, accelerating the aging of the panels and leading to increased equipment damage and maintenance costs. Excessive dust accumulation also affects the heat dissipation performance of photovoltaic power plants, causing a rise in temperature and thereby compromising the stable operation of the plant. Therefore, timely and effective cleaning of the contamination on the surface of photovoltaic panels is essential for the stable operation of photovoltaic stations.

The DustCom dust index meter is a method that quantifies the impact of dust contamination on power generation efficiency by comparing the electrical performance parameters (such as short-circuit current, maximum power, etc.) of clean photovoltaic modules and dust-contaminated modules. Its core principle lies in measuring the difference in electrical performance between clean and contaminated modules under the same conditions to calculate the efficiency loss caused by dust contamination, thereby providing data support for the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic power plants.

The DustCom dust index meter is suitable for photovoltaic panels with a maximum compatibility of 30A, 50V, and 700W. It comes with an attached patch-type Pt100 RTD for measuring the backside temperature of the photovoltaic panel, with output via Modbus RTU (RS485).

Measurement Principle:

The primary principle of the reference method for measuring photovoltaic module contamination is as follows: two photovoltaic modules of the same model and batch are placed in the same external environment, with one kept clean and the other allowed to accumulate dust naturally. According to IEC 60904, the effective irradiance is calculated by measuring the short-circuit current and the backside temperature of the two photovoltaic modules. The contamination loss is then calculated by comparing the effective irradiance of the contaminated photovoltaic module with that of the clean reference photovoltaic module. The formula for calculating the Soiling Loss Index (SLI) is as follows:

SLI = (1 - Geffs / Geffc) × 100%. Here, Geffs is the effective irradiance calculated from the contaminated module, and Geffc is the effective irradiance calculated from the clean module.