Soiling in the Atacama Desert: Impacts on solar performance and evaluation of cleaning techniques
Date Issued
2026-02
Author(s) USM
DOI
10.1016/j.renene.2025.124815
Abstract
Cemented soiling on photovoltaic modules poses a critical challenge to energy yield in arid and hyper-arid climates. Unlike loose dust, these hardened deposits form cohesive crusts that impair optical transmittance and accelerate surface degradation. This
