Controlling dust in solar farms – DustLess & DirtGlue

Fugitive Dust Control

One of the hottest trends in renewable energy today is the solar power industry. Consumers across the country are adopting solar panel arrays for use on residential and commercial properties to offset their overall energy consumption. In fact, over the span of the last decade, solar has experienced an average annual growth rate of 68% nationwide. This is largely due to the fact that the price to install solar panel arrays has dropped by more than 70% since 2010, which has enabled such significant growth.

Another aspect of the solar industry is the implementation and application of the solar farm. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that there are nearly 6,000 major solar projects currently in their database (identifying solar “farms” producing 1 MW and above), representing roughly 70 GW of capacity. A large portion of ground mounted solar farms exist in places with expansive ranges of land such as deserts which have minimal ideal use outside of the fact that they make a great home for solar panel arrays.

What does this mean?

Well, in the instance of a desert you’re going to have to worry about an obvious environmental condition known “a lot of dust.”

Why do I need to worry about dust?

For one, dust in the air isn’t the greatest thing to breathe in to the human lungs. But, outside of health concerns, and more on point with the dialogue here, dust can, in fact, deter solar panel arrays from “firing on all cylinders” – compromising their performance, enabling less than optimized solar production generated from the suns UV rays.

You see, the accumulation of dust on the solar cells of a panel array worsens day by day if it goes unattended to – especially in regions known for their high rate of dust, and low frequency and intensity of rain, such as deserts. The accumulated dust on solar cell panels acts as a shield of sorts, which leads to poor performance until the panels are cleaned manually, or hit with some falling rain. Tested outdoor measurements in these conditions found that regular dust accumulation reduces the solar cells efficiency by about 10%. That’s not an insignificant number.

That’s where Global Environmental Solutions comes in. Sure, it would prove useful if solar panel arrays were monitored closely and cleared of debris such as dust accumulation, but we’re here to tell you that there’s a more proactive approach, which will lend to the need for far fewer “quality checks.”

How’s that?

Control the dust situation at its root. With our line of products – specifically DirtGlue and our DustLess solutions – you’re tackling the terrain your solar panel farm is both installed in, and subject to. DirtGlue keeps the earth in place, and, for all intents and purposes, strengthens the soil around your ground-mounted units. DustLess, which is also a highly utilized solution keeps the dust at bay, or, grounded, if you will, which directly effects the efficiency and production of solar panel arrays.

Benefits of utilizing DirtGlue and/or DustLess in conjunction with your ground mounted solar panel implementation project:

  • Bolster energy production
  • Minimize manual labor
  • Create a healthier overall environment
  • Create stronger installation points/bonds

Global Environmental Solutions: For the earth, with the earth in mind.