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International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)

e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 12 Issue: 05 | May 2025

p-ISSN: 2395-0072

www.irjet.net

Development of a Semi-Automatic Solar Panel Cleaning System Harshit Singh1 1Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune, India

---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------A rotating brush mechanism also assists in the removal of Abstract - The increasing demand for renewable energy

persistent stains and residues. The cleaning unit is mounted on a single PV panel module and can be configured for modular deployment on multiple panels. The architecture of the system permits possible automation by integration with microcontrollers such as Arduino and sensors to measure dirt levels, allowing for condition-based or scheduled activation. Through the use of off-the-shelf components and cost-effectiveness, the project realizes a total of minimum material cost, which makes it extremely affordable for small-scale and decentralized solar installations like rooftop arrays and solar-powered street lighting systems. Not only does this research show a practical solution to a long-standing maintenance problem, but it also helps to improve the long-term efficiency and viability of solar power systems in various environmental conditions.

has made the world more dependent on solar power systems. The efficiency of solar panels is dramatically decreased by the accumulation of debris and dust, necessitating effective and low-maintenance cleaning solutions. This project suggests a cost-effective and semiautomated solar panel cleaning system that minimizes manual effort and provides constant panel performance. The system uses an automatic water pump, sprinkler, and brush for cleaning stains and dust from the panel's surface. Made of easily procurable and cheaper components, the prototype shows the accessible method to keep single solar panels, especially those mounted at distant or communal locations such as streetlights. The design puts stress on how easy it is to install, its low operation cost, and the ability to scale up further automation with the use of microcontroller-based systems. This solution shows a bright direction in improving efficiency and reliability of solar power systems in an eco-friendly way.

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT The performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is considerably impacted by the buildup of dust, dirt, and other environmental contaminants on solar panels' surfaces, especially in dry, urban, or industrial areas.

Key Words: renewable energy, solar panels, semiautomated, cleaning system, cleaning stains and dust, automation, improving efficiency

1.INTRODUCTION

Conventional cleaning techniques are largely laborintensive, consuming large quantities of labor, time, and water and are oftentimes impractical for remote or highAltitude locations like rooftops and streetlights. This not only adds to operational expenses but also causes low energy yield and a reduced lifespan for solar panels from poor maintenance. Thus, a pressing requirement exists for a low-maintenance, automatic, and affordable cleaning system that can be easily added to current solar panel installations to maintain performance, minimize human intervention, and generally increase the viability of solar power solutions.

With the prevalence of today's rising energy needs and environmental issues, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has become universally used as a green, renewable, and sustainable source of power. Much as it has numerous benefits, one of the key operational challenges of PV systems is the settling of dust, dirt, bird feces, and other particulate matter on the surface of solar panels. Soiling effect can drastically lower the energy conversion efficiency, with research suggesting losses of between 2030% in some environments if cleaning is ignored from time to time. Manual cleaning techniques not only take long and are arduous to execute but also are impracticable in bigger-scale or in-site installations, causing high costs of operation and downtime. As a response to this limitation, the current work presents an automatic solar panel cleaner system that comprises mechanical and fluid-dispensing elements to provide a low-cost, low-maintenance cleaning scheme.

1.2 METHODOLOGY The process of developing the automatic solar panel cleaning system was conducted by a structured engineering design process with the steps encompassing problem analysis, selection of the components, mechanical assembly, and functional testing. The steps below detail the methodology from concept to implementation are as follows:

The suggested design incorporates a small, motorpowered centrifugal water pump that delivers pressurized water through a polymer pipe network and adjustableangle sprinklers, efficiently removing surface contaminants.

Impact Factor value: 8.315

1. Problem Analysis and Requirement Gathering The project started with the identification of the fundamental issue: the degradation of solar panel

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