- Welldorfer Str. • Jülich • Nordrhein • Westfalen - Deutschland, GERMANY
TitanShield™ SolarCoat
Selbstreinigung für Solar Panelle
Dank die Forschung werden Solar Paneele ständig verbessert. Es geht oft darum, noch etwas Leistung heraus zu "kitzeln". Feinstaub und Schmutz auf den Glas Oberflächen, bedeuten allerdings Leistungsverluste, die vermeidbar sind. Die Paneele werden oft in schwer erreichbaren Stellen angebracht, was die schon teuren und aufwendigen Reinigungsarbeiten zusätzlich erschweren. TitanShield SolarCoat stellt die Optimale Lösung dar. Die Beschichtung erreicht eine aktive Selbstreinigung der Oberfläche, was die Leistung der Panelle nachhaltig um ca. 7% verbessert. Darüber hinaus wird sofort nach der Beschichtung die Licht Transmission um weitere 3% gesteigert. Die Beschichtung ist dauerhaft haltbar, kratz und reibe fest. TitanShield SolarCoat, einen Beitrag zu eine gesunde Umwelt mit langfristigen Kostenersparnissen.
SELBSTREINIGUNG
Die Aufgabe:
Selbstreinigende Solar Paneele
Eigenschaften:
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Superhydrophil - Selbstreinigend
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Superhydrophil - Luftreinigend
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Antibakteriell, Antimoos und Antifungizid
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Antireflektive, UV-Schutz - Antistatisch - Selbstreinigend
VORTEILE
TitanShield™ SolarCoat ist eine spezielle Beschichtung, die Photokatalyse und Nanotechnologie kombiniert.
Normalerweise reduzieren Reinigungsmittel die Oberflächenspannung von Wasser und der Kontaktwinkel wird verringert. Wenn die Oberfläche des Nano- Photokatalytische Beschichtung Licht ausgesetzt wird, verringert sich der Kontaktwinkel der Oberflächen mit Wasser allmählich. Nach ausreichender Lichteinwirkung erreicht die Oberfläche Superhydrophilie. Mit anderen Worten, es weist kein Wasser ab, das Wasser kann also nicht in Tropfenform vorliegen, sondern breitet sich flach auf dem Untergrund aus. Die Hydrophile in Verbindung mit der Schwerkraft ermöglicht es, die Staubpartikel mit dem Wasserstrahl (Regen) wegzuschwemmen, wodurch die Haupteigenschaft der Selbstreinigung und der einfachen Reinigung entsteht.
Die Lösung:
TitanShield® ist eine Kombination aus Katalysator- und Nanotechnologie. Mit einer TitanShield® SolarCoat Beschichtung wird die Solar Panel wirkungsvoll geschützt. Das Produkt kann die Paneele aufgesprüht werden, um somit zum einen den Selbstreinigungseffekt hervorzurufen
Vorteile:
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TitanShield® lässt Solar Paneele sauber und in neuem Glanz erstrahlen.
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Schützt Oberflächen vor Staub, saurem Regen und schädlichen Umwelteinflüssen.
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Zersetzt organische Stoffe auf den Oberflächen, wie z. B. Vogel Ausscheidungen, Blütenpollen
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nach Regen bleiben keine Wasserflecke auf der Oberfläche
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reduziert den Energieverbrauch zum Kühlen des Panels im Sommer.
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Unterdrückt Schimmel- und Algenbildung
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absorbiert die UV-Strahlen der Sonne und schützt die Oberfläche somit vor UV-Schäden.
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Unterdrückt die elektrostatische Anlagerung von Staub.
TitanShield® SolarCoat Trial
Testing carried out during April and May 2010
Introduction
I had always been concerned about installing a solar power system for fear its effectiveness would always be compromised because of the dusty and dirty conditions we experience, particularly here in inland Australia. To overcome this, regular cleaning would be necessary and that only comes at extra cost or inconvenience.
After searching online I found a company that manufactured a product called TitanShield® SolarCoat. This product, which can be applied post-manufacture, has been designed to minimize the accumulation of dirt and dust on solar panels. The coating, it was claimed, also had the added advantage of increasing the output of solar panels.
If this product did what was claimed in the brochure then it would overcome my main
objection to installing a solar power system. Having established that I could import the product and obtain the necessary equipment for its application, I decided to go ahead with this project. Because of the extra cost of applying the coating, I was very keen to set up a trial to test its effectiveness and see if the benefits made it worthwhile.
Applying the product did take some trial and error to get the application volume correct because the product guide was somewhat less than ideal.
Once that was achieved it was fairly easy to get an even coating. After spraying, the surface becomes slightly milky in appearance once it has dried.
The following results are based on 22 x Risen SYP180S (180 Watts) panels.
All panel outputs were compared using a load of 120 & 180Watts.
A control panel was selected based on the average output of these results.
This resulted in 21 panels having SolarCoat applied and 1 panel (without SolarCoat)
being used as the control panel.
Results
Panel output versus control panel
Prior to the SolarCoat application, the control panel had an average –of 0.34% (less)
output voltage under load against the other 21 panels.
After the application, the control panel had an average – 2.848% (less) output voltage
under load against the 21, SolarCoat treated Panels.
Therefore on average, there was a +2.58% gain in output after application.
The effect on voltage output (120 Watt Load) of the panel angle to the sun
This was carried out as a totally separate test.
At 54 Degrees + 3.03% over the control
At 64 Degrees + 8.78% over the control
At 66 Degrees + 10.61 % over the control
The effect of water, dust and dirt
One control panel and one treated panel were set at 22 degrees from the horizontal. The first test carried out was to see what effect clean rainwater had on the panel surface.
The next test was to see how dirty rainwater (soil dissolved in rain water) dried on thesurface.
The surface was then washed, by simulating light rain and then heavy rain.
No significant differences of output voltages were observed during this test, as the dust and dirt buildup was very limited due to the short testing period. However the water stains on the untreated control panel indicate that over time there would be a significant dirt build-up on the surface. This could affect panel performance and would certainly require manual cleaning.
Conclusion
TitanShield’s SolarCoat certainly does increase the output of solar panels. The fact that there is an increase in average voltage output of about 2.5% not only means that they producer more power but also they produce it for longer periods. This is because the trigger point
of the inverter will be reached sooner and the shut down point will occur later.
The differences between the treated and untreated panels proved to be much great at lower levels of radiation. This is particularly apparent when the angle of the surface of the panels to the sun is at it greatest, as is the case early morning and late afternoon.
The coating not only change the characteristics of water droplets on the panel surface but also stops the spotting and staining that normally occurs when water droplets dry
(See Photos).
Although light rain does leave a slight dust film on the surface of treated panels heavy rain does appear to clean the surface quite effectively. This really would limit the need for manual cleaning to periods of low or no rainfall. Only time will tell how the coating stands up over time and how it may be affected by light to medium hailstones.
Ideally, to test the full long term benefits of this product I suggest a long-term trial should be carried. As an example, a trial of 20 panels could be installed on a roof where every second panels is treated and the others remain untreated. Monitoring of the output of each section, treated and untreated should be carried out over a period of 5 to 10 years.
In summary, and on the basis of my testing I believe the benefits should be very worthwhile. Of course this assumes the coating will lasts for the life of the panels or at the very least many years. However its costs would become very questionable if it had to be reapplied every few years. If that were the case, I’m not sure what would need to be done to the panel surface to allow a reapplication of the product, this is not mentioned in the available data.
Where to from here, all panels will now be installed in a grid connected PV system. This will be monitored and the one untreated panel will observed against the treated panels for dust and dirt accumulation
Peter Fleming
Australia