Soiling effect in solar energy conversion systems: A review, R. Conceição, J. González-Aguilar, A. A. Merrouni, M. Romero, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 162, art. no. 112434, 2022, Online version, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112434

Abstract

This review provides a comprehensive, detailed description and contextualization of soiling research evolution in the solar energy field throughout time. The analysis consists of past soiling research, including important notes on notable works and main researches. The current state of the art is presented, followed by an extended literature survey covering from 1942 to 2019, facilitating the finding of primordial research concerning each of the available technologies, and enriching knowledge regarding the existing extensive research database. Moreover, soiling analysis and comments are made for several specific topics, such as cleaning techniques and environmental effects on soiling deposition. Finally, future prospects and research directions on the soiling effect are given.