INVESTIGATION OF POWER AND EFFICIENCY LOSSES DUE TO BIRD DROPPINGS
The study investigated the effects of bird droppings on solar panel efficiency and power output. The study was carried out using two different photovoltaic (PV) modules that are, clean and soiled panels. Between 1000 and 1300 hours on a testing day, data for relevant parameters were obtained and recorded at 30 minutes interval for both clean and soiled modules. Data collected include those of solar intensity, generated current and voltage as well as module surface and ambient temperatures which are needed to calculate system performance. In all cases, the power and efficiency obtained for the clean panel was significantly greater compared with the soiled module. Typical power and efficiency calculated for the clean module are 6.330 W and 17.16% respectively compared with 3.124 W and 8.46% for the soiled module. Comparing the two modules, it is found that the highest percentage decrease in power and efficiency are 54.22 % and 54.13 % respectively. From this study, it is concluded that bird dropping on solar photovoltaic (PV) system has a negative impact on overall performance.
Authors : Okon, I.M. and Achara, N.
Category : Open Access Volume (Issue) : 12(1) Date Uploaded : 5th August 2026