The working environment of photovoltaic (PV) power plants is very complex, and extreme weather conditions such as high or low temperatures, humidity, salt spray, heavy sand, etc. can test the reliability and environmental adaptability of photovoltaic systems. As more and more photovoltaic power stations are built on the sea, islands, coastal mudflat and saline alkali areas, photovoltaic systems need to have higher salt fog resistance and high humidity capacity.
The influence of salt spray and high humidity on photovoltaic modules performance
Solar projects built along the coast are susceptible to high salinity and humid air, and the biggest impact of salt spray and high humidity on the components is the PID effect.
Salt spray contains a large amount of sodium ions. When salt spray deposits on the glass surface of the module, it is easy to form conductive channels on the glass surface, which affects the anti PID performance of the photovoltaic module.
High humidity environments can also easily form water stains on the surface of components. Sodium ions in the glass will precipitate onto the glass surface, and dust in the air will also adsorb onto the glass surface. Impurity ions dissolve in the water stains, reducing the surface resistance of the glass together with sodium ions. The synergistic effect of salt spray and moisture will have a more severe impact on the above-mentioned materials.
Similarly, these salt spray or water vapor will also accumulate on the surface of the aluminum frame of the component, reducing the surface resistance of the aluminum frame.
And from the battery to the packaging material, then through the glass, to the glass surface, then to the aluminum frame, to the grounding hole, from the grounding wire to the ground, this channel is the leakage current channel of the photovoltaic module. The decrease in insulation resistance will cause an increase in leakage current, which is an important factor in the PID effect of components. Therefore, the greatest impact of salt spray and high humidity environment on components is the decrease in their resistance to PID.
In addition, there are many metal components on the surface of the components, such as junction boxes, aluminum frames, fixtures, plugs, etc. The component array is installed on a metal bracket, and salt spray may corrode these metal components, causing an increase in contact resistance and a decrease in mechanical performance.
revention of salt spray and high humidity damage
In most cases, we cannot choose the installation environment, which is often given by the project. In order to reduce the impact of salt spray and high humidity environment on photovoltaic systems, we must adopt more proactive protection and maintenance measures in the design of photovoltaic systems.
Firstly, the equipment requires higher levels of protection and anti-corrosion.
For photovoltaic modules, when applied in salt spray and high humidity environments, it is necessary to test the product’s resistance to salt spray, and the anti PID ability level needs to be higher. The anti PID testing of photovoltaic modules can have stricter tests such as higher temperature, higher humidity, longer duration, and more stringent surface coverage. Double glass components are usually used in high humidity areas and water surface applications, which are considered to have better anti PID performance.
Secondly, there should be more operation and maintenance protection during the operation of photovoltaic power plants.
For photovoltaic modules, surface water accumulation, dust and salt spray can cause corrosion of the glass anti reflection film, reducing the insulation resistance of the glass surface. Therefore, the glass surface should be kept as dry as possible to eliminate water accumulation. The best way to eliminate accumulated water is to use a product called an ”automatic drainage mud remover”, which uses aluminum alloy frame with the same material and undergoes surface anodizing treatment to effectively prevent water and dust accumulation on the surface of the components.
Salt spray and high humidity environments can corrode photovoltaic modules, power electronic products, and balance systems, seriously affecting the safety, reliability, and long-term operation of projects. Special attention should be paid to equipment selection, construction, and operation maintenance in photovoltaic projects to improve the operational stability of photovoltaic power generation and reduce system errors.
In the subsequent operation and maintenance, regular cleaning of photovoltaic panels is very important. Multifit Solar has been committed to the research and development, production, and sales of photovoltaic cleaning equipment for many years. It has fully automatic cleaning robots and semi-automatic cleaning brushes that meet the needs of different power plants. Its products are exported to domestic and foreign markets and have received a lot of praise and repurchases. Multifit Solar hopes to bring the most cost-effective products and services to any power station that requires photovoltaic cleaning and operation.
Post time: Feb-21-2025