The numbers don’t lie: Solar power is on the rise. According to a 2021 report by the International Energy Agency, power generated from renewable solar power systems grew worldwide by 23 percent from 2019 to 2020. In the U.S., 3 percent of all electricity generated in 2020 came from solar power. That number is expected to jump a whopping 20 percent by 2050.
But there’s a problem threatening how renewable solar energy is: dust. Photovoltaic soiling (or PV soiling) is when dust, pollen, or other particles accumulate and settle on the surface of a solar panel. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the U.S., this layer of grime lowers the light-harvesting ability and efficiency of a solar panel, leading to an energy loss of 7 percent in some parts of the U.S. to as high as 50 percent in the Middle East.
While many solar power plants solve this PV soiling issue by washing panels with water, the effort uses about 10 billion gallons per year—roughly enough water for 2 million people annually. Reducing this gargantuan water footprint while thwarting energy loss is critical in a future of impending water scarcity.
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