Improved PV Soiling Extraction Through the Detection of Cleanings and Change Points

Photovoltaic (PV) soiling profiles exhibit a sawtooth shape, where cleaning events and deposition periods alternate. Generally, the rate at which accumulates is assumed to be constant within each period. In reality, changes in rates can occur because of sudden variations climatic conditions, e.g., dust storms or prolonged rain. The existing models used extract profile from PV performance data might fail capture change points occasionally estimate incorrect profiles. This work analyzes how introduction beneficial for extraction. Data nine stations 1-MW site were analyzed by using piecewise regression three point detection algorithms. results showed that accounting provide significant benefits modeling even if not all algorithms return same improvements. Considering historical trends found particularly important studies aiming optimize schedules.