Engineer transforms TCC into coating capable of improving solar panel efficiency

Behind a hydrophobic coating developed for the cleanliness and durability of solar panels, there is a story that unites purpose, science, and persistence.

It all started during the pandemic, when energy engineer Diego Jares, then a student at UFPR (Federal University of Paraná) Palotina Sector, was driving across the state's roads as a driver for a cooperative that transported Covid-19 patients.

On one of these trips, he spotted a solar plant covered in dust. "I thought it was still under construction because all I could see were the pillars," he says. "But when I turned the corner (on the highway), I realized the modules were still there, but very dirty, the color of brown earth."

The scene became a curiosity, then a project — and, finally, a TCC (Course Completion Project) that gave rise to the development of a 100% national product, capable of reducing dirt adhesion on panels and optimizing solar energy generation.

Start of the project

After coming across the dusty panels on the road, Diego began researching whether there were specific products on the market for cleaning or protecting solar modules. He searched online but found only generic solutions with no direct application in the photovoltaic sector.

To expand his research, he enlisted the help of a cousin living in the United States and a chemical engineer friend living in Australia. They found two startups abroad that were using nanotechnology to clean solar panels.

Following this discovery, and with the university resuming its activities remotely, Diego began his final project research focusing on developing a national product aimed at protecting and optimizing photovoltaic modules.

Under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Maurício Romani, current coordinator of LABMATER (Laboratory of Materials and Renewable Energies) at UFPR, Diego began designing ways to test and measure mixtures of imported compounds in his own garage and applied the first prototypes to panels used in the field and in the laboratory.

The goal was to create a hydrophobic coating capable of reducing dirt adhesion and facilitating self-cleaning. The principle is simple: upon contact with the treated panel, the water droplet forms a sphere and "rolls" over the glass, carrying with it dust, mud, and even bird droppings.

Field test: 40 kWp plant in Palotina (PR)

After numerous tests, an experimental study of the solution was carried out in a 40,15 kWp plant, consisting of three identical strings mounted on the ground, in the city of Palotina (PR).

One string was simply cleaned; another was cleaned followed by the application of a hydrophobic coating; and the third was left untouched. The generation of each string was monitored every six minutes over the course of two months.

The TCC results showed that the treated string had a gain of 1,04% more energy compared to the clean one, and 5,17% above the dirty one and a contact angle of 93°.

From hydrophobic to superhydrophobic

With the advancement of research and with approximately R$700 in invested resources, including contributions from the Brazilian Company for Industrial Research and Innovation (EMBRAPII) and SEBRAE, Diego and his team, together with researchers from the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Electrochemistry, at SENAI Paraná, developed a 100% national formula – more robust and with better adhesion.

In simulated dust tests, the uncoated panel lost more than 30% of generation; with the coating, losses were below 4%. The new coating achieved a contact angle above 150°, qualifying as superhydrophobic, the highest classification for hydrophobic materials.

The product also showed beneficial side effects:

• Anti-reflective: improves sunlight penetration into the glass;
• Anti-electrostatic: reduces the adhesion of fine particles;
• Antipyretic: reduces surface temperature, minimizing heat losses and hotspots.

Automation and next steps

Now, Diego and his partner, Bruno Meyer, lead a team of 12 energy engineers at Energy Trade who work on automating the Suntech application process to mitigate failures and reduce human error.

"The idea is to create a robot capable of spraying the product evenly, optimizing time. Our company is 100% aligned with the energy transition, and we enjoy developing technologies, always seeking new solutions for market applications," he emphasized.

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