Mitigating Dust Accumulation on Mars: Vertical Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules for Enhanced Solar Energy Performance

Dust accumulation on solar panels is a persistent challenge for Martian missions, significantly reducing energy generation and limiting mission longevity. Traditional photovoltaic (PV) systems, typically installed horizontally or at slight inclinations, are particularly vulnerable to soiling from fine Martian dust. This paper highlights a novel approach to mitigating dust accumulation and enhancing energy capture for future Martian missions: the vertical installation of bifacial PV modules. This study predicts dust accumulation on PV modules in the Martian environment by using a mathematical model. The results show that a vertical tilt angle significantly reduces, and in some cases eliminates dust deposition. As a verification of the results, images from Martian rovers and landers, where vertical surfaces exhibit little to no dust accumulation compared to adjacent horizontal surfaces that show significant buildup. Despite the surfaces are not PV module surfaces, they can be considered for evaluating dust accumulation on PV module surfaces. Worth mentioning, that glass surfaces available on Martian rovers as lenses of cameras, usually implemented vertically, do not suffer the soiling problem. Bifacial PV modules, previously proposed in the literature, have shown promise in enhancing energy yield by capturing light from both sides of the module. Combining vertical installation with bifacial technology could synergistically improve energy output while virtually eliminating the issue of dust accumulation. While implementing vertical PV systems on Mars presents technical challenges, this configuration, whether permanent or temporary, offers a practical solution to the soiling problem, potentially extending mission lifespans and ensuring more sustainable solar-powered operations. The proposed vertical bifacial PV modules present a promising solution to the PV modules soiling challenges on Mars, offering the potential to extend mission lifespans and improve the sustainability of solar-powered operations. This study contributes insights into the possible designs of efficient and durable energy systems for the Martian environment.