Wind-driven tech powers solar panel dust removal without external electricity

Wind-driven tech powers solar panel dust removal without external electricity
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 22, 2025

Through a joint effort with Dr. Wanchul Seung at Samsung Electronics' Global Technology Research division, Professor Juhyuck Lee and his team at the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST have developed a self-powered system for cleaning solar panels. The innovation combines wind energy with electrodynamic screen (EDS) technology, eliminating the need for external power sources.

Dust buildup on solar panels can drastically reduce their efficiency. EDS technology, which uses electric fields to dislodge dust, has proven valuable in remote locations like deserts and mountainous areas where manual cleaning is impractical. Traditional EDS systems, however, demand high voltage and external energy, increasing upkeep costs.

In 2024, DGIST researchers proposed a wind-powered, single-phase EDS solution, but it suffered from limited performance. Its effectiveness was heavily dependent on the panel's mounting angle, as dust removal relied on gravity-based, side-to-side movement.

To overcome these shortcomings, the DGIST team introduced a three-phase EDS system driven by a wind-powered rotational triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). This new setup uses specially designed three-phase electrodes to actively direct dust off the panel surface, functioning efficiently regardless of orientation.

Tests showed the system generated up to 1,383 volts and achieved 83.48% dust removal efficiency-1.6 times higher than previous designs. When powered solely by wind, the technology restored solar panels' performance to about 96% of their original power conversion efficiency.

"The key takeaway in this study is that three-phase high voltage generated by wind power is used to move dust in the desired direction, and it does not require external power," said Professor Lee. "This technology will reduce the maintenance costs of solar panels and can be applied efficiently across a wide range of environments."

The research was supported by Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation, with findings published in Nano Energy. First authors were DGIST graduate students Cheoljae Lee and Junyoung Yang.

Research Report:Self-powered directional dust removal via wind-driven phase-controlled TENG for solar panel maintenance