Impact of Natural Bird Droppings on the Output Performance of Photovoltaic Modules: An Experimental Data Analysis

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are significantly influenced by environmental factors responsible for soiling, including bird droppings that may result in long-term performance deterioration and localized shading. In this study, four 10-watt polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) modules exposed to natural bird droppings for four months are used to examine the effect of bird droppings on solar panel electrical performance. An I-V tracer was used to record the I-V characteristics under two different conditions: (i) before cleaning, when there were accumulated bird droppings, and (ii) after cleaning, when all bird droppings had been removed. Due to bird droppings, the output power of the individual PV modules ranges from 9.96 W to 9.37 W, representing a decrease of 9.96% to 3.69%. The findings demonstrate that bird droppings significantly reduce output power and fill factor, emphasizing the necessity of routine maintenance to ensure optimal system performance.