Silica nano-particulate coating having self-cleaning and antireflective properties for PV modules

In this research, silica nanoparticles are coated over the solar PV module glass to acquire super hydrophilic, antireflective and highly transparent surface. Silane precursor mixed with air sprayed on the substrate by aerosol deposition method. Pressure difference between the plasma chamber and the substrate is tuned by the introduction of helium gas, which results in good control over layer thickness and refractive indices. Due to the porous nature and graded index of coated film, the transmittance of glass substrate is increased from 91% to 99.2%. Surface topology of coated film is studied by AFM shows excellent antifogging and super-hydrophilic nature attributed to roughness and nano-porosity of coated film. Moreover, the super-hydrophilic nature endows these coatings with self-cleaning properties, which further enhances the overall efficiency of solar PV modules.