Solar panels are one of out greatest potential alternative
sources of energy, especially in regions that get a lot of sun. Every day, the
sun shines down on us, delivering energy that we need only harness to have
essentially free, renewable energy. That’s why the Saudi Arabian desert seems
like the perfect place to invest in solar power.
But to be effective, solar panels need to be kept
clean—something that can be a huge problem in a region where sand storms are
frequent and intense. In other regions around the world, panels are cleaned
using water—either automatically or manually. But fresh water is scarce in
Saudi Arabia, and most of its water supply comes from converting salt water
into fresh water.
Using water to clean the panels would be expensive and
remove the sustainability of the panels. But a new cleaning device designed for
use on solar panels in intense desert regions, Nomadd (no-water mechanical
automated dusting device), doesn’t need water to get the job done.
Invented by Georg Eitelhuber, a physics teacher at King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, Nomadd makes it
possible to harness the full potential of solar panels in the desert. The
device is simple, with just four major moving parts, and can be set to clean
automatically or on-demand by remote control.
“This allows the entire array of banks to be cleaned in a
short time, which is essential after a sandstorm,” Eitelhuber says.
According
to the BBC, Eitelhuber won a $200,000 grant from the university’s “Seed
Fund” to further develop his device for possible commercial use. Since then,
he’s been able to create a full-size prototype for use on large solar panels.
Saudi Arabia plans to invest $109 billion over the next
twenty years into solar power, and Eitelhuber’s timing is perfect. He’s brought
a new solution to a problem that needs answering, and he’s one of the first to do
so.
“The Middle East will be one of the major global markets for
solar in the coming decades,” he said. “In particular, Saudi Arabia.”
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