DustIQ Solar Panel Soiling Monitoring
The Kipp & Zonen DUST IQ is a solar panel soiling monitor that measures the light loss caused by dust and dirt settling on PV panels, letting operators plan and target cleaning schedules instead of cleaning on a fixed timetable.
- Supply
- 12-30 VDC, 200-70 mA at 24 V (500 mA supply advised)
- Transmission Loss (TL) range
- 0 to 50%
- Soiling Ratio (SR) range
- 50 to 100% (SR = 100 - TL)
Overview
In detail
How it works
DUST IQ mimics a PV panel within the solar array, so it soils and is cleaned at the same rate as the surrounding panels, giving real 'on the ground' data on local soiling levels. It reports transmission loss and soiling ratio, and also monitors panel temperature.
Deployment
The unit integrates directly into the panel array and is virtually maintenance-free. Deploying multiple units across a large solar farm lets operators target cleaning at the areas that need it, avoiding unnecessary cleaning that wastes time, money and water while preventing output loss from missed soiling.
Connectivity
DUST IQ outputs over RS-485 Modbus, allowing integration into SCADA systems where cleaning alarms can be configured.
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Specifications
Technical specifications
- Transmission Loss (TL) range
- 0 to 50%
- Soiling Ratio (SR) range
- 50 to 100% (SR = 100 - TL)
- Accuracy
- ± 0.1 of reading ± 1% (after local dust calibration)
- Operating temperature
- -20 to +60 °C
- PV panel temperature sensor
- -20 to +100 °C, ± 1 °C
- Tilt X and Y
- -180° to +180°, ± 1°
- Communication
- Modbus over 2-wire RS-485
- Supply voltage
- 12-30 VDC, 200-70 mA at 24 V (500 mA supply advised)
- Dimensions
- 990 x 160 x 35 mm (unpacked)
- Weight
- 4 kg unit; 600 g mounting clamps (unpacked)
Related
Often specified alongside
Weathertech
SP Lite2 Pyranometer
- Temp
- -40 °C to +80 °C
- Spectral range (overall)
- 400 to 1100 nm
- Sensitivity
- 60 to 100 µV/W/m²
SMP6Weathertech
SMP6 Pyranometer
- Supply
- 5 to 30 VDC
Ready to specify?
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