Impact of particulate matter and dust on photovoltaic systems in Shanghai, China Available to Purchase

This paper investigates a grid-connected rooftop home-based building attached photovoltaic (BAPV) system in Shanghai, China. A photovoltaic (PV) system has good economic and environmental benefits. In this study, the net present value and the payback period (PP) are adapted to determine the system profitability based on 3 years' measured data of the 3 kW BAPV system. Additionally, the indicators of the energy payback time, the energy return on investment, the greenhouse gas per kilowatt hour, the greenhouse-gas payback time and the greenhouse gas return on investment are applied to assess its sustainability by using life-cycle assessment. Meanwhile, this paper analyzes the comprehensive benefits under the impact of dust. Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) has an adverse impact on PV systems. This paper presents a study explaining the impact of PM_2.5 on the performance of PV panels in the same humidity season. Economic damage from PM_2.5 should not be ignored. Three economic models under the condition of haze are presented.