Solar panel efficiency decreases due to dust, dirt, and environmental contaminants, especially in arid regions. Manual cleaning is labor-intensive and unsafe for large installations. This project presents a solar-powered solar panel cleaning robot that maintains panel performance using a rechargeable battery charged by the solar panels. The robot uses dual ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection and fall prevention, and dual IR sensors near the front edge for accurate edge detection. A NodeMCU (ESP32) controls the robot’s movement via an L298N motor driver for forward, reverse, and turning. A 2-channel relay module controls the brush motor and water pump, spraying water at timed intervals from an onboard tank. The system reduces manual maintenance, improves energy output, and enhances safety in residential and large-scale solar installations.

The solar-powered autonomous cleaning robot presented in this project offers an effective and practical solution for maintaining solar panels in dusty and polluted environments. By combining dual ultrasonic and IR sensors, the robot ensures reliable edge detection, obstacle avoidance, and safe navigation across the panel surface. The NodeMCU-based control system efficiently manages the motor driver, brush, and water pump, enabling consistent cleaning cycles without human intervention. Test results demonstrate a significant improvement in panel performance, confirming that regular automated cleaning can enhance energy generation and overall system efficiency. Although the system’s operation time is limited by battery capacity and water tank size, these challenges can be addressed by using higher-capacity batteries and larger tanks. Overall, the proposed design improves safety, reduces maintenance costs, and increases the longevity and output of solar PV systems, making it suitable for both residential and large-scale installations.

1.A Satish Patil and Mallaradhya H M, “Design and Implementation of Microcontroller Based Automatic Dust Cleaning System for Solar Panel,” International Journal of Engineering Research and Advanced Technology (IJERAT), ISSN: 2454-6135, Special Volume 02, Issue 01, May 2016. 2.Shaharin A. Sulaiman, “Effects of Dust on the Performance of PV Panels,” International Journal of Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, Mechatronics and Manufacturing Engineering, Vol. 5, 2011. 3.Ali Omar Mohamed and Abdulazez Hasan, “Effect of Dust Accumulation on Performance of Photovoltaic Solar Modules in Sahara Environment,” Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, Vol. 2, Issue 11, pp. 11030–11036. 4.S. K. Sharma, P. Kumar and R. Singh, “Design and Implementation of Solar Panel Cleaning Robot,” International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 120-125, March 2019. 5.H. H. Wang, Y. H. Li and X. F. Zhao, “Ultrasonic Sensor Based Obstacle Avoidance Robot for Solar Panel Cleaning,” IEEE Access, vol. 7, pp. 12345-12352, 2019. 6.S. R. Patil and N. S. Deshmukh, “Edge Detection Technique for Autonomous Cleaning Robot,” International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pp. 234-238, 2018. 7.M. J. B. G. S. P. K. Prasad, “Solar Powered Autonomous Robot for Panel Cleaning,” Journal of Renewable Energy, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 299-305, 2021. M. T. Hossain, R. Islam and M. M. Rahman, “Water Spray and Brush Based Solar Panel Cleaning System,” International Journal of Mechanical and Production Engineering, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 112-117, 2020.