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Performance Modeling of Rooftop PV Systems in Arid Climate, a Case Study for Qatar: Impact of Soiling Losses and Albedo Using PVsyst and SAM.

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Title: Performance Modeling of Rooftop PV Systems in Arid Climate, a Case Study for Qatar: Impact of Soiling Losses and Albedo Using PVsyst and SAM.
Authors: Jain, Sachin1 (AUTHOR) sajain@hbku.edu.qa, Abdelrahim, Mohamed1 (AUTHOR), Abdallah, Amir A.1 (AUTHOR), Pillai, Dhanup S.1 (AUTHOR), Bayhan, Sertac1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Energies (19961073). Nov2025, Vol. 18 Issue 22, p5876. 14p.
Subjects: Albedo, Photovoltaic power systems, Arid regions climate, Building-integrated photovoltaic systems, Simulation software, Operations research
Geographic Terms: Qatar
Abstract: This study presents a comparative performance modeling and optimization framework for a 5 kWp rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system in Qatar, using two widely adopted simulation tools, PVsyst and the System Advisor Model (SAM). The research addresses a key limitation in existing PV modeling practice: the restricted capability of standard software to represent site-specific soiling and dynamic albedo effects under arid climatic conditions. To overcome these limitations, the Humboldt State University (HSU) soiling model was calibrated using field measurements from a DustIQ sensor, and its parameters, rainfall cleaning threshold and particulate deposition velocity were optimized through a Differential Evolution algorithm. Additionally, the study utilized dynamic albedo inputs to better account for ground-reflectance effects in energy yield simulations. The optimized approach reduced the root mean square error (RMSE) of predicted soiling ratios from 7.30 to 1.93 and improved the agreement between simulated and measured monthly energy yields for 2024, achieving normalized RMSE values of 4.66% in SAM and 4.86% in PVsyst. The findings demonstrate that coupling data-driven soiling optimization with refined albedo representation modernizes the predictive capabilities of PVsyst and SAM, yielding more reliable performance forecasts. This methodological advancement supports better-informed design and operation of rooftop PV systems in desert environments where soiling and reflectivity effects are pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Energies (19961073) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
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  Data: Performance Modeling of Rooftop PV Systems in Arid Climate, a Case Study for Qatar: Impact of Soiling Losses and Albedo Using PVsyst and SAM.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Energies+%2819961073%29%22">Energies (19961073)</searchLink>. Nov2025, Vol. 18 Issue 22, p5876. 14p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Albedo%22">Albedo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Photovoltaic+power+systems%22">Photovoltaic power systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Arid+regions+climate%22">Arid regions climate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Building-integrated+photovoltaic+systems%22">Building-integrated photovoltaic systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Simulation+software%22">Simulation software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Operations+research%22">Operations research</searchLink>
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  Data: This study presents a comparative performance modeling and optimization framework for a 5 kWp rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system in Qatar, using two widely adopted simulation tools, PVsyst and the System Advisor Model (SAM). The research addresses a key limitation in existing PV modeling practice: the restricted capability of standard software to represent site-specific soiling and dynamic albedo effects under arid climatic conditions. To overcome these limitations, the Humboldt State University (HSU) soiling model was calibrated using field measurements from a DustIQ sensor, and its parameters, rainfall cleaning threshold and particulate deposition velocity were optimized through a Differential Evolution algorithm. Additionally, the study utilized dynamic albedo inputs to better account for ground-reflectance effects in energy yield simulations. The optimized approach reduced the root mean square error (RMSE) of predicted soiling ratios from 7.30 to 1.93 and improved the agreement between simulated and measured monthly energy yields for 2024, achieving normalized RMSE values of 4.66% in SAM and 4.86% in PVsyst. The findings demonstrate that coupling data-driven soiling optimization with refined albedo representation modernizes the predictive capabilities of PVsyst and SAM, yielding more reliable performance forecasts. This methodological advancement supports better-informed design and operation of rooftop PV systems in desert environments where soiling and reflectivity effects are pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Energies (19961073) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3390/en18225876
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        Text: English
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        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 5876
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      – SubjectFull: Albedo
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Photovoltaic power systems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Arid regions climate
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Building-integrated photovoltaic systems
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      – SubjectFull: Simulation software
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      – SubjectFull: Operations research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Qatar
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Performance Modeling of Rooftop PV Systems in Arid Climate, a Case Study for Qatar: Impact of Soiling Losses and Albedo Using PVsyst and SAM.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Jain, Sachin
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            NameFull: Abdallah, Amir A.
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            NameFull: Pillai, Dhanup S.
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              Text: Nov2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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