Microbial biofilms can reduce solar module yield by up to 30% in arid zones
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pv-magazine.com/2026/04/16/mic…
A Spanish-Chilean research team has found that microbial biofilms in the Atacama Desert can significantly contribute to the soiling of photovoltaic modules, reducing short-circuit current by up to around 30% under accelerated laboratory conditions.
The study highlights microorganisms as active agents in PV soiling and suggests they may influence optical losses, cleaning efficiency, and future mitigation strategies in arid, high-irradiance solar regions.