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Extremophilic microbial communities on photovoltaic panel surfaces: a two-year study
Kristie Tanner1,2, Esther Molina-Menor2, Adriel Latorre-Pérez1
1Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence S.L., Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, 46980, Spain.
Microbial Biotechnology
|July 3, 2020
Summary
Microbial communities on solar panels show seasonal changes, with specialists thriving and generalists declining over 24 months. Cleaning panels with chemicals altered this microbial community but did not improve photovoltaic efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Solar panel surfaces are exposed to harsh environmental conditions, leading to microbial colonization.
- While microbial community composition on solar panels is known, the colonization process is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term microbial colonization process on solar panels over 24 months.
- To analyze seasonal fluctuations in microbial community structure and diversity.
- To assess the impact of antimicrobial treatments on the microbial biocenosis and panel efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Weekly monitoring of photovoltaic efficiency.
- High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes to analyze microbial composition.
- Application of antimicrobial compounds to evaluate effects on microbial communities.
Main Results:
- Species richness and biodiversity displayed significant seasonal fluctuations.
- Specialist, solar panel-adapted microbial taxa (e.g., Deinococcus, Hymenobacter, Roseomonas, Neocatenulostroma) increased, while generalist taxa decreased.
- Antimicrobial washing altered the microbial profile but did not enhance solar panel efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Solar panels create extreme environments that select for specific microbial communities.
- The microbial colonization process is dynamic and influenced by seasonality.
- Microbial community management on solar panels may not directly translate to improved energy output.
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