Effects of Microbiota on the Soiling Process of PV Modules in Arid Zones of the Atacama Desert

Photovoltaic technology has proven to be a reliable, economical, and clean energy source that is capable of adapting to diverse geographical conditions. However, factors such as soiling overshadow these qualities, thus leading to production losses and affecting the profitability of this technology. For these reasons, soiling is a highly studied topic, which involves considering the physicochemical characterization of the deposited material, mitigation strategies, effect predictions, and cleaning mechanisms. However, there is a relatively unexplored area related to the microbiological contribution to soiling. The surface of photovoltaic modules, along with the deposited material and local atmospheric factors, fosters favorable conditions for the colonization of microorganisms. These microorganisms influence the soiling mechanisms and optical properties of photovoltaic modules. This work presents a detailed characterization of the microbial diversity present in the soiling deposited on photovoltaic modules installed in the Atacama Desert. Two study sites were defined: Antofagasta and the Solar Platform of the Atacama Desert, which have warm and cold desert climates, respectively. Mineralogical characterization tests, heavy metal analyses, TOC, and inorganic element analyses were conducted on the deposited material. Additionally, the culturable isolates and the metagenomic DNA of the soiling samples and biofilms grown on standard PV glass were characterized using next-generation sequencing. The results show that the deposited soiling contained a microbiological component that had adapted to extreme desert conditions. The presence of the genera <i>Arthrobacter</i>, <i>Kocuria</i>, and <i>Dietzia</i> were identified in the culturable isolates from Antofagasta, while <i>Arthrobacter</i> and <i>Dietzia</i> were obtained from the Solar Platform of the Atacama Desert. The metagenomic DNA was mainly represented by the genera <i>Pontibacter</i>, <i>Noviherbaspirillum</i>, <i>Massilia</i>, <i>Arthrobacter</i>, <i>Hymenobacter</i>, and <i>Deinococcus</i> at Antofagasta. However, at the Solar Platform of the Atacama Desert, the analyzed samples presented DNA concentrations below 0.5 ng/µL, which made their preparation unviable. At the PSDA, the biofilms formed by the genera <i>Peribacillus</i> and <i>Kocuria</i> were identified, whereas the UA showed a greater abundance of bacteria that favored biofilm formation, including those that belonged to the genera <i>Bacillus</i>, <i>Sporosarcina</i>, <i>Bhargavaea</i>, <i>Mesaobacillus</i>, <i>Cytobacillus</i>, <i>Caldakalibacillus</i>, and <i>Planococcus</i>. Based on these results, we propose a soiling mechanism that considers the microbiological contribution to material cementation.