IoT enabled laser-based pointed cleaning of solar panel

A computer-implemented system for cleaning a surface of a solar panel comprising:

• one or more computer processors;
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media;
• program instructions, stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, which when implemented by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to:
• receive one or more of:
• a current power output measure of the solar panel responsive to a solar panel surface exposure to solar energy and a presence of an accumulated substance formed on the solar panel surface, a current weather condition of an environment within which the solar panel is located, and a current image of a surface of the solar panel obtained from an imaging device, the current image of a solar panel surface revealing the presence of the accumulated substance;
• run a machine-learned (ML) prediction model, said ML prediction model trained to predict a decrease in power output of the solar panel based on one or more of said received current power output measure, the current weather condition and a solar panel surface image that reveals the presence of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface;
• determine whether a predicted decrease in power output of the solar panel is greater than a pre-determined threshold power decrease;
• and
• responsive to a determining that the predicted decrease in power output of the solar panel is greater than the pre-determined threshold power decrease, locate a laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface, said laser beam generator device having a laser source for focusing generated laser beams at the solar panel surface;
• process said current image of the solar panel surface to generate a heatmap image showing a distribution of accumulated substances on the solar panel surface;
• determine, from said heatmap image, a precise location on the solar panel surface of an accumulated substance;
• use said heatmap image to precisely locate said laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface;
• estimate a power expended by the laser beam generator device in generating said laser beams for said precise removal of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface;
• determine when a power increase of an energy output measure of said solar panel resulting from said precise removal of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface exceeds said estimated power expended by the laser beam generator device in generating said laser beams for said precise removal of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface, and
• in response to said determining, generate, by the laser source, laser beams for impingement upon the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface to precisely remove the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface and clean the solar panel surface.

A computer program product for cleaning a solar panel, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
• program instructions to receive one or more of:
• a current power output measure of the solar panel responsive to a solar panel surface exposure to solar energy and a presence of an accumulated substance formed on the solar panel surface, a current weather condition of an environment within which the solar panel is located, and a current image of a surface of the solar panel obtained from an imaging device, the current image of the solar panel surface revealing the presence of an accumulated substance;
• program instructions to run a machine-learned (ML) prediction model, said ML prediction model trained to predict a decrease in power output of the solar panel based on one or more of said received current power output measure, the current weather condition and a solar panel surface image that reveals the presence of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface;
• program instructions to determine whether a predicted decrease in power output of the solar panel is greater than a pre-determined threshold power decrease;
• and
• responsive to a determining that the predicted decrease in power output of the solar panel is greater than the pre-determined threshold power decrease, program instructions to locate a laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface, said laser beam generator device having a laser source for focusing generated laser beams at the solar panel surface;
• program instructions to process said current image of the solar panel surface to generate a heatmap image showing a distribution of accumulated substances on the solar panel surface;
• and
• program instructions to determine, from said heatmap image, a precise location on the solar panel surface of an accumulated substance;
• program instructions to use said heatmap image to precisely locate said laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface;
• program instructions to estimate a power expended by the laser beam generator device in generating said laser beams for said precise removal of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface;
• program instructions to estimate a power expended by the laser beam generator device in generating said laser beams for said precise removal of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface;
• program instructions to determine when a power increase of an energy output measure of said solar panel resulting from said precise removal of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface exceeds said estimated power expended by the laser beam generator device in generating said laser beams for said precise removal of the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface, and
• in response to said determining, program instructions to generate, by the laser source, laser beams for impingement upon the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface to precisely remove the accumulated substance on the solar panel surface and clean the solar panel surface.