Pusheng Ye: Driving Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement in Solar Power Stations Through Material Innovation

According to Mr. Ye, many solar power stations face long-term challenges during operation, including dust accumulation, salt mist corrosion, bird droppings, industrial particles, organic pollutants, and module aging. These factors continuously reduce the light transmission of PV modules, lower power output, and increase the cleaning and maintenance burden of solar power stations.

In areas with strong wind, heavy sand, high pollution, salt mist, or difficult cleaning conditions, traditional manual cleaning, water washing equipment, and ordinary solar panel cleaning methods often face problems such as high frequency, high cost, short-lasting cleaning effects, and operational safety risks.

Technology Breakthrough: Photovoltaic Nano Self-Cleaning and Light-Enhancing Coating

Based on these industry pain points, Mr. Ye led the YINGCAI team, together with material experts, to carry out years of technical research. The team successfully developed photovoltaic nano self-cleaning and light-enhancing coating technology for solar module operation and maintenance.

The technology is based on a titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide composite nano structure. By building a 50–100 nm micro-nano rough surface structure, the coating forms a stable functional layer on the surface of PV glass, integrating light enhancement, weather resistance, surface protection, and self-cleaning performance.

After application, the coating can form either a super-hydrophilic or super-hydrophobic interface on the module surface. This helps reduce dust adhesion and allows pollutants to be removed more easily by rainwater or natural flushing, keeping the module surface cleaner for a longer period.

At the same time, the coating helps reduce surface reflection and improve light transmission. Application data shows that the coated module surface can achieve light transmittance of more than 94%, while power generation efficiency can be improved by more than 3% under suitable application conditions.

Durability and Environmental Adaptability

Compared with traditional coating solutions, YINGCAI photovoltaic nano self-cleaning coating also shows strong durability and environmental adaptability.

The coating can adapt to outdoor environments ranging from -40°C to 150°C and remain stable under pH 3–11 conditions. With surface resistance reduced to 10⁶–10⁹Ω, it provides good anti-static, anti-dust, and wear-resistant performance.

The coating can withstand more than 25,000 wear cycles under testing conditions, and its self-cleaning effect can last for 3–5 years. This helps reduce manual cleaning frequency and lower the overall operation and maintenance cost of solar power stations.

Integrated Solution: Cleaning + Coating

Mr. Ye emphasized that a single material product cannot fully solve PV operation and maintenance challenges. The real value lies in building a systematic solution.

Based on this idea, YINGCAI has developed an integrated “cleaning + coating” technical path. First, eco-friendly solar panel cleaning agents are used to deeply clean PV modules and remove oil stains, hardened dust, organic pollutants, and surface residues. Then, the nano self-cleaning coating is applied to improve coating adhesion, long-term stability, and surface protection.

This integrated solution helps improve module cleanliness before coating application, enhance coating durability, and further reduce future cleaning frequency. It provides a more complete path for solar power stations seeking lower O&M costs and higher long-term power generation performance.

Project Application Results

YINGCAI’s photovoltaic nano self-cleaning coating technology has been applied in multiple solar power station projects.

Application data from different projects showed significant improvements in power generation performance. The Bengbu project in Anhui achieved a reported efficiency increase of 33.1%; the Jincheng project in Liaoning achieved an increase of 35%; multi-scenario testing under State Power Investment Corporation showed an average increase of 31.5%; and the Jiujiang project in Jiangxi achieved a maximum increase of 36.89%.

At the same time, the cleaning frequency of solar power stations was reduced by approximately 75%, helping customers reduce water use, labor input, safety risks, and long-term maintenance pressure.

Scenario-Based PV O&M Solutions

For different regions and pollution conditions, YINGCAI has developed differentiated solutions for various PV application scenarios, including desert and Gobi solar power stations, coastal salt mist areas, agro-photovoltaic projects, fishery-photovoltaic projects, industrial rooftop PV systems, distributed solar stations with heavy dust pollution, and high-slope or difficult-to-clean PV projects.

Through the combination of material technology, cleaning processes, coating application methods, and long-term O&M experience, YINGCAI continues to promote the stable application of photovoltaic nano self-cleaning coating technology in more solar power station scenarios.

Looking Ahead

As China’s installed photovoltaic capacity continues to grow, existing solar power stations have increasing demand for better module cleaning, higher O&M efficiency, and improved asset returns.

Mr. Ye stated that YINGCAI New Materials will continue to focus on photovoltaic new materials, nano coatings, solar panel cleaning agents, and PV operation and maintenance technologies. The company will accelerate technology innovation and industrial application, providing more efficient, stable, and environmentally responsible solutions for the global solar industry.

As the Founder and Chairman of YINGCAI New Materials, Mr. Pusheng Ye is leading the company to promote cost reduction and efficiency improvement in solar power stations through material technology innovation, contributing Chinese enterprise strength to the development of green energy.