Comprehensive literature review on the modeling and prediction of soiling effects on solar energy power plants

The investigation of soiling effects on solar installations' performance is a topic of fast-increasing interest and importance. All over the world, works are conducted on measurement, analysis, modeling, and mitigation of these effects to perform accurate yield predictions and develop optimal maintenance strategies. This is important for uncertainty and risk reduction in large-scale investments. For this reason, the review work reported here is fully focused on the modeling and prediction of the soiling effect on solar power plants' performance. A summary of the main characteristics of each model has been described. The papers summarized have been analyzed and gathered into groups to better present the trend that research on this phenomenon follows. This review will help researchers working on this topic gain an overview of the models applied. It will also help to better choose the right direction in modeling and predicting the soiling phenomenon. The aim is to serve as a reference for upcoming works and for a better consideration in the future monitoring systems.