IoT enabled laser-based pointed cleaning of solar panel

1 . A method for cleaning a surface of a solar panel comprising:

receiving, at a hardware processor, 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;

running, using the hardware processor, 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;

determining, using the hardware processor, whether a predicted decrease in power output of the solar panel is greater than a pre-determined threshold power decrease;

responsive to a determining that the predicted decrease in power output of the solar panel is greater than the pre-determined threshold power decrease, locating 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;

processing, using said hardware processor, said current image of the solar panel surface to generate a heatmap image showing a distribution of accumulated substances on the solar panel surface;

determining, using said hardware processor, from said heatmap image, a precise location on the solar panel surface of an accumulated substance;

using, by said laser source, said heatmap image to precisely locate said laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface;

estimating, using the hardware processor, 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;

determining, using the hardware processor, 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, controlling the laser source to generate 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.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

processing, using said hardware processor, said image of said solar panel surface to determine a type of substance accumulated on the solar panel surface.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said locating the laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface comprises:

controlling, using the hardware processor, a distance between a laser source of the laser beam generator device and a location of the accumulated substance; and

controlling, using the hardware processor, a height of the laser source laser beam generator device above the solar panel surface.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said laser beam generator device comprises a telescopic lens through which a generated laser beam is directed from an associated laser source, said method further comprising:

controlling, under control of the hardware processor, a focal length of said telescopic lens to precisely locate generated laser beams to the location of the accumulated substance at the solar panel surface for precise removal of the accumulated substance.

5 . 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.

6 . The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said instructions further configure the computer system to:

process said image of said solar panel surface to determine a type of substance accumulated on the solar panel surface.

7 . The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein to locate the laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface, said instructions further configure the computer system to:

control a distance between a laser source of the laser beam generator device and a location of the accumulated substance; and

control a height of the laser source laser beam generator device above the solar panel surface.

8 . The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said laser beam generator device comprises a telescopic lens through which a generated laser beam is directed from an associated laser source, said instructions further configure the computer system to:

control a focal length of said telescopic lens to precisely locate generated laser beams to the location of the accumulated substance at the solar panel surface for precise removal of the accumulated substance.

9 . 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.

10 . The computer program product as claimed in claim 9 , wherein to locate the laser beam generator device proximate the solar panel surface, said program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to control a distance between a laser source of the laser beam generator device and a location of the accumulated substance; and

program instructions to control a height of the laser source laser beam generator device above the solar panel surface.

11 . The computer program product as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said laser beam generator device comprises a telescopic lens through which a generated laser beam is directed from an associated laser source, said program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to control a focal length of said telescopic lens to precisely locate generated laser beams to the location of the accumulated substance at the solar panel surface for precise removal of the accumulated substance.