JA Solar and Xiamen Sino-Solar Jointly Explore Solutions for Bird-Droppings Prevention on Photovoltaic Modules

From “Passive Cleaning” to “Proactive Self-Cleaning”: JA Solar and Suncore Advance the Collaborative Implementation of Anti-Bird-Droppings Technology

Introduction

In the actual operation of photovoltaic power plants, bird droppings have long been a typical issue that affects module surface cleanliness and the O&M experience. This is especially true in distributed rooftop installations, agrivoltaic systems, tidal flats, coastal areas, and offshore platforms, where bird droppings tend to be highly adhesive, easily dried and crusted, difficult to remove, and prone to leaving residues. In response to this real-world need, JA Solar and Xiamen Simeik are continuously collaborating to explore advanced surface protection solutions for modules in complex operating environments, jointly advancing the deployment of bird-droppings-resistant solutions that are more closely aligned with end-user applications.

I. Bird Droppings: Why Do They Pose a Typical Challenge on the Surface of Photovoltaic Modules?

As the application scenarios for photovoltaic systems continue to expand, the operating environments for PV modules are becoming increasingly complex. In addition to common forms of contamination such as dust, water stains, and salt deposition, bird droppings remain one of the most typical—and most challenging—types of surface contamination on PV modules.

Compared with ordinary airborne dust, bird droppings are not merely particulate contaminants. They typically contain a certain proportion of organic matter and sticky substances, which can readily form localized adhesion upon deposition on module surfaces. Under conditions such as solar irradiation and alternating wet–dry cycles, these deposits may further harden and persist, thereby increasing the difficulty of subsequent cleaning. This issue is particularly pronounced in scenarios where avian activity is frequent, such as distributed rooftop installations, agrivoltaic systems, intertidal zones, coastal areas, and offshore platforms.

From the perspective of actual operation, bird droppings contamination typically exhibits several distinct characteristics:

• Obvious local adhesion
  Bird droppings typically appear as spots or patches, readily creating localized contamination areas on component surfaces.
• Strong adhesion
  Due to the presence of sticky components, natural wind typically struggles to remove them effectively.
• It becomes even harder to clean once it dries and hardens.
  After prolonged exposure to intense sunlight and repeated cycles of drying and wetting, stubborn residues are more likely to form.
• The scenarios differ significantly.
  In different regions and power plant environments, variations in bird activity frequency, humidity levels, rainfall patterns, and the manner in which pollutants accumulate impose more stringent requirements on surface protection.

Therefore, bird-dropping prevention should not be limited to a “clean only when dirty” approach; rather, it must begin with functional design of the module surface to make contamination less likely to form persistent, stubborn residues and easier to be washed away by natural environmental processes.

II. Bird-Droppings Prevention: It’s Not Just “Cleaning”—It’s “Breakdown + Self-Cleaning”

In complex application scenarios, relying solely on manual cleaning often presents two practical challenges:

• High cleaning frequency,  
• Operational management is challenging in some scenarios.  

For example, in areas such as high-roofed structures, waterfront zones, intertidal flats, and offshore platforms, frequent manual cleaning not only increases labor and management costs but also places higher demands on O&M efficiency.
          Therefore, the more valuable approach is to design functional coatings on component surfaces that make it harder for pollutants to adhere over the long term, while also enabling natural sunlight, rain, and dew to play a greater role in degrading pollutants and facilitating self-cleaning of the surface.

Guided by this approach, JA Solar and Xiamen Sino-Science are jointly exploring a technological direction that leverages the synergistic effects of photocatalytic and superhydrophilic surface functionalities to enhance module self-cleaning performance and adaptability to complex contaminants such as bird droppings.

III. Photocatalysis: Why does it help degrade organic pollutants in bird droppings?

One of the main reasons bird droppings are difficult to treat is that they contain a certain proportion of organic matter and sticky components.
These substances enhance the adhesion of pollutants to component surfaces and make it easier for stubborn residues to form after exposure to sunlight.

Moreover, nanocoatings with photocatalytic functionality can continuously decompose organic contaminants on surfaces under natural lighting conditions, thereby reducing the adhesion and residual strength of these pollutants.

This process can be simply understood as:
Organic contaminants that were originally “strongly adhered” are gradually weakened and broken down under the action of light, making them easier to loosen from the surface. As a result, subsequent natural rainfall or dew-induced wetting, as well as manual cleaning, become much more effective.

Therefore, the value of photocatalytic technology in bird-dropping prevention lies not in instant “pollution elimination,” but in gradually transforming complex organic contaminants like bird droppings—from a stubbornly adherent state to one that is easier to remove.

IV. Superhydrophilicity: Why does it enable rainwater to more easily carry away residues?

If photocatalysis addresses “weakening pollution,” then superhydrophilicity ensures that “pollution is more easily washed away.”

On ordinary surfaces, water typically forms droplets with limited contact area; however, when a component’s surface exhibits superhydrophilic properties, rainwater or dew that lands on the surface spreads more readily and rapidly, forming a continuous water film.

The significance of this continuous water film lies in:

• More uniform coverage
  Compared with water droplets that roll only in localized areas, a continuous water film can achieve more thorough contact with contaminated surfaces, thereby reducing cleaning blind spots.
• Higher evacuation efficiency
  After photocatalytic treatment, the adhesion of bird-dropping residues is weakened, and a continuous water film then more effectively carries away loose residues and surface contaminants.
• More conducive to natural self-cleaning
  In environments where rainwater, dew, or high-humidity condensation is present, superhydrophilic surfaces can more effectively harness natural water resources, helping to maintain a cleaner surface on components.

In other words, superhydrophilicity is not merely “surface hydrophilicity”; rather, it involves establishing a wetting mechanism on the component’s surface that is more conducive to self-cleaning.

V. Why is “photocatalysis + superhydrophilicity” more suitable for bird-dropping prevention applications?

Bird droppings constitute a complex form of contamination that is neither a simple dust deposition nor a mere organic, adhesive, and persistent pollutant.
Therefore, a single-function approach often struggles to simultaneously optimize both the “adhesion reduction” and “subsequent removal” processes.

The synergistic rationale behind “photocatalysis + superhydrophilicity” lies in:

• Photocatalysis helps to decompose the organic pollutants in bird droppings;
• Superhydrophilicity facilitates the rapid spreading of rainwater and dew to form a water film;  
• The synergistic effect of the two enhances the self-cleaning performance of component surfaces against bird-dropping contamination.

This technical approach more closely aligns with the long-term operational logic of modules in real-world environments. After all, for end-user applications, what truly matters is not a single transient performance metric, but rather the ability of the module surface to maintain superior cleanliness and more user-friendly O&M characteristics under diverse scenarios, varying weather conditions, and the cumulative effects of multiple types of pollution.

VI. To achieve deployment across all scenarios, technology must be aligned with real-world application needs.

Bird-dropping prevention technology cannot be discussed in isolation from specific application scenarios. Different applications have varying requirements for surface protection of components.

• In distributed rooftop installations, component locations are dispersed and the number of projects is large, resulting in high costs for frequent manual cleaning.  
• In scenarios such as agrivoltaics and intertidal zones, bird activity is more frequent, and humidity and dew conditions are more pronounced.
• In coastal and offshore platform environments, in addition to bird droppings, salt spray, high humidity, and complex climatic conditions may also be present.

Therefore, the truly effective solution is not to simply replicate a single material across all projects, but rather to continuously match, validate, and optimize technologies based on the component’s application environment, the type of contamination, and end-user requirements.

This is also the key to JA Solar and XCMG’s collaborative advancement in this area:
Start from the genuine needs of the component side and continuously engage in joint exploration centered on full-scenario implementation, rather than remaining confined to a mere product-supply relationship.

VII. Collaborative Exploration Beyond Upstream and Downstream Integration

In response to the need for component contamination protection in complex operating environments, JA Solar and Sino-Science are jointly advancing the continuous refinement of bird-dropping prevention technologies.

JinkoSolar leverages its deep understanding of module applications and site-specific requirements to propose application-oriented solutions that better address the practical challenges posed by diverse project environments. Meanwhile, Xiamen Sino-Science Technology capitalizes on its expertise in functional nanocoating R&D and technology adaptation to conduct targeted research and optimization in key areas such as photocatalysis, superhydrophilicity, self-cleaning, and dust-repellent properties.

The collaboration between the two parties is not merely a simple supply relationship for materials; rather, it involves jointly undertaking more in-depth joint exploration and collaborative practice around the following areas:

• Identification of Pollution Protection Requirements in Complex Scenarios  
• Optimization of the Matching Between Component Surface Functions and End-Application Requirements  
• Co-verification from material properties to component applications  
• Continuous advancement from laboratory logic to real-world deployment  

Looking ahead, the two parties will continue to focus on all-scenario applications—including distributed systems, aquaculture–solar integration, intertidal zone projects, coastal installations, and offshore platforms—to further refine photovoltaic module surface protection technologies, ensuring that related solutions are better aligned with end-user needs, specific application contexts, and real-world O&M requirements.

Conclusion

As the photovoltaic industry continues to expand into more diverse and complex application environments, module surface protection is shifting from “passive cleaning” to “active self-cleaning.”

Focusing on the typical and complex issue of bird droppings, JA Solar and Hysenc are driven by module-level customer needs, supported by material-level technological innovation, and aimed at scenario-specific validation and practical deployment, continuously advancing the collaborative exploration and refinement of surface protection technologies such as bird-droppings resistance, self-cleaning, and dust-repellent coatings.

Looking ahead, the two parties will continue to deepen their collaboration by focusing on real-world challenges, jointly advancing the targeted and value-driven deployment of relevant technologies across a broader range of applications, and providing more robust technical support for the long-term, stable operation of photovoltaic modules.