Cleaning solar panels significantly boosts power generation, with the specific increase influenced by multiple factors including pollution levels, cleaning frequency, environmental conditions, and cleaning methods. Based on comprehensive research data and case studies, the following core conclusions can be drawn:

Typical Range: Cleaning generally boosts efficiency by 5%–30%, depending on contamination type and severity:

Light Contamination (e.g., dust, sand): Monthly dust accumulation can cause 15%–25% power degradation (measured in arid regions), with cleaning restoring efficiency close to initial levels;

Heavy Contamination (e.g., bird droppings, tree sap, industrial pollutants): Organic contaminants (like bird droppings) may cause a 30% reduction in string current, while chemical corrosion (e.g., salt spray, acid rain) accelerates material degradation. Cleaning can yield efficiency gains exceeding 20%;

Extreme cases: Middle Eastern desert power plants achieved a 21% annual power generation increase with 7–10 day cleaning cycles (NREL study); Comparisons at northwest China power plants showed an 8.7% higher annual average power output with 15-day cleaning cycles compared to 30-day cycles.