
This work introduces an autonomous maintenance strategy for desert photovoltaic installations, addressing efficiency losses caused by dust accumulation and hotspot formation. A cooperative swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles enables contactless cleaning and active cooling, combining aerodynamic downwash with advanced control and coordination. High-fidelity simulations and experiments demonstrate dust removal efficiencies exceeding 92% while maintaining structural safety. The system achieves a net positive energy balance, recovering more than 10 kWh per mission. The integrated modeling and swarm framework offers a scalable, reliable solution to enhance performance, durability, and resilience of solar farms operating in harsh desert environments.
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