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[Display omitted] • An electrostatic dust removal method for solar photovoltaic panels is investigated. • The dust removal mechanism is analyzed. • Relative humidity affects the effectiveness of dust removal. • Optimizing the metal plate type can improve the dust removal efficiency. Electrostatic dust removal has the advantages of energy saving, high efficiency, and controllability, and has become the preferred dust removal solution for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in recent years. This paper investigates a new electrostatic adsorption dust removal method for solar PV panels based on the electrostatic dust removal effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) transparent conductive films. In the sheet resistance range of 500–1×105 Ω/□, the electrostatic dust removal effect of CNTs transparent conductive films has little relationship with the film sheet resistance, and when the electric field strength in the dust removal area is 6 kV/cm, the final dust removal rate of different films can reach more than 98.6 %, and the power generation efficiency of the PV panels can reach 94–97 % of that of the ordinary PV panels in the surface clean state after dust removal. The influence of the environment on the dust removal effect is mainly reflected in the relative humidity. When the relative humidity of the dust removal environment is 70 %, it shows the optimal dust removal effect, and the electric field strength required for the dust particles to jump is the lowest, which is 2.46 kV/cm. The highest dust removal efficiency can be achieved by using a metal plate with a lower surface curvature of 1/9.08 cm−1, and the final dust removal rate can reach 98.92 %. The research results are of great significance for further developing electrostatic dust removal technology in the solar PV panel dust removal field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]