As solar energy becomes a leading solution for sustainable power, maintaining the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems is crucial. Soiling, caused by the accumulation of dirt and dust on PV glass, can reduce light transmission and lower energy output by up to 30% in dusty environments. Anti-soiling coatings help minimize dust buildup and reduce the need for cleaning, saving water as well as costs. These coatings must offer strong mechanical properties, durability, and high transmittance to be effective. Advanced materials coatings provide excellent hydrophobicity and mechanical robustness, making them ideal for long-term solar applications. We investigated the effect of zirconia sol on the mechanical properties and optical transmittance of silica-based superhydrophobic coatings. Three different formulations were prepared. The coating without additive demonstrated a transmittance of 88.68%, while the transmittance reduced to 84.65% with 30% additive. The coating’s hardness was evaluated using the pencil hardness test (ASTM D-3363). Coatings B and C were scratched using pencils of varying hardness levels, followed by an attempt to remove the scratch marks. The hardest pencil that did not leave permanent scratches was recorded as the coating’s hardness. Coating B had a hardness of 2B, while Coating C exhibited improved hardness, rated at 1H. The increase in hardness with higher zirconia content suggests that zirconia enhances the mechanical strength of the silica-based hydrophobic coatings. These results reveal a trade-off between hardness and transmittance, supporting the potential use of these coatings as passive cleaning solutions for PV modules. This work was done by NCPRE students Anand Abhinav and Gulnaaz under the guidance of Prof. Sudhanshu Mallick.