Numerical Modeling of Bifacial PV String Performance: Perimeter Effect and Influence of Uniaxial Solar Trackers

Fabio Ricco Galluzzo, Pier Enrico Zani, Marina Foti, Andrea Canino, Cosimo Gerardi and Salvatore Lombardo
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Fabio Ricco Galluzzo: Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Zona Industriale, Ottava Strada n. 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Pier Enrico Zani: ENEL Green Power, Contrada Blocco Torrazze—Z.I., 95121 Catania, Italy
Marina Foti: ENEL Green Power, Contrada Blocco Torrazze—Z.I., 95121 Catania, Italy
Andrea Canino: ENEL Green Power, Contrada Blocco Torrazze—Z.I., 95121 Catania, Italy
Cosimo Gerardi: ENEL Green Power, Contrada Blocco Torrazze—Z.I., 95121 Catania, Italy
Salvatore Lombardo: Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Zona Industriale, Ottava Strada n. 5, 95121 Catania, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: The bifacial photovoltaic (PV) systems have recently met large interest. The performance of such systems heavily depends on the installation conditions and, in particular, on the albedo radiation collected by the module rear side. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to have an accurate performance model. To date, in the scientific literature, numerous models have been proposed and experimental data collected to study and optimize bifacial PV system performance. Currently, 3D and 2D models of bifacial PV devices exist. Though the former are more mathematically complex, they can lead to more accurate results, since they generally allow to fully consider the main aspects influencing a bifacial PV system performance. Recently, we have proposed and validated through experimental data a 3D model tested as a function of module height, tilt angle, and ground albedo. In this work, through such a model, we studied the role played by the perimeter zones surrounding the PV string, by considering PV strings of 30 or 60 modules. We considered the cases of fixed installation with optimal PV module tilt and of installation with uniaxial horizontal solar tracker. We evaluated the PV energy yield as a function of the size of the perimeter zones for the two cases, i.e., both with and without the solar tracker. In optimal perimeter conditions, we then studied the behavior of bifacial and mono-facial PV strings by varying the geographical location in a large latitude range.

Keywords: bifacial PV modeling; perimeter effect; solar tracker influence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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