TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding and Benchmarking Ground Reflectors for Bifacial Photovoltaic Yield Enhancement
AU - Pal, Shweta S.
AU - van Loenhout, Frank H.C.
AU - Westerhof, Jelle
AU - Saive, Rebecca
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Author
Financial transaction number:
6100023295
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Bifacial modules combined with optimally positioned ground reflectors (albedo) can boost photovoltaic (PV) yield. Yet, a rigorous understanding and benchmarking of the reflector performance is missing, which leads to errors in power yield and economic estimates, thus hampering PV market penetration. Here, we address this impediment by establishing an experimentally validated reverse ray tracing (RRT) approach, combined with empirically derived parameters. First, we determine the spectro-angular reflection of a wide class of ground reflectors (diffuse, glossy, and specular). These parameters were fed into our RRT software, that simulated the PV yield, which was then experimentally validated with a model PV system. The validated framework enables determining an upper limit to PV yield enhancement and current mismatch within modules exposed to different kinds of reflectors. Our approach helps assessing already-existing natural and exotic reflectors, and inspire novel reflectors for enhanced PV yield and economic benefits.
AB - Bifacial modules combined with optimally positioned ground reflectors (albedo) can boost photovoltaic (PV) yield. Yet, a rigorous understanding and benchmarking of the reflector performance is missing, which leads to errors in power yield and economic estimates, thus hampering PV market penetration. Here, we address this impediment by establishing an experimentally validated reverse ray tracing (RRT) approach, combined with empirically derived parameters. First, we determine the spectro-angular reflection of a wide class of ground reflectors (diffuse, glossy, and specular). These parameters were fed into our RRT software, that simulated the PV yield, which was then experimentally validated with a model PV system. The validated framework enables determining an upper limit to PV yield enhancement and current mismatch within modules exposed to different kinds of reflectors. Our approach helps assessing already-existing natural and exotic reflectors, and inspire novel reflectors for enhanced PV yield and economic benefits.
KW - Albedo
KW - bifacial solar
KW - Faces
KW - Goniometers
KW - Mirrors
KW - optical modeling
KW - Photovoltaic systems
KW - Ray tracing
KW - reflectors
KW - reverse ray tracing
KW - Wavelength measurement
KW - Yield estimation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85174815099&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2023.3319592
DO - 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2023.3319592
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85174815099
SN - 2156-3381
VL - 14
SP - 160
EP - 169
JO - IEEE journal of photovoltaics
JF - IEEE journal of photovoltaics
IS - 1
ER -