Dynamic Opto-Electric-Thermal Modelling for Performance Assessment of Bifacial PV Modules

A dynamic opto-electric-thermal model based on view factor approach has been mathematically presented in this paper. The proposed modelling framework is further used to accurately predict the module temperature and power output of a bifacial module. The proposed approach is validated using representative days in summer and winter to assess the suitability of the approach in different weather conditions. The error in power and temperature prediction using the proposed approach is significantly reduced to RMSE<25 W and 1°C-2°C respectively, when compared against existing procedures in literature. The significance of this work arises due to the oversimplification of existing approaches wherein parameters such as thermal response of module and accurate rear side irradiance are either assumed or ignored, which often leads to under and overestimation of predicted power output. The proposed model is used to determine the annual bifacial gain and assess the impact of tilt angle (ß), module elevation (EM), azimuth angle (ϒ) and ground albedo (pg) on module temperature and power output.