Fully Integrated Optical-Electrical-Thermal Model of Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules for Energy Yield Assessment

Bifacial photovoltaic modules represent an emerging technology able to increase the electricity generation from solar energy thanks to their ability to harvest sunlight from both the front and rear surfaces. As the installations of bifacial modules become more and more widespread, even in new and innovative applications, the need for accurate dynamic simulation tools to predict their performance is of the utmost importance. This research presents an advanced coupled optical-electrical-thermal model for the bifacial module dynamic simulation and makes use of the aforementioned model to perform sensitivity analysis intended to determine how several parameters correlated to the bifacial module power output affect the energy yield. Specifically, the annual energy yield of the south-facing bifacial photovoltaic module was assessed focusing on changes in tilt angle and albedo. Three distinct locations across Italy, characterized by different latitudes and climatic conditions, were selected as case studies. The impact of tilt angle on global irradiance received by both the front and rear sides of the bPV module is highlighted, with the sensitivity analysis ranging from 0° to 90° in increments of 10°. Additionally, three albedo values were examined to assess their influence. This study identifies novel results, including local power peaks in rear-side power-time curves at high albedo values and significant variations in optimal tilt angles compared to monofacial optimal values.