Abstract
Bifacial photovoltaic modules combined with horizontal single-axis tracker are widely used to achieve the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE). In this study, to further increase the power production of photovoltaic systems, the bifacial companion method is proposed for light supplementation and the efficiency enhancement of tilted bifacial modules with a horizontal single-axis tracker. Specifically, a solar reflector is added to the rear end of the tilted bifacial photovoltaic module to guide the sunlight and promote power generation on the rear end. The technical feasibility of the proposed method is verified through optimal calculation and prototype experimental test. The theoretical calculation results suggest that the bifacial companion system is particularly suitable for mid-to-high latitude areas. The higher the latitude, the higher the gain ratio of generated power in the system; there is an optimal module tilt angle that maximizes the efficiency at different latitudes. The closer the module tilt angle to the optimal tilt angle, the higher the power generation efficiency of the system. Meanwhile, compared to the fixed solar reflector, the use of tracking solar reflector is more conducive to improving the power generation efficiency of the system. For the 37.5° latitude area, the annual average power generation gain ratio of the bifacial companion system with tracking solar reflector and fixed solar reflector can reach up to 30% and 17%, respectively. Additionally, the test results for the three sets of bifacial companion prototypes (module tilt angles of 10°, 20°, and 30°) with a fixed solar reflector show that the maximum gain ratio of daily power generation in August 2021 are 8.2%, 13%, and 18.1%, and that in September 2021 are 7%, 8.7% and 13.7%, respectively, which are consistent with the theoretical results.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilWith the rapid development of the photovoltaic power generation industry, the demand for efficiency enhancement and cost reduction is continuously increasing
Lazaroiu et al [15] studied the power generation gain and energy consumption of a photovoltaic system with solar tracking, and the results indicated a significant growth in the power production during morning and evening
The results revealed that, when the ground albedo was less than 25%, the bifacial gain of the bifacial photovoltaic module installed on the ground was less than 10% globally; by increasing the albedo to 50% and raising the module to 1 m above the ground, the bifacial gain could be increased to 30%
Summary
Introduction published maps and institutional affilWith the rapid development of the photovoltaic power generation industry, the demand for efficiency enhancement and cost reduction is continuously increasing. The main factors affecting the efficiency and cost of photovoltaic power generation systems are solar resources at the project site, photovoltaic module characteristics (efficiency, bifacial factor), photovoltaic support form, additional irradiation, etc. Bifacial photovoltaic modules [2] are becoming increasingly popular because they can transform solar radiation into electricity from both front and rear sides. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the front and rear sides of a bifacial photovoltaic module has been improving year by year. To obtain the optimal optical design, the initial variable parameters of the structure (α, d, h) are introduced, and the product parameters (D, β, l) are calculated according to the following product design conditions:. (2) Tilt angle β of solar reflector: the center reflection line of the solar reflector always aims at the center of the rear of the module. β=
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