Comparison of the Yield of Miniaturized Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules with the Yield Simulation of Bifiacial Modules

Bifacial photovoltaic (PV) is a field that has seen an increase in research and development in the world market in recent years. Increased module efficiency and reduced Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) have led to more focus on bifacial panels. This project aims to develop and manufacture miniaturized bifacial solar modules to compare the energy yield of the test module with the yield simulation of bifacial modules from the python simulation software BifacialSimu, developed at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne. The validation of the software for its accuracy has also been conducted. The miniaturized model can easily be transported to different sites for field studies. This makes it possible to record (preliminary) real-time data on the yield of a bifacial PV ground-mounted system and provide a forecast of the solar energy yield under field conditions. For this purpose, miniaturized bifacial glass-glass PV modules were designed and built with a scaling factor of 1:10 and with module dimensions of 100 x 200 mm. Each module consists of a string of six bifacial PERC cells connected in series, each cell with an area of 2098.63 mm2. The miniaturized modules theoretically deliver the same performance characteristics and behavior as their real-size counterparts under the same test conditions. These modules are assembled into an array, with three rows of three modules and realistic module spacings with sufficient clearance to avoid shading. The I-V characteristics are also recorded under varying ambient conditions. The bifacial module generated a power value between 1.53 W and 2.29 W. The simulated power values calculated showed a deviation from the actual measured values by +2.1 percent and +2.7 percent.