Е-Публикации
Технически университет - София

Abstract: The production of electricity from photovoltaics (PV) in the agricultural sector is expanding considerably, driven by ecological concerns and continuous technological development. Additionally, growing constraints on the use of arable land for PV energy production requires increased energy production per unit area of panels. Bifacial panels are one of the highest performing PV solutions currently available. The subject of this paper is the productivity modeling of mono- and bifacial PV panels. The aim is to develop a physically based model for PV productivity without the use of commercial software. For this purpose, Durisch’s model is modified and adapted for bifacial panels and the necessary empirical parameters are determined. The developed model was validated experimentally. A comparison of the performance of the front and rear side of a bifacial panel is presented. The influence of the type of reflective surface is also investigated. The productivity and efficiency of monocrystalline monofacial and bifacial panels are also compared. The experiments were carried out in real conditions typical of a temperate continental climate for the latitude of Sofia, Bulgaria under different meteorological conditions.

References

1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations An issues note produced for the G20 Presidency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Water and Agriculture Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, Italy 2021
2. Tian J. Culley S.A. Maier H.R. Zecchin A.C. Is renewable energy sustainable? Potential relationships between renewable energy production and the Sustainable Development Goals NPJ Clim. Action 2024 3 35 10.1038/s44168-024-00120-6
3. REN 21 Renewables 2024 Global Status Report: Global Overview, REN 21 Report Available online: https://www.ren21.net/gsr-2024/ (accessed on 19 February 2025)
4. Osama A. Tina G.M. Mannino G. Cucuzza A.V. Bizzarri F. Experimental and Numerical Performance Assessment of East-West Bifacial Photovoltaic Floating System in Freshwater Basins IEEE Access 2024 12 141425 141447 10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3468228
5. NREL Best Research—Cell Efficiency Chart Available online: https://www.nrel.gov/pv/cell-efficiency.html (accessed on 21 February 2025)
6. IEA PVPS Annual Report 2023 Available online: https://iea-pvps.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PVPS_Annual_Report_2023_v4-6.pdf (accessed on 25 February 2025)
7. Rokicki T. Perkowska A. Klepacki B. Bórawski P. Bełdycka-Bórawska A. Michalski K. Changes in Energy Consumption in Agriculture in the EU Countries Energies 2021 14 1570 10.3390/en14061570
8. Trommsdorff M. Dhal I.S. Özdemir Ö.E. Ketzer D. Weinberger N. Rösch C. Agrivoltaics: Solar Power Generation and Food Production Solar Energy Advancements in Agriculture and Food Production Systems Gorjian S. Campana P.E. Academic Press Cambridge, MA, USA 2022 159 210 10.1016/B978-0-323-89866-9.00012-2
9. Goetzberger A. Zastrow A. On the Coexistence of Solar-Energy Conversion and Plant Cultivation Int. J. Sol. Energy 1982 1 55 69 10.1080/01425918208909875
10. Waller R. Kacira M. Magadley E. Teitel M. Yehia I. Evaluating the Performance of Flexible, Semi-Transparent Large-Area Organic Photovoltaic Arrays Deployed on a Greenhouse AgriEngineering 2022 4 969 992 10.3390/agriengineering4040062
11. Höhendinger M. Krieg H.-J. Dietrich R. Rauscher S. Hartung C. Stumpenhausen J. Bernhardt H. Requirements and Economic Implications of Integrating a PV-Plant-Based Energy System in the Dairy Production Process AgriEngineering 2023 5 2196 2215 10.3390/agriengineering5040135
12. Neto A.J.S. Lopez D.C. Nascimento S.T. Potential of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems in Brazilian Dairy Farms AgriEngineering 2022 4 122 133 10.3390/agriengineering4010008
13. Ndukwu M.C. Usoh G. Akpan A. Akuwueke L. Ecop I. Development of a Small Dual-Chamber Solar PV-Powered Evaporative Cooling System for Fruit and Vegetable Cooling with Techno-Economic Assessment AgriEngineering 2024 6 2553 2576 10.3390/agriengineering6030149
14. Gomez-Soto D. Integration of Crops, Livestock, and Solar Panels: A Review of Agrovoltaic Systems Agronomy 2024 14 1824 10.3390/agronomy14081824
15. Anusuya K. Vijayakumar K. Leenus J.M. Manikandan S. Agrophotovoltaics: Enhancing Solar Land Use Efficiency for Energy-Food-Water Nexus Renew. Energy Focus 2024 50 100600 10.1016/j.ref.2024.100600
16. Sasaya S. Liangling Y. Hoshino Y. Noguchi T. Development of an Automatic Harvester for Wine Grapes by Using Three-Axis Linear Motion Mechanism Robot AgriEngineering 2024 6 4203 4219 10.3390/agriengineering6040236
17. Bastos K.M. Barcelos J.P. Orioli G.F. Nascimento S.T. Use of Drones for Trough Reading, Animal Counting, and Production Monitoring in Feedlot Systems AgriEngineering 2024 6 4460 4475 10.3390/agriengineering6040253
18. Maniscalco M.P. Longo S. Miccichè G. Cellura M. Ferraro M. A Critical Review of the Environmental Performance of Bifacial Photovoltaic Panels Energies 2024 17 226 10.3390/en17010226
19. Jamil U. Bonnington A. Pearce J.M. The Agrivoltaic Potential of Canada Sustainability 2023 15 3228 10.3390/su15043228
20. IEA PVPS Best Practices for the Optimization of Bifacial Photovoltaic Tracking Systems Available online: https://iea-pvps.org/key-topics/best-practices-for-the-optimization-of-bifacial-photovoltaic-tracking-systems/ (accessed on 7 March 2025)
21. Braga D.S. Kazmerski L.L. Cassini D.A. Camatta V. Diniz A.S.A.C. Performance of Bifacial PV Modules under Different Operating Conditions in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Renewable Energy Environ. Sustain. 2023 8 23 10.1051/rees/2023021
22. VDMA International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) Available online: https://www.vdma.org/international-technology-roadmap-photovoltaic (accessed on 6 March 2025)
23. Kopecek R. Libal J. Bifacial Photovoltaics 2021: Status, Opportunities and Challenges Energies 2021 14 2076 10.3390/en14082076
24. Mouhib E. Micheli L. Almonacid F.M. Fernández E.F. Overview of the Fundamentals and Applications of Bifacial Photovoltaic Technology: Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics Energies 2022 15 8777 10.3390/en15238777
25. Patel M.T. Khan M.R. Sun X. Alam M.A. A Worldwide Cost-Based Design and Optimization of Tilted Bifacial Solar Farms Appl. Energy 2019 247 467 479 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.03.150
26. Riaz M.H. Imran H. Butt N.Z. Optimization of PV Array Density for Fixed Tilt Bifacial Solar Panels for Efficient Agrivoltaic Systems Proceedings of the 2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) Calgary, AB, Canada 15 June–21 August 2020 1349 1352 10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300670
27. Cha H.L. Bhang B.G. Park S.Y. Choi J.H. Ahn H.K. Power Prediction of Bifacial Si PV Module with Different Reflection Conditions on Rooftop Appl. Sci. 2018 8 1752 10.3390/app8101752
28. Asgharzadeh A. Deline C. Stein J. Toor F. A Comparison Study of the Performance of South/North-Facing vs East/West-Facing Bifacial Modules under Shading Condition Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC) Waikoloa, HI, USA 10–15 June 2018 1730 1734 10.1109/PVSC.2018.8548185
29. Asgharzadeh A. Marion B. Deline C. Hansen C. Stein J.S. Toor F. A Sensitivity Study of the Impact of Installation Parameters and System Configuration on the Performance of Bifacial PV Arrays IEEE J. Photovolt. 2018 8 798 805 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2819676
30. Mikofski M.A. Darawali R. Hamer M. Neubert A. Newmiller J. Bifacial Performance Modeling in Large Arrays Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE 46th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) Chicago, IL, USA 16–21 June 2019 1282 1287 10.1109/PVSC40753.2019.8980572
31. Evans D.L. Simplified Method for Predicting Photovoltaic Array Output Sol. Energy 1981 27 555 560 10.1016/0038-092X(81)90051-7
32. Abe C.F. Notton G. Faggianelli G.-A. Dias J.B. Wander P.R. Adapting the Durisch Model for Bifacial Silicon and High Concentration Multijunction Photovoltaic Modules Efficiency Prediction Renew. Energy 2025 238 122034 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122034
33. Durisch W. Bitnar B. Mayor J.C. Kiess H. Lam K.H. Close V. Efficiency model for photovoltaic modules and demonstration of its application to energy yield estimation Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 2007 91 79 84 10.1016/j.solmat.2006.05.011
34. Mannino G. Tina G.M. Jiménez-Castillo G. Cacciato M. Bizzarri F. Canino A. Nonlinear and Multivariate Regression Models of Current and Voltage at Maximum Power Point of Bifacial Photovoltaic Strings Sol. Energy 2024 269 112357 10.1016/j.solener.2024.112357
35. Bouchakour S. Valencia-Caballero D. Luna A. Roman E. Boudjelthia E.A.K. Rodríguez P. Modelling and Simulation of Bifacial PV Production Using Monofacial Electrical Models Energies 2021 14 4224 10.3390/en14144224
36. Ahmed E.M. Aly M. Mostafa M. Rezk H. Alnuman H. Alhosaini W. An Accurate Model for Bifacial Photovoltaic Panels Sustainability 2023 15 509 10.3390/su15010509
37. Yakubu R.O. Ankoh M.T. Mensah L.D. Quansah D.A. Adaramola M.S. Predicting the Potential Energy Yield of Bifacial Solar PV Systems in Low-Latitude Region Energies 2022 15 8510 10.3390/en15228510
38. Deotti L. Silva Júnior I. Honório L. Marcato A. Empirical Models Applied to Distributed Energy Resources—An Analysis in the Light of Regulatory Aspects Energies 2021 14 326 10.3390/en14020326
39. Li C. Zhang W. Liu F. Li X. Wang J. Li C. Multi-Objective Optimization of Bifacial Photovoltaic Sunshade: Towards Better Optical, Electrical and Economical Performance Sustainability 2024 16 5977 10.3390/su16145977
40. Ayadi O. Rinchi B. Al-Dahidi S. Abdalla M.E.B. Al-Mahmodi M. Techno-Economic Assessment of Bifacial Photovoltaic Systems under Desert Climatic Conditions Sustainability 2024 16 6982 10.3390/su16166982
41. Jakobsen M.L. Thorsteinsson S. Behrensdorff Poulsen P. Rødder P.M. Rødder K. Vertical Reflector for Bifacial PV-Panels Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE 43rd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) Portland, OR, USA 5–10 June 2016 2678 2681 10.1109/PVSC.2016.7750136
42. Cosgun A.E. Demir H. Investigating the Effect of Albedo in Simulation-Based Floating Photovoltaic System: 1 MW Bifacial Floating Photovoltaic System Design Energies 2024 17 959 10.3390/en17040959
43. Zhang C. Shen H. Liu H. The Influence of the Installation Condition and Performance of Bifacial Solar Modules on Energy Yield Energies 2023 16 7396 10.3390/en16217396
44. Lee S.-M. Lee E.-C. Lee J.-H. Yu S.-H. Heo J.-S. Lee W.-Y. Kim B.-S. Analysis of the Output Characteristics of a Vertical Photovoltaic System Based on Operational Data: A Case Study in Republic of Korea Energies 2023 16 6971 10.3390/en16196971
45. Santos de Araújo J.V. de Lucena M.P. da Silva Netto A.V. Gomes F.d.S.V. Oliveira K.C.d. de Souza Neto J.M.R. Cavalcante S.L. Morales L.R.V. Villanueva J.M.M. Macedo E.C.T.d. Solar Tracking Control Algorithm Based on Artificial Intelligence Applied to Large-Scale Bifacial Photovoltaic Power Plants Sensors 2024 24 3890 10.3390/s24123890 38931674
46. Riedel-Lyngskær N. Berrian D. Alvarez Mira D. Aguilar Protti A. Poulsen P.B. Libal J. Vedde J. Validation of Bifacial Photovoltaic Simulation Software against Monitoring Data from Large-Scale Single-Axis Trackers and Fixed Tilt Systems in Denmark Appl. Sci. 2020 10 8487 10.3390/app10238487
47. Zdyb A. Sobczyński D. An Assessment of a Photovoltaic System’s Performance Based on the Measurements of Electric Parameters under Changing External Conditions Energies 2024 17 2197 10.3390/en17092197
48. Pike C. Whitney E. Wilber M. Stein J.S. Field Performance of South-Facing and East-West Facing Bifacial Modules in the Arctic Energies 2021 14 1210 10.3390/en14041210
49. Cho J. Park S.M. Park A.R. Lee O.C. Nam G. Ra I.-H. Application of Photovoltaic Systems for Agriculture: A Study on the Relationship between Power Generation and Farming for the Improvement of Photovoltaic Applications in Agriculture Energies 2020 13 4815 10.3390/en13184815
50. Jang J. Lee K. Practical Performance Analysis of a Bifacial PV Module and System Energies 2020 13 4389 10.3390/en13174389
51. Park H. Chang S. Park S. Kim W.K. Outdoor Performance Test of Bifacial n-Type Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Sustainability 2019 11 6234 10.3390/su11226234
52. Mahmood K. Hussain A. Arslan M. Tariq B. Experimental Investigation of Impact of Cool Roof Coating on Bifacial and Monofacial Photovoltaic Modules Eng. Proc. 2023 45 38 10.3390/engproc2023045038
53. González-Moreno A. Mazzeo D. Dolara A. Ogliari E. Leva S. Outdoor Performance Comparison of Bifacial and Monofacial Photovoltaic Modules in Temperate Climate and Industrial-like Rooftops Appl. Sci. 2024 14 5714 10.3390/app14135714
54. Bowersox D. TamizhMani G. Design and Construction of Controlled Back Reflectors for Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC) Waikoloa, HI, USA 10–15 June 2018 1735 1740 10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547940
55. Carbone R. Borrello C. A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker Energies 2023 16 6350 10.3390/en16176350
56. Cabral D. Hayati A. Gomes J. Gorouh H.A. Nasseriyan P. Salmanzadeh M. Experimental Electrical Assessment Evaluation of a Vertical n-PERT Half-Size Bifacial Solar Cell String Receiver on a Parabolic Trough Solar Collector Energies 2023 16 2007 10.3390/en16042007
57. Abdallah A.A. Kivambe M. Aïssa B. Figgis B.W. Performance of Monofacial and Bifacial Silicon Heterojunction Modules under Desert Conditions and the Impact of PV Soiling Sustainability 2023 15 8436 10.3390/su15108436
58. Bhaduri S. Kottantharayil A. Mitigation of Soiling by Vertical Mounting of Bifacial Modules IEEE J. Photovolt. 2019 9 240 244 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2872555
59. Kim S.M. Jung S.H. Choi R.-W. Kim Y.B. Kang M.G. Sonp H.-E. Choi G.-S. A Study of Performance Characterization with Rear Light Source in Conventional Bifacial Solar Cells Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC) Washington, DC, USA 25–30 June 2017 2723 2727 10.1109/PVSC.2017.8366708
60. Newman B.K. Carr A.J. Jansen M.J. Goma E.G. Kloos M.J.H. de Groot K.M. van Aken B.B. Comparison of Bifacial Module Measurement Methods with Optically Optimized Bifacial Modules Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC) Waikoloa, HI, USA 10–15 June 2018 3593 3597 10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547459
61. Xie Y. Wang F. Xu C. Yue X. Yang S. Applying Artificial Cover to Reduce Melting in Dagu Glacier in the Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Remote Sens. 2023 15 1755 10.3390/rs15071755
62. The Engineering ToolBox Materials—Light Reflecting Factors Available online: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/light-material-reflecting-factor-d_1842.html (accessed on 11 August 2025)
63. Kaarsberg T. Akbari H. Cool Roofs Cool the Planet Home Energy Magazine Berkeley, CA, USA 2006 38 41 Available online: https://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/HomeEnergy06%20(Cool%20Roofs%20Cool%20the%20Planet).pdf (accessed on 11 August 2025)
64. Yaghoobian N. Kleissl J. Krayenhoff E.S. Modeling the Thermal Effects of Artificial Turf on the Urban Environment J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol. 2010 49 332 345 10.1175/2009JAMC2198.1
65. Zarkov Z. Stoyanov L. Kanchev H. Milenov V. Lazarov V. Study of Photovoltaic Systems’ Performances with Different Module Types Mater. Sci. Forum 2016 856 279 284 10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.856.279
66. IEC 61215-1:2021 Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Modules—Design Qualification and Type Approval—Part 1: Test Requirements IEC Geneva, Switzerland 2021
67. Seo Y. Park H. Yoo Y. Kim M. Oh S.-Y. Alhammadi S. Chang S. Park S.-H. Lee J. Mun S. et al. Effect of Front Irradiance and Albedo on Bifacial Gain in 1 8kW Bifacial Silicon Photovoltaic System Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE 46th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) Chicago, IL, USA 16–21 June 2019 1298 1301 10.1109/PVSC40753.2019.8980585

Issue