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At least 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Identifying and Amplifying the Spontaneously Formed Photo‐Charge Contribution in Opaque and Semitransparent Organic Photovoltaics

Abstract Spontaneous photo‐charge (SP) generation within the non‐fullerene (NFA) bulk helps avoid exciton (EX) related loss as compared to the traditional heterojunction route in organic solar cells (OSCs). Unfortunately, the promising SP utilization attracts little attention at this time due to the lack of knowledge on its specific contribution to the photovoltaic performance and rational optimization in high‐efficiency devices. To fill the gap, the NFAs’ SP characteristics are related with their photocurrent loss and power conversion efficiency (PCE) in state‐of‐the‐art materials. Though higher SP population is good for efficient EX utilization, it simultaneously acts as an additional photo‐charge recombination channel. The former can be further enhanced by increasing the NFAs’ crystallinity with preferred lamellar growth, and the latter can be suppressed via electric doping. With the aid of the two‐step optimization strategy, the total photocurrent loss is reduced from 14.4% to 4.8%, accompanying with PCE increment from 16.9% to 18.5%. The SP utilization strategy is finally applied in the semitransparent OSCs (ST‐OSCs), due to its less heterojunction area sensitive photo‐charge generation characteristic. A light utilization efficiency (LUE) is then increased from 3.21% to 3.77%. The findings highlight the pursue of efficient SP utilization as a new design philosophy in future OSCs’ progresses.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2025

In‐Scribe Silane Bonding for Mechanical Reinforcement of Perovskite Photovoltaic Modules

Despite the extraordinary rise in power conversion efficiency over the last decade, metal halide perovskite (MHP) photovoltaics remain more mechanically fragile than other PV technologies. In this work, the scribe area, created by the monolithic interconnection of thin-film solar cells, is used to extrinsically reinforce the mechanical robustness of packaged MHP solar modules. In contrast to the epoxy-based chemistries often leveraged in the MHP literature, silane-grafted polyolefin encapsulants are designed to form strong covalent bonds to oxide surfaces, specifically to glass and the transparent conductive oxide at the base of the scribe line. Pseudo-modules encapsulated with silane-grafted polyolefin are measured with more than an order-of-magnitude enhancement infracture energy from 0.27 ± 0.01 J·m −2 (no scribes) to 5.97 ± 0.42 J·m −2 (scribes perpendicular to delamination directioncovering ≈2.2% of the module area). The silane-grafted polyolefin retains strong adhesion even after undergoing an accelerated IEC 61215 thermal cycling test consisting of 250 cycles. We find that the in-scribe bonding allows perovskite modules to have adhesion strength comparable to commercial c-Si and CdTe technologies with only 5% reduction in the active module area. This manufacturing-compatible approach offers a practical solution to address the mechanical integrity challenges in MHP solar modules, regardless of cell architecture.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Two‐Dimensional Polycyclic Photovoltaic Molecule with Low Trap Density for High‐Performance Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract Typical organic semiconductors show a high trap density of states (10 16 –10 18 cm −3 ), providing a large number of centers for charge‐carrier recombination, thus hindering the development of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Here, we design and synthesize a two‐dimensional polycyclic photovoltaic material, named as TPP, to reduce the trap density to as low as 2.3×10 15 cm −3 , which is 1–3 orders of magnitude lower than those of typical organic semiconductors. Moreover, TPP exhibits a broad and strong absorption, ordered molecular packing with a large crystalline coherence length and enhanced electron mobility. Then, the bulk heterojunction nanoparticles (BHJ‐NPs) based on a blend of polymer donor (PM6) and TPP exhibit an average hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 64.31 mmol h −1 g −1 under AM1.5G sunlight (100 mW cm −2 ), and 72.75 mmol h −1 g −1 under 330–1100 nm illumination (198 mW cm −2 ) higher than that of the control NPs based on typical PM6 : Y6 (62.67 mmol h −1 g −1 ).

Zhang, Zhenzhen↗
DOE OSTI2021

Two-Dimensional Polycyclic Photovoltaic Molecule with Low Trap Density for High-Performance Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Typical organic semiconductors show a high trap density of states (10 16 –10 18 cm -3 ), providing a large number of centers for charge-carrier recombination, thus hindering the development of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In this report we design and synthesize a two-dimensional polycyclic photovoltaic material, named as TPP, to reduce the trap density to as low as 2.3×10 15 cm -3 , which is 1–3 orders of magnitude lower than those of typical organic semiconductors. Moreover, TPP exhibits a broad and strong absorption, ordered molecular packing with a large crystalline coherence length and enhanced electron mobility. Then, the bulk heterojunction nanoparticles (BHJ-NPs) based on a blend of polymer donor (PM6) and TPP exhibit an average hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 64.31 mmol h -1 g -1 under AM1.5G sunlight (100,mW cm -2 ), and 72.75 mmol h -1 g -1 under 330–1100 nm illumination (198 mW cm -2 ) higher than that of the control NPs based on typical PM6 : Y6 (62.67 mmol h -1 g -1 ).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermal behaviors of ethylene vinyl acetate encapsulants in fielded silicon photovoltaic modules

Aging of silicon photovoltaic (PV) module packaging is one of the greatest limiters of PV module service lifetimes. Module characterization typically focuses on power degradation metrics, which do not convey the complexities of often simultaneous degradation mechanisms. In this work, PV modules with pristine references and known fielding histories were investigated by non-destructive and destructive methods. Modules from Canadian Solar, Mission Solar, and Hanwha Q-Cells were fielded for up to three years; select modules were removed from fielding each year for coring to allow for characterization of the encapsulant. Modules are commonly encapsulated with two protective layers of partially-crystalline ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer that must undergo a crosslinking reaction to achieve desired properties. The extent of crystallinity of the encapsulants as studied by differential scanning calorimetry showed differences between manufacturers and over time. Some encapsulants showed different magnitudes of crystal sizes which changed after fielding; encapsulants with the monodisperse crystal sizes did not change with fielding. This is due to differences in thermal history. In conclusion, these results have implications for stress development during module aging, since EVA crystal melting and crosslinking reactions can result in encapsulant density changes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Grassland productivity responds unexpectedly to dynamic light and soil water environments induced by photovoltaic arrays

Abstract Agrivoltaic (AV) systems are designed to coproduce photovoltaic (PV) energy on lands simultaneously supporting agriculture (food/forage production). PV infrastructure in agroecosystems alters resources critical for plant growth, and water‐limited agroecosystems such as grasslands are likely to be particularly sensitive to the unique spatial and temporal patterns of incident sunlight and soil water inherent within AV systems. However, the impact of resource alteration on forage production, the primary ecosystem service from managed grasslands, is poorly resolved. Here, we evaluated seasonal patterns of soil moisture (SM) and diurnal variation in incident sunlight (photosynthetic photon flux density [PPFD]) in a single‐axis‐tracking AV system established in a formerly managed semiarid C 3 grassland in Colorado. Our goals were to (1) quantify dynamic patterns of PPFD and SM within a 1.2 MW PV array in a perennial grassland, and (2) determine how aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and photosynthetic parameters responded to the resource patterns created by the PV array. We hypothesized that spatial variability in ANPP would be strongly related to SM patterns, typical of most grasslands. We measured significant reductions in ANPP directly beneath PV panels, where SM and PPFD were both low. However, in locations with significantly increased SM from the shedding and redistribution of precipitation by PV panels, ANPP was not increased. Instead, ANPP was greatest in locations where plants were shaded in the afternoon but received high levels of PPFD in the morning hours, when air temperatures and vapor pressure deficits were relatively low. Thus, contrary to expectations, we found relatively weak relationships between SM and ANPP despite significant spatial variability in both. Further, there was little evidence that light‐saturated photosynthesis ( A sat ) and quantum yield of CO 2 assimilation (ϕCO 2 ) differed for plants growing directly beneath (lowest PPFD) versus between (highest PPFD) PV panels. Overall, the AV system established in this semiarid managed grassland did not alter patterns of ANPP in ways predictable from past studies of controls of ANPP in open grasslands. However, our results suggest that the diurnal timing of low versus high periods of PPFD incident on plants is an important determinant of productivity patterns in grasslands.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Degradation in photovoltaic encapsulation strength of attachment: Results of the first PVQAT TG5 artificial weathering study

Delamination of the encapsulant in photovoltaic (PV) module technology results in immediate optical loss and may enable subsequent corrosion or mechanical damage. The effects of artificial weathering were not previously known; therefore, an empirical study was performed to survey the factors most affecting adhesion, including the ultraviolet (UV) source (ie, Xe or fluorescent lamp[s]), the optical filters for the lamp, the chamber temperature, and the relative humidity. Natural weathering was also performed at locations, including the following: Golden, Colorado; Miami, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; QiongHai, China; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Turpan, China. Specimens were constructed using a laminated glass/poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/glass geometry. The compressive shear test (CST) was used to quantify the mechanical strength of attachment, taken as a proxy for adhesion. The fractography of select specimens (including cross-sectional optical microscopy) was used to verify the failure mode (delamination or decohesion). Additional analysis of the local solar spectrum as well as the specimen temperature was performed to interpret the results of natural weathering. The goals of this study include to identify the most significant stressors, clarify where strong coupling may occur between stressors, and validate accelerated test results relative to natural weathering. The importance of specimen conditioning (for moisture) and hygrometric degradation as well as the effects of UV degradation are identified in this paper.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Drivers for the cracking of multilayer polyamide‐based backsheets in field photovoltaic modules: In‐depth degradation mapping analysis

Abstract There is a lack of understanding on the root cause of cracking of photovoltaic (PV) backsheets due to the challenge of multilayer characterization and the complicated failure modes at the submodule level. In this work, the in‐depth degradation mapping of field‐exposed polyamide‐based (PA‐based) PV module backsheets was studied, with the major focus on the identification of underlying drivers for the through cracking (in between the solar cells). PV modules were retrieved from five different locations, comprising a variety of climates, including humid subtropical, hot‐summer Mediterranean, tropical savanna climate, and hot arid. A suite of microscale cross‐sectional characterizations, including chemical changes, fluorescence intensity, and modulus as a function of distance from the air surface of the backsheet, was performed. Results showed more advanced signs of degradation of the inner layer than the outer layer in the cracking region. Increases in the modulus were identified as the major indicator for the cracking. Moreover, a rudimentary test by immersion in acetic acid, which forms during photodegradation of the ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) encapsulant, showed the first‐time direct evidence that acetic acid can largely accelerate the chemical degradation and facilitate the cracking of PA inner layer. This study suggests that the field cracking of PA‐based backsheet can be attributed to the combined effects of chemical degradation and physical reorganization (chemi‐crystallization) under cyclic thermomechanical stresses. Therefore, it is important to consider effects of local microclimates and interlayer infection to understand the heterogeneous nature of backsheet failures.

Lyu, Yadong↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-efficiency single-junction p-i-n GaAs solar cell on roll-to-roll epi-ready flexible metal foils for low-cost photovoltaics

We demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of high-efficiency, single-junction p-i-n GaAs solar cells, on flexible metal foil with epi-ready buffer via roll-to-roll fabrication. Single-junction p-i-n GaAs solar cells were fabricated using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Furthermore, an efficiency greater than 13% was obtained at 1 sun, which is the highest reported efficiency on GaAs photovoltaics directly deposited on metal tapes. This exceeds our previously reported study showcasing 11.5% efficiency on single-junction p-n solar cell structure. Improved morphology of p-i-n structure compared with p-n is explained by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and helium ion microscopy (HIM) measurements. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) analysis showed reduced Zn diffusion in p-i-n cell compared with the p-n cell. We attribute the improvement in efficiency of p-i-n cells on flexible metal tapes to the quality of the junction, surface morphology, controlled diffusion of species within the active layers, and increase in absorption due to the optimized intrinsic layer thickness.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Advancing reliability assessments of photovoltaic modules and materials using combined-accelerated stress testing

Previously undiscovered failure modes in photovoltaic (PV) modules continue to emerge in field installations despite passing protocols for design qualification and quality assurance. Failure to detect these modes prior to widespread use could be attributed to the limitations of present-day standard accelerated stress tests (ASTs), which are primarily designed to identify known degradation or failure modes at the time of development by applying simultaneous or sequential stress factors (usually two at most). Here, we introduce an accelerated testing method known as the combined-accelerated stress test (C-AST), which simultaneously combines multiple stress factors of the natural environment. Simultaneous combination of multiple stress factors allows for improved identification of failure modes with better ability to detect modes not known a priori. A demonstration experiment was conducted that reproduced the field-observed cracking of polyamide- (PA-) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)–based backsheet films, a failure mode that was not detected by current design qualification and quality assurance testing requirements. In this work, a two-phase testing protocol was implemented. The first cycle (“Tropical”) is a predominantly high-humidity and high-temperature test designed to replicate harsh tropical climates. The second cycle (“Multi-season”) was designed to replicate drier and more temperate conditions found in continental or desert climates. Testing was conducted on 2 × 2-cell crystalline-silicon cell miniature modules constructed with both ultraviolet (UV)–transmitting and UV-blocking encapsulants. Cracking failures were observed within a cumulative 120 days of the Tropical condition for one of the PA-based backsheets and after 84 days of Tropical cycle followed by 42 days of the Multi-season cycle for the PVDF-based backsheet, which are both consistent with failures seen in fielded modules. In addition to backsheet cracking, degradation modes were observed including solder/interconnect fatigue, various light-induced degradation modes, backsheet delamination, discoloration, corrosion, and cell cracking. The ability to simultaneously apply multiple stress factors may allow many of the test sequences within the standardized design qualification procedure to be performed using a single test setup.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electrochemical Degradation Modes in Bifacial Silicon Photovoltaic Modules

Motivated by the rapidly rising deployment of bifacial monocrystalline-silicon photovoltaics (PV), we investigate the durability of various PV module packaging configurations with transparent coverings on both the front and rear sides of the module. We use a series of bifacial passivated emitter and rear cell (p-PERC) mini-modules with systematically varying outer cover materials (glass/glass, G/G, or glass/transparent backsheet, G/TB) and encapsulant chemistries (poly [ethylene-co-vinyl acetate], EVA; or polyolefin, POE). We study degradation modes over 1,000 hours of combined damp heat (DH) exposure and high system voltages that can cause potential-induced degradation (PID) under positive, zero, or negative 1,000 V cell-to-frame bias. We analyze the degradation modes using a combination of current-voltage measurements, impedance spectroscopy, external quantum efficiency, and spatially resolved luminescence and thermal imaging. Our results highlight various types of degradation including shunting, enhanced recombination, and series resistance increases, and we use spatially resolved characterization to separately identify the localized effects. We show that multiple PID and moisture-ingress degradation modes severely affect EVA-containing modules, with previously reported PID processes under negative-bias DH and a unique observation of rear-side surface recombination in G/EVA/G modules under positive-bias DH. We observe significantly less degradation in POE-containing modules, where the G/POE/G configuration exhibits minimal degradation under all stress conditions that we employ.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Photovoltaic module antireflection coating degradation survey using color microscopy and spectral reflectance

Abstract Commercial antireflective coatings (ARCs) on photovoltaic (PV) module glass can improve module power by 2.5%–3.0%, but their long‐term field performance requires additional study. In this paper, we investigate ARC performance on fielded modules using two nondestructive techniques: reflectance spectroscopy and RGB microscopy, finding a large variation in coating durability and performance. For new coatings, the fleet average nominal power enhancement is 2.8%. This power enhancement is observed to degrade at approximately −0.05%/year absolute over the first 8 years of fielding in arrays that are not regularly cleaned. Interferometry and imaging results imply that coating loss for these modules is due to slow chemical thinning of the initial 125 nm thick coating by 1.4 to 5.0 nm/year. Due to the physics of interference coatings, the performance loss is projected to accelerate as the coating is further thinned, resulting in a coating lifetime (time to 80% of initial performance) of 7.5 to 25 years. At the higher 5.0 nm/year coating loss rates, we estimate that −0.14%/year power degradation of the module can be attributed solely to ARC degradation over the first 20 years. Extreme coating loss is observed on some modules where after 8 years fielding, the coating can be completely removed with a single wet wipe with a lens tissue. A case study is also presented comparing ARC and noncoated modules installed at a single site in 2013. We find that the ARC modules have a 2.6% higher soiling power loss than the noncoated modules; this exceeds the ARC power enhancement of 2.4% and leads to the surprising conclusion that the ARC lowers production for modules in this location due to increased soiling. These results demonstrate that RGB microscopy is a powerful, field‐capable, and quantitative characterization technique for assessing degradation of PV module ARCs.

Karin, Todd↗
DOE OSTI2022

Onymous early‐life performance degradation analysis of recent photovoltaic module technologies

Abstract The cost of photovoltaic (PV) modules has declined by 85% since 2010. To achieve this reduction, manufacturers altered module designs and bill of materials; changes that could affect module durability and reliability. To determine if these changes have affected module durability, we measured the performance degradation of 834 fielded PV modules representing 13 module types from 7 manufacturers in 3 climates over 5 years. Degradation rates ( Rd ) are highly nonlinear over time, and seasonal variations are present in some module types. Mean and median degradation rate values of −0.62%/year and −0.58%/year, respectively, are consistent with rates measured for older modules. Of the 23 systems studied, 6 have degradation rates that will exceed the warranty limits in the future, whereas 13 systems demonstrate the potential of achieving lifetimes beyond 30 years, assuming Rd trends have stabilized.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Feedback between radiation and transport in photovoltaics

By building on the generalized Hovel model, this work develops an analytical solution to unify photon recycling, light trapping, and carrier transport in solar cells. Enhanced transport due to photon recycling diffusion is considered. While photon recycling diffusion is often negligible, it can significantly support transport in cases where charge diffusion is low but radiative efficiency is high. Next, the diffusion equation is solved to determine carrier collection for planar and textured cells. Results elucidate novel features in the external quantum efficiency (EQE) curve that occur for textured cells with high absorption and limited transport. Then, the effect of limited transport on the radiative recombination of solar cells is investigated in detail. While the traditional treatment of detailed balance uses the applied voltage to calculate a cell's radiative recombination, the present approach uses the spatially resolved quasi-Fermi-level splitting (QFLS). Further, the discrepancy between the models is shown to be inconsequential to performance for cells with low radiative recombination (Si) or with high mobilities (lowly doped GaAs). However, for cells with high radiative recombination and low mobility (highly doped GaAs, polycrystalline CdTe, and thin-film perovskites), incorporating variation in QFLS in the determination of radiative recombination can become necessary for accurate photovoltaic modeling.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantifying optical loss of high-voltage degradation modes in photovoltaic modules using spectral analysis

The direct current bias for photovoltaic (PV) modules interconnected in series-strings may include both high voltage negative (“HV-”) and positive (“HV+”) polarity with respect to the electrical ground. Multiple degradation modes, resulting in quantifiable optical loss, were found to occur during HV-/HV+ sequential stress, including corrosion of the external glass surface, encapsulant delamination (at its interfaces with the glass and the PV cell), internal haze formation (resulting from a chemical interaction between the glass and the encapsulant), corrosion and migration of the gridlines, and corrosion of the silicon nitride (Si x N y ) antireflective coating on the cell. The effects of these separate modes were examined using monolithic (e.g., glass or PV cell) and laminated-coupon (glass/encapsulant/glass or glass/encapsulant/cell/encapsulant/backsheet) specimens. Characterizations during and after unbiased accelerated testing at 85°C/85% relative humidity included spectrophotometry, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and ellipsometry. For some module components (i.e., the glass and the Si x N y coating), the optical performance was determined through iterative analysis of empirical measurements. Concentrating on just their spectral effect, a novel model was then developed to estimate the transfer of light to the PV cell and the return of light from the PV module with simultaneous degradation mechanisms, which was compared with a mini-module previously subjected to HV-/HV+ stress. Here the model suggests that one third of the current loss observed for the mini-module can be attributed to the optical degradation of the packaging materials. The dominant degradation modes include encapsulant delamination and corrosion of the Si x N y coating. Recommendations are given so that the optical model may be improved relative to accelerated testing and validated relative to field aging.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Predicting encapsulant delamination in photovoltaic modules bridging photochemical reaction kinetics and fracture mechanics

Abstract Photovoltaic (PV) modules are subjected to environmental stressors (UV exposure, temperature, and humidity) that cause degradation within the encapsulant and its interfaces with adjacent glass and cell substrates. To save experimental time and to enable long‐term assessment with intensive degradation only taking place after many years, the development of predictive models is indispensable. Previous works have modeled the delamination of the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant/glass and encapsulant/cell interfaces under field aging conditions with fundamental photochemical degradation reactions that lead to molecular scission and loss of interfacial adhesion, characterized by the fracture resistance, G c . However, these models were fundamentally limited in that the following aspects were not incorporated: (i) molecular crosslinking in the field, (ii) synergistic autocatalytic interactions of degradation mechanisms, (iii) connection between degraded encapsulant structure and its mechanical properties, and (iv) rigorous treatment of the plasticity contribution to G c with finite element models. Here, we present a time‐dependent multiscale model that addresses these limitations and is applicable to a wide range of encapsulants and interfaces. For the reference EVA encapsulant and its interfaces with the glass and cell, the presented model predicts an initial rise in G c in the first 3 years of field aging from crosslinking, then a subsequent sharp decline from degradation mechanisms. We used nanoindentation to measure the changes in EVA mechanical properties over exposure time to tune the model parameters. The model predictions of G c and mechanical properties match with experimental data and show an improvement compared to previous models. The model can even predict switches in failure interfaces, such as the observed EVA/cell to EVA/glass transition. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis study by varying the degradation and crosslinking kinetic parameters to demonstrate their effects on G c . Model extensions to polyolefin elastomer‐ and silicone‐encapsulants and their interfaces are also demonstrated.

Liu, Kuan↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantifying spectral albedo effects on bifacial photovoltaic module measurements and system model predictions

We provide a comprehensive analysis of the effect of spectral albedo on photovoltaic (PV) module measurements and system model predictions. We demonstrate how to account for albedo in indoor bifacial device measurements by adjusting the applied irradiance using the scaled rear irradiance method, exemplified on fabricated silicon heterojunction (SHJ) modules. System model performance is studied using a detailed 3D finite-element model, DUET, for fixed-tilt and horizontal single-axis tracked (SAT) arrays between 15 and 75°N. Spectral effects cause variations in measured SHJ module short-circuit current up to 2% and efficiency variation up to 0.3% abs. We further demonstrate that rear-side spectral mismatch factors (SMMs) resulting from including or omitting spectral albedo in PV system modeling vary between ±13%, while total (front+rear) SMMs vary up to 3%, depending on the deployment configuration and latitude. SAT array SMMs are weakly correlated with latitude, while fixed-tilt array SMMs increase with latitude, driven by an increasing proportion of ground-reflected light on the front-side of modules. Ground-reflections can constitute between 2% and 32% of total incident module irradiance, with notably high (>10%) contributions for fixed-tilt arrays at high latitude. Effects of spectral albedo are most significant for: (1) fixed-tilt deployments at high latitudes, (2) wide bandgap technologies such as perovskite and cadmium telluride cells, (3) albedos which vary steeply over the technology's absorption range, and (4) high albedo ground covers. Overall, we demonstrate that omitting spectral albedo effects can result in PV measurement and system-level modeling uncertainties on the order of several percent in these cases.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Artificial ground reflector size and position effects on energy yield and economics of single‐axis‐tracked bifacial photovoltaics

Abstract Artificial ground reflectors improve bifacial energy yield by increasing both front and rear‐incident irradiance. Studies have demonstrated an increase in energy yield due to the addition of artificial reflectors; however, they have not addressed the effect of varying reflector dimensions and placement on system performance and the impact of these parameters on the reflectors' financial viability. We studied the effect of high albedo (70% reflective) artificial reflectors on single‐axis‐tracked bifacial photovoltaic systems through ray‐trace modeling and field measurements. In the field, we tested a range of reflector configurations by varying reflector size and placement and demonstrated that reflectors increased daily energy yield up to 6.2% relative to natural albedo for PERC modules. To confirm the accuracy of our model, we compared modeled and measured power and found a root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.4% on an hourly basis. We modeled a typical meteorological year in Golden, Colorado, to demonstrate the effects of artificial reflectors under a wide range of operating conditions. Seventy percent reflective material can increase total incident irradiance by 1.9%–8.6% and total energy yield by 0.9%–4.5% annually after clipping is considered with a DC–AC ratio of 1.2. Clipping has a significant effect on reflector impact and must be included when assessing reflector viability because it reduces reflector energy gain. We calculated a maximum viable cost for these improvements of up to $2.50–4.60/m 2 , including both material and installation, in Golden. We expanded our analysis to cover a latitude range of 32–48°N and demonstrated that higher‐latitude installations with lower energy yield and higher diffuse irradiance content can support higher reflector costs. In both modeling and field tests, and for all locations, the ideal placement of the reflectors was found to be directly underneath the module due to the optimized rear irradiance increase.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗