An international research team has created an experimental set-up and a model for optimizing floating bifacial solar panels that are intended to be deployed on tropical freshwater.
The research group employed a response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central composite design (CCD). CCD is a specific experiment design methodology that fits RSM models that can present the relationship between input and output factors. In addition, the team investigated the economic viability of floating bifacial PV projects.
“Our research integrates a global perspective on solar technology, emphasizing sensitivity analysis of design parameters and power gain correlations through RSM,” said the academics. “We aim to optimize bifacial solar panel height, azimuth angle, and water depth, advancing sustainable energy solutions in bifacial solar systems.”
As part of the CCD design, the researchers constructed two PV systems on a rooftop in Virudhunagar, southern India. Each used 395 W bifacial PV modules mounted over either a conventional white-painted surface or a freshwater tank with white paint at its bottom.
Both systems were tested at a panel height of 25 cm, 87.5 cm, or 150 cm and a tilt angle of 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 135 degrees. The PV system mounted over the water was also tested with varying water depths of 2 cm, 6 cm, and 10 cm. The panel's temperature, voltage, and current were tested at varying irradiance levels and wind speeds.
“Data collected during these tests was analyzed using RSM to understand the influence of multiple variables,” said the scientists. “This comprehensive data collection involved monitoring key performance indicators such as output power and bifacial gain. The objective was to discern the impact of different cooling methods on the efficiency of BFS panels, with a particular focus on real-world scenarios.”
According to the results of the quadratic model, an optimization model for RSM, the optimal results were obtained at a panel height of 100 cm, a water depth of 6 cm, and a tilt angle of 90 degrees. In this case, the predicted output power was 397.68 W, and a high-accuracy bifacial gain of 10.39 was recorded.
Image: Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technologys, scientific reports, Common License CC BY 4.0
In addition, the proposed freshwater surface (PFS) achieved a 4.34% to 4.86% gain in bifacial efficiency across various irradiation levels compared to the conventional white surface (CWS). “Under 950 W/m2 irradiation, freshwater cooling achieves a 3.19% higher bifacial gain than CWS cooling,” the group added.
“Panel temperature analysis shows consistent reductions with freshwater cooling, ranging from 1.43 C to 2.72 C, enhancing overall efficiency and longevity,” they concluded. “With slightly higher daily energy costs of Rs 10.979 ($0.13) vs. Rs 10.75 for CWP, PFW offers a quicker payback period of 4.52 years vs. 4.62 years for CWP, highlighting its economic viability and efficiency.”
Their findings were presented in “Performance analysis of floating bifacial stand-alone photovoltaic module in tropical freshwater systems of Southern Asia: an experimental study,” published in Scientific Reports. The team comprised scientists from India's Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology and Ethiopia's Kebri Dehar University.
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