Bifaciality factor with single FV tables

[Stefano Martini]

Good evening, 

I've to run a simulation of a small PV plant, 248 kWp, with modules placed over carports. I've 6 carports in total, but just two (A and C) have the same tilt and Azimuth, you can observe this point by this table:

  

Modules will be placed with a 5Landscape arrangement over carport A, B, C, and with a 4L arrangement over carport D, E, F. 

I really need to consider bifaciality contribution in the simulation, but this is seems not to be allowed because i've single tables and not an array of tables, aswell seems not to be allowed because i've 4L configuration on some tables and 5L on other ones. I tried to set carport's tilt and azimuth (for B-D-E-F) as average, but this didn't solve the problem. 

Is there any way to consider bifaciality in that type of configuration.

I kindly ask for a suggestion, 

best regards, 

Stefano Martini

(project engineer for Gruppo Undo)

[Linda Thoren]

Indeed, the bifacial calculation in PVsyst is based on a 2 dimensional representation for regular system layout, thus same orientation, table size and pitch, to calculate how much irradiance is falling between the tables and how much will be scattered up on the back side. 

You can define individual orientations for each table. Though, since you need a pitch it is not yet possible to simulate a bifacial system with a single row. A possible workaround is therefor to duplicate your 3D scene so that PVsyst can detect a pitch, similar to the example below:

 

Verify that the tables are well aligned so that indeed PVsyst detects the pitch in bifacial window.

Note that the amount of tables in the 3D scene will be double what you have defined in the system and this will create a warning. You can increase this limit in the advanced parameters. In the first PVsyst welcome window, click “Settings” and “Edit advanced Parameters” and find the parameter that triggers the error message – “Shadings: absolute maximum shading/field area ratio”. This will allow you to run the simulation

 

Kind regards