Modeling cylindrical photovoltaic panel output: an experimental and analytical investigation

Cylindrical PV modules offer a promising solution for electrifying pole-mounted systems including streetlights, surveillance cameras, and communication antennas. Their curved geometry can be challenging to model with standard planar PV equations. This article introduces a simplified approach to characterize the power output of cylindrical panels using data on solar irradiance, ambient conditions, and geometric factors. The proposed model partitions the irradiance into direct and diffuse components, reflecting the unique behavior of cylindrical modules in capturing scattered light from a 360-degree field of view.Through experimental data collected on two clear days in autumn and winter, we fitted critical parameters such as kGi , which captures the impact of diffuse irradiation, and NOCT, which regulates temperature-driven power losses. Preliminary results show that the model accurately predicts the power profile, highlighting the enhanced contribution of diffuse radiation to cylindrical panels. This underscores the importance of geometry in determining energy yield and suggests that cylindrical panels may outperform conventional flat panels in certain diffuse-irradiation scenarios. Future work will focus on comprehensive data acquisition under varied environmental conditions to refine the temperature model and investigate the effect of localized shading or reflections.