Comparative Analysis of Temperature Estimation Models in Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules

This study presents a comparative analysis of temperature estimation models for bifacial photovoltaic (PV) modules, focusing on three widely used models: Ross, Faiman, and PVsyst. The research evaluates the performance of these models across different temporal resolutions and assesses the effect of incorporating reflected irradiance, a key consideration for bifacial systems. The findings indicate that the Faiman and PVsyst models, particularly when recalculated using field data, outperform the Ross model in terms of accuracy, especially for bifacial modules. Additionally, the inclusion of reflected irradiance improves temperature prediction for Faiman and PVsyst models, while it negatively impacts the Ross model, which is more suited for monofacial modules. The results also show that PVsyst's default coefficients (Uc=29 W/m²K, Uv=0 W/m³K) lead to significant overestimation of module temperature, suggesting the need for recalculated or alternative coefficients (Uc=40 W/m²K). This study underscores the importance of updating thermal parameters and integrating reflected irradiance to enhance the accuracy of temperature predictions, particularly as bifacial PV technology becomes more prevalent in the solar energy sector.