Experimental Investigation of an Agrivoltaic Collector with Planar Spectral Beam Splitting

Spectrum splitting agrivoltaic collectors allow photosynthetic radiation to pass through the collectors in contrast to conventional collectors that produce full shading. The rest of the solar spectrum is redirected for electricity generation. The current study presents experimental results for the optical and electrical performance of a laboratoryscale prototype of a spectrum splitting collector, aimed at validating the theoretical performance predictions. Commercially available architectural Low-E window glass panes were used as spectral splitters. An off-the-shelf bifacial PV module was illuminated equally on both sides with modified sunlight reflected from the splitters, containing a reduced share of visible light. Measurements included incident fluxes on the PV module from both sides, module temperature, and electrical output as well as the radiation flux reaching the ground. The experimental results were compared against theoretical predictions and demonstrated good agreement for both the radiation fluxes and electrical output. The results confirm the potential of collectors with spectrum splitting to significantly increase the ground-level PAR flux compared to full shading, thus reducing the impact of agrivoltaics on shade-sensitive crops, while maintaining a high level of electricity production.