Modeling of partially shaded BIPV systems - Model complexity selection for early stage design support

Abstract

Finding the fit-for-purpose modeling complexity for Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems in the early stages of building design is challenging, because typically at this stage the BIPV system is not yet designed in detail, which limits the applicability of detailed simulation models. This work targets to aid determining in which cases simple (linearly responsive to partial shading) PV system models are applicable for early-stage building design support. To achieve this, a pre-screening method is being developed using new metrics calculated from high-resolution irradiance simulations. The method was tested on different geometries and was proven to be able to predict, under what conditions the linear model would overestimate the PV performance.