Algorithmic advancements in agrivoltaics: Modeling shading effects of semi-transparent photovoltaics

Abstract

Radiation is a crucial factor in the field of agrivoltaics in greenhouses. Depending on the type of photovoltaics integrated into greenhouses, the effect on radiation varies through the phenomenon of shading. Shading in greenhouses can be either beneficial or detrimental, making its analysis imperative. In this study, the improvements and modifications made in an algorithm capable of calculating the shading from photovoltaic units installed in greenhouses are presented. A key modification to the algorithm is the calculation of shading from semi-transparent photovoltaic modules, in contrast to its original form, in which photovoltaic modules were considered opaque. The algorithm was validated using radiation data from pyranometers within a greenhouse. The coefficients used were Pearson's r correlation coefficient and the Coefficient of Variation. The correlation coefficients for times without shading effect approached the values for the case without photovoltaics installed on the roof. Simultaneously, based on the coefficients of variation, the uniformity of radiation within the shade was validated, thereby confirming its existence. Finally, the effect of semi-transparent photovoltaic units on Global Horizontal Irradiance and Photosynthetically Active Radiation was studied, with the reduction for the former approaching 52 % and about 60 % for the latter. These changes in radiation can be either beneficial or not, depending on the type of crop and the needs of the greenhouse, such as cooling.