PV PRODUCTION AND WIRING STRATEGIES ON COMPLEX SHAPES

摘要

In the context of building and product integration of photovoltaic modules, the topic of flexible thin film PV modules is much discussed. However, the complexity related to curved flexible PV systems when illuminated is rarely treated in literature. Due to the curved surface of these innovative flexible modules, the irradiation on their surface is not homogeneous. Moreover, novel approaches concerning the wiring of the single cells have to be developed. In this work, we study an ellipsoid object/product (e.g. lampshade, dome like building) covered with flexible photovoltaic material. The irradiance on this geometry is computed using two different approaches, namely a straightforward geometrical computation and a more complex ray tracing approach using RADIANCE. The inhomogeneous irradiance distribution, in turn causes an irregular distribution of current flow within the modules. In this study, we highlighted this effect on an example ellipsoid structure in terms of power output. We studied three different wiring strategies to counteract this effect. We use a simplified approach to compute the electrical power output, using the least illuminated cell as a power-limiting factor without going into detail of the current flow inside a given cell. This work aims to be a starting point for further investigations into irregularly shaped buildings or products with the aim to develop a tool that can serve architects and designers as an indication of the possible PV integration potential and serve engineers to find the optimal wiring strategy.