Energy Yield Forecasting of Agrivoltaic Systems

A state-of-the-art solar irradiance measurement system has been installed at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie Campus to support research on agrivoltaics [1]. This project aims to understand how solar energy production and agricultural productivity can coexist and complement each other.

The equipment includes:

Sun Tracker with Pyrheliometer: This high-precision device captures direct normal irradiance (DNI).
Albedometer Using 2 x Pyranometers: These sensors measure global horizontal (GHI) and ground-reflected irradiance and solar albedo. Albedo, also known as solar reflectance, is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation to global radiation.
Bifacial Plane of Array (POA) Silicon Irradiance Sensors: These sensors measure solar irradiance at the front and rear of the PV modules and are mounted in the same orientation as the array. The module temperature is also measured to assess thermal effects.

The equipment is co-located on a ground-mounted reference PV system and the agrivoltaic array in the research vineyard, enabling side-by-side comparisons under identical environmental conditions.

Objectives

Accurate Energy Yield Modelling: The project focuses on quantifying the bifacial gain of PV modules under varying conditions, such as differences in ground reflectivity (e.g., vegetation, soil, or reflective surfaces) and module temperature. These inputs are essential for validating detailed irradiance models, which are crucial for accurate predictions of PV energy yield and light availability for crops in agrivoltaic setups.
Agricultural Impact Assessment: The shading patterns created by PV panels in agrivoltaic systems directly influence crop microclimates, including light availability, soil temperature, and evapotranspiration rates. By correlating solar radiation data with crop yield metrics, panel placement and orientation can be optimised for dual-use efficiency.
Environmental and Seasonal Dynamics: The system monitors how different weather patterns, such as cloudy versus clear skies, affect both PV performance and crop microclimates. Seasonal variations in DNI, albedo, and POA irradiance are analysed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the agrivoltaic system’s performance throughout the year.

Key Features

Integration of high-precision pyrheliometers, pyranometers, silicon cell-based POA sensors, and module temperature probes provides a holistic understanding of solar resource dynamics. The inclusion of bifacial measurements is particularly important because bifacial PV modules are rapidly gaining market dominance with their market share projected to reach 70% by 2028 [2].
Simultaneous measurement of irradiance and module temperature on both a ground-mounted reference PV system and a co-located agrivoltaic system is enabling comparison of these setups under identical conditions.
This project bridges the gap between energy and agricultural research, thus enabling a system-wide optimisation approach that balances energy production with crop yield.

[1] Dupraz C, Marrou H, Talbot G, Dufour L, Nogier A, Ferard Y. Combining solar photovoltaic panels and food crops for optimising land use: Towards new agrivoltaic schemes. Renewable Energy 2011;36(10):2725–32.

[2] International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV). 15th ed; 2024.

Fri Jan 17, 2025