bifacial_radiance: a python package for modeling bifacial solar photovoltaic systems
Silvana Ayala Pelaez, Chris Deline
Abstract
bifacial_radiance is a national-laboratory-developed, community-supported, open-source toolkit that provides a set of functions and classes for simulating the performance of bifacial photovoltaic (PV) systems. (Bifacial PV modules collect light on the front as well as the rear side.) bifacial_radiance automates calculations of PV system layout and performance to use along with the popular ray-tracing software tool RADIANCE Specific algorithms include design and layout of PV modules, reflective ground surfaces, shading obstructions, and irradiance calculations throughout the system, among others. bifacial_radiance is an important component of a growing ecosystem of open-source tools for solar energy (William F Holmgren et al., 2018). Figure 1: Visualization of a bifacial photovoltaic array generated through bifacial_radiance. Courtesy of J. Alderman.