Analysis of vertical bifacial photovoltaic systems with reflectors as an alternative to conventional photovoltaic installations

Abstract

The rapid growth of photovoltaic deployment and the increasing penetration of variable renewable energy sources are shifting the focus of solar PV development from purely maximizing annual energy yield toward optimizing the temporal profile of electricity generation. This work analyzes the performance vertical bifacial photovoltaic systems with reflective optics as an alternative to conventional fixed tilt PV installations, with a focus on the VECTHOR concept developed by FutureVoltaics. The study addresses the potential of these systems to enhance electricity production during periods of low solar elevation such as winter months, early morning, late afternoon, and cloudy conditions, when electricity system value is typically higher. The study combines a review of PV fundamentals and bifacial vertical system behavior with experimental measurements from prototype installations and simulation results obtained from a validated modeling framework. Performance is assessed through normalized power profiles and daily and annual specific energy yield comparisons against a fixed-tilt reference system. The results show that the vertical bifacial configuration with reflective optics can redistribute energy production over a wider daily window and, in the analyzed case, achieve higher annual specific yield than the reference system (fixed tilt).