keywords: python, configuration factor model, electrical model mismatch for bifacial modules.

bifacialvf is a self-contained view factor (or configuration factor) model which replicates a 5-row PV system of infinite extent perpendicular to the module rows. The function returns the irradiance profile along the middle (interior) row by default, but user interface options include 'first', 'interior', 'last', and 'single'. Single-axis tracking is supported, and hourly output files based on TMY inputs are saved. Spatial nonuniformity is reported, with multiple rear-facing irradiances collected on the back of each module row.

Bilinear interpolation code add-on to bifacialvf (description below) to pre-generate IV arrays and bifacial coefficients, and to examine the energy production with back side irradiance mismatch for either a portrait or landscape module.
Included are IV curves and bifacial info for a Yingli (standard) module.

This software is written for Python 2 or 3. NREL recommends Anaconda Python.

bifacialvf is at the Python Package Index (PyPI). Use pip to install the latest release in your conda environment or virtualenv:

(myenv)$ pip install bifacialvf

For those interested in contributing to bifacialvf:

1. Clone the bifacialvf repository: $ git clone https://github.com/NREL/bifacialvf.git bifacialvf-main
2. Navigate to the repository directory where setup.py is located: $ cd bifacialvf-main
3. Install via pip in development mode: $ pip install -e .

For usage examples, see the Jupyter notebooks in \docs\

bifacialvf open source code is copyrighted by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy and licensed with BSD-3-Clause terms, found here.

If you use bifacial_radiance in a published work, please cite:

Marion, B., MacAlpine, S., Deline, C., Asgharzadeh, A., Toor, F., Riley, D., … Hansen, C. (2017). A Practical Irradiance Model for Bifacial PV Modules: Preprint. In 44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. Washington, DC. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy17osti/67847.pdf. NREL/CP-5J00-67847

Please also cite the DOI corresponding to the specific version of bifacialVF that you used. bifacialvf DOIs are listed at Zenodo.org.

Silvana Ovaitt, Chris Deline, Mark Mikofski, & Nick DiOrio. (2022). NREL/bifacialvf: v0.1.8 Release (v0.1.8). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6369162

Bilinear Interpolation based on the publications:

De Soto, W., Klein, S. A., & Beckman, W. A. (2006). Improvement and validation of a model for photovoltaic array performance. Solar Energy, 80(1), 78–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2005.06.010

Marion, B., Rummel, S., & Anderberg, A. (2004). Current--voltage curve translation by bilinear interpolation. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 12(8), 593–607.

bifacialvf: Original code by Bill Marion, Python translation by Silvana Ayala, Updates by Chris Deline & team Original bilinear interpolation code by Sara MacAlpine, Python translation & Updates by Silvana Ayala PVMismatch add-on: PVmismatch code from PVMismatch, by Sunpower