Comparative analysis of semi-transparent photovoltaic technologies for agrivoltaic applications

In this study, we analysed the potential of various semi-transparent photovoltaic (PV) modules for agrivoltaic applications. To this end, we evaluated four modules: CdTe with 50 % and 20 % transparency, respectively, aSi with 20 % transparency, and cSi with 60 % transparency using interspaced cells. The analysis included the current-voltage measurements, environmental factors such as the solar spectrum and temperature, and the spectral transmittance of each module to estimate the energy passing through for agrivoltaic purposes. The performance ratio analysis revealed varying behaviours based on the transparency levels for CdTe and marked seasonality for aSi. Higher transparency modules exhibited slightly lower operating temperatures. The energy output per square meter was highest for the cSi60 module, generating 129.7 kWh/m2/year, followed by CdTe20 (123.3 kWh/m2/year), aSi20 (117.5 kWh/m2/year), and CdTe50 (95.16 kWh/m2/year). The spectral analysis demonstrated that the cSi60 module transmitted the most visible light, making it ideal for agrivoltaics, whereas the aSi20 module transmitted more infrared radiation. The variation in the photosynthesis analysis for the ‘Berner Rose’ tomato indicated that only the CdTe50 and cSi60 modules reached plant saturation, with annual photosynthesis levels of 92 % for cSi60, which is the highest among the modules.