Electrical power harvesting enhancement of PV module by a novel hemispherical configuration

Abstract

The energy generation demand from environmentally friendly sources is increasing rapidly nowadays. One of the most essential renewable energy systems in this regard is the photovoltaic (PV) module. However, this technology accompanies several limitations, including the ground footprint and tilt angle sensitivity. In this study, the PV module shape has been modified to enhance the productivity of the PV system. The proposed PV module with a hemispherical shape is established to reduce the land cost and provide a perpendicular PV area exposure to the sun all day to harvest sunlight and generate more power without any supporting system. Besides, the proposed hemispherical shape has advantages in aesthetic terms of the PV system to enhance the flat black shape of this technology. The current paper also attempted to develop a new design of a curved PV hemispherical shape that needed less land footprint than the traditional flat shape by 19%. The experimental results showed that the tilted 45° hemispherical PV module generated more power than the conventional tilted PV module by 5%–6% per day in summer. Besides, the power line behaviour was more likely to be as the power generated from the traditional PV module with a tracking system.

Keywords

• PV module
• Solar energy
• Thin-film PV
• 3D solar module
• Curved PV system