As interest in bifacial PV modules grows, there is a need to quantify the impact of additional energy generation for financing solar projects. A critical parameter for accurately modeling rear-side irradiation in bifacial modules is albedo. This paper identifies multiple sources of long-term albedo data and compares it to shorter term, ground-based measurements. In addition, methods to reduce higher-frequency measured or long-term albedo data to monthly values—commonly needed by industry-accepted software such as PVsyst—are evaluated.
This paper was presented on June 20, 2019 at the IEEE Photovaltaic Specialists Conference in Chicago, Illinois.