Computer Simulation of Lower Farmland by the Composition of an Agrophotovoltaic System

The share of agrophotovoltaics in the “renewable energy 3020”, which is the Korean government policy for revitalizing new and renewable energy, is increasing gradually. In this study, the distribution of solar radiation received by crops growing on virtual farmland under a range of conditions, such as module height, module angle, shading ratio, and module type, was quantified and analyzed using an Ecotect program, which allows insolation analysis during the period from spring to fall. As the module angle increases, transmissive modules increase the amount of solar radiation delivered to the lower farmland. In addition, the difference between 3x12 Cell Type and 4x9 Cells Type, which are types of photovoltaic modules used in practice, was found to be small. The analysis results can be used as a design standard for the future establishment of agrophotovoltaic systems.