SBIR-STTR Award

Bifacial PV systems are the fastest growing segment of the worldwide PV market and sensor development is lagging behind this market. The lack of adequate bifacial irradiance PV sensors cost the industry millions of dollars because of the corresponding lack of accurate bifacial data. Therefore, there is a need for bifacial sensors to enable PV system performance assessment and optimization of bifacial systems. We propose to develop intellectual property and products around our novel bifacial PV irradiance sensor technologies, which are intended to provide low-cost, maintenance-free sensors. Our goal in Phase I is to determine the technical and commercial viability of this novel technology. Using a combination of indoor and outdoor testing, we will address at least the following key technical points: development of prototype hardware, software algorithm development, and outdoor field trials with correlated data. The commercial applications of the project include the possibility to provide low- cost high-accuracy irradiance measurements for PV bifacial power plants so they can optimize their operations. This will lower the cost of PV power generation and make it more widely available. Phase I will determine the viability of the technology and Phase II will commercialize the technology. The lack of accurate bifacial irradiance data at PV power plants increases the cost to operate such plants. This project will help determine the commercial feasibility of this new novel technology.

Irradiance measurements at bifacial PV plants are important for project performance optimization but current technologies are not designed for this emerging application. Therefore, there is a need for fielddeployed costeffective bifacial irradiance sensors, to enable PV system performance assessment and monitoring. We propose to continue the development and evaluation of proprietary irradiance technologies for bifacial projects as disclosed in U.S. Patent Applications 16/912,273 and 17/214,978. This work was started during our Phase I SBIR and the project is intended to provide lowcost highaccuracy irradiance sensors to the PV industry. The Company is working with Sandia National Laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, SunPower Corporation, and 7x Energy on field testing and evaluation. The problem is currently being addressed by higher cost measurement systems which limit the adoption by the industry. Our overall approach to the combined Phase I and Phase II projects is to prove the technical feasibility of the technology and to build the initial commercial units. In the Phase I program, we implemented a successful approach to measuring global, direct, diffuse, and groundreflected radiation using an array of PV reference cells with no moving parts. We built and installed outdoor testing stations to prove the concept. We also prototyped subcomponents needed for compact irradiance sensors. Our plan for Phase II is to continue the work started in Phase I, including developing compact integrated devices suitable for commercialization, refining measurement algorithms, and proving performance through additional field trials at multiple locations. In addition, Phase II work will include a focus on design for manufacturing, software control and analysis, cost reduction, and system reliability. The commercial applications of the project include the possibility to provide low cost highaccuracy irradiance measurements for PV power plants so they can optimize their operations. This will lower the cost of PV power generation and make it more widely available. Phase I and Phase II will lead to initial commercialization of the technology and Phase III if necessary will continue the project to full commercialization.