Comparison of Temperature Models for Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules in Germany and Brazil

Pfeiffer, Oliver, Oliveira, Aline Kirsten Vidal, Braga, Marília, Naspolini, Helena Flávia, Blieske, Ulf, Rüther, Ricardo

ISES Solar World Congress 2025 · Fortaleza, Brazil · 2025-11-03
Published by International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
DOI: 10.1016/j.seja.2026.100140

Abstract

This work presents a comparison of temperature prediction models for bifacial PV modules in Florianópolis (Brazil) and Cologne (Germany). Three models are evaluated (Ross, Faiman and PVsyst®) by comparing calculated cell temperatures with measurements using mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) as metrics. In Florianópolis, the Ross model achieved the best performance (RMSE = 1.26 °C), followed by PVsyst® with typical coefficients (Uc = 29–40 W/m2*°C). In Cologne, estimation errors were significantly higher, especially for PVsyst® with Uc = 40 W/m2*°C (RMSE = 6.54 °C) and the Faiman model with typical coefficients (RMSE = 17.68 °C). These results highlight that models calibrated for standard conditions may perform poorly under variable climates and underscore the need for location-specific coefficient tuning when simulating bifacial PV systems.

Keywords

Temperature models, bifacial PV modules, PV module temperature.

← All proceedings papers