The optimal pitch value for a fixed-tilted bifacial grid-connected photovoltaic system is crucial to maximize technoeconomic benefits. The insufficient studies on the optimal pitch value for bifacial photovoltaic (bPV) systems in tropical climates, with self-shading and electrical mismatch caused by design errors of tilt angle and pitch coupling, present a significant challenge for maximizing system efficiency and lead to financial losses. This study investigates the optimal pitch value for a 45 MW fixed-tilted bifacial grid-connected photovoltaic system for solar farms in Sungai Petani, Kedah via simulation using PVsyst software. The study simulated three cases which were one one module in height (Case A), two modules in height (Case B), and three modules in height (Case C) without space constraints. The bifacial design key parameters of albedo, module height, pitch, and tilt angle were incorporated into the simulations. The simulations revealed that increasing the pitch enhances specific yield but reaches a saturation point. The saturation point represents the optimal pitch values, which were 4.1 m, 5.5 m, and 7.2 m, for Cases A, Case B, and Case C. Moreover, the corresponding GCRs and specific yields for Case A, Case B, and Case C were 41.4%, 62.1%, and 71.3%, and 1568 kWh/kWp/yr, 1522 kWh/kWp/yr, and 1501 kWh/kWp/yr, respectively. It is worth highlighting that this study provides insight on the relationship of optimum pitch value with energy yield for cases of one, two, and three modules in height under scenario of no space constraint for tropical regions.
Fuadi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.