Reflector-assisted spherical photovoltaic module for solar energy harvesting

This study evaluates the electrical performance, preliminary surface-temperature behaviour, and outdoor operability of a reflector-assisted spherical photovoltaic (PV) prototype using short-term outdoor measurements and geometry-aware numerical simulation. The spherical prototype was fabricated using 450 monofacial silicon solar cells mounted on an opaque 0.70 m diameter spherical substrate and integrated with a reflective base. The simulation framework was used to examine geometry-driven irradiance collection, temperature-corrected electrical output, and selected-period and annual energy-yield trends under Doha, Qatar, conditions. A nine-day outdoor experiment was conducted as an initial proof-of-concept evaluation, during which voltage, current, power, surface temperature, and environmental variables were monitored using an ESP32-based data acquisition system. The prototype generated a cumulative measured energy output of 183.17 Wh, confirming successful outdoor operation and a clear irradiance-dependent electrical response. The measured profiles followed the expected daily solar-availability trend and therefore provide useful experimental support for the qualitative behaviour predicted by the geometry-aware model. Preliminary infrared surface-temperature observations were also recorded. however, because wind speed and IR measurement parameters were not fully characterized, these measurements are reported only as indicative thermal trends and not as evidence of a confirmed thermal advantage. For the selected simulation period, the reflector-assisted spherical configuration generated 113.0 kWh/module, compared with 105.3 kWh/module for the fixed-tilt flat reference, corresponding to a 7.3% increase. The present work establishes a practical prototype-scale foundation for spherical PV development and identifies the key design improvements needed for future optimization, including protective encapsulation, calibrated irradiance measurement, quantitative soiling assessment, durability testing, and longer-term outdoor validation.