Real-time irradiance simulation for PV products and building integrated PV in a virtual dynamic environment

We have developed a tool for real-time simulation of irradiance for PV products in a virtual 3D environment. This tool offers the possibility for product designers and architects to evaluate PV performance during the design process of PV products and building integrated PV (BIPV). The software allows for irradiance calculations on multiple arbitrarily oriented surfaces at the same time. Previous studies applied the ray-tracing technique, which gives accurate results, but is time-consuming. Our approach uses the rasterization technique and enables therefore real-time simulation. It includes shadow simulation for multiple surrounding objects with various shapes and can handle movements of the 3D objects during the simulation. The isotropic irradiance model of Liu and Jordan is implemented and it gives useful results. The tool can calculate the power output of PV cells, based on the actual PV parameters extracted out of the datasheet given by the PV manufacturer. In addition, it accounts for irradiance and temperature dependencies of the PV cells. A validation is carried out based on short time-series. The results are in good line with values found in literature. Besides, our final paper shows an example of a simulation of the performance of PV cells placed on a car.