Shadow distance analysis of agrivoltaic system in Bangladesh: From geometry to simulation

Abstract

This study compares two methods for calculating shadow distance in agrivoltaic systems: geometrical analysis and 3D modeling. Simulations were conducted for an agricultural site during the extended shading period of winter to assess model performance. A MATLAB program was developed using modified equations for geometrical calculations, while SketchUp was employed for 3D simulation and validation. The results indicate that the geometrical model maintains an average error of less than 6% compared to the 3D approach. These findings suggest that geometrical modeling can serve as a reliable tool for shadow assessment in agrivoltaic system design.