Performance of Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell, Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact, and Heterojunction Solar Cells in Floating Photovoltaic Systems Across Climatic Zones

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems are considered a promising solution to mitigate global warming; however, they still face efficiency limitations due to various factors like soiling, temperature, and low albedo. Consequently, integrating advanced bifacial cell technologies can enhance energy output. This study evaluates the performance of three bifacial solar cell technologies, passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC), tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), and heterojunction (HJT), in 2 MW FPV systems across three distinct climatic regions: Egypt, Finland, and South Korea. Despite all being located in the Northern Hemisphere, these countries are selected for their diverse environmental conditions, Egypt represents a hot, high-irradiance climate; Finland, a cold, low-irradiance environment; and South Korea, a temperate region with seasonal variations. Using PVsyst 7.2, energy production and system losses are analyzed under varying azimuth and tilt angles. Results show that at optimal orientation conditions, HJT consistently outperforms PERC and TOPCon in all locations, achieving the highest energy yields and lowest system losses. HJT produced 2100 MWh year⁻¹ in Egypt, 1925 MWh year⁻¹ in South Korea, and 1780 MWh year⁻¹ in Finland. System losses for HJT ranged from 4.8% to 5.5%, while TOPCon recorded the highest. These findings demonstrate HJT's superior performance and provide valuable insights for optimizing FPV systems in various climates.