Research Projects 

COST Action PEARL PV was a European research network dedicated to the analysis and benchmarking of large fleets of distributed photovoltaic systems. Within this framework, LuciSun played a leading role by chairing Working Group 5, which focused on fleet-level performance assessment, data-driven benchmarking and fault detection based on large volumes of operational data. The work addressed the limitations of commonly used performance indicators when applied to heterogeneous PV portfolios and explored alternative approaches based on relative performance comparisons between similar systems. These activities were closely linked to the development and application of the Performance to Peers methodology and contributed to consolidating LuciSun’s expertise in large-scale PV performance analysis, informing the evolution of its tools, advisory practices and training activities.

Through its active participation in IEA PVPS Tasks 13 and 15, LuciSun contributes to the consolidation of international best practices in PV performance assessment, building integrated photovoltaics and solar resource characterisation.
Within Task 13, LuciSun is involved in work on PV performance evaluation, loss analysis and the interpretation of operational data, contributing to international comparisons of energy yield assessment methodologies and their applicability across different system types and operating conditions.
Task 15 focuses on building integrated photovoltaics, where LuciSun is actively involved in the development of BIM based workflows for the analysis, simulation and optimisation of BIPV projects, addressing interoperability between design tools, data structuring and the delivery of credible performance indicators across the building life cycle.

SERENDI-PV was a European research project focused on advanced simulation and performance analysis of photovoltaic systems requiring detailed modelling, including bifacial PV, building-integrated photovoltaics and floating PV. Within this framework, LuciSun played a leading role in the development and validation of advanced 3D PV simulation approaches, strengthening its capability to represent complex shading environments, bifacial irradiation effects and geometry-dependent energy gains. The project also enabled LuciSun to reinforce the link between modelling and operational data by confronting simulation results with measurements from operating plants, improving the interpretation of PV performance indicators for complex system configurations. In parallel, SERENDI-PV provided a structured context to deepen long-term solar resource assessment practices and to develop collaborative workflows for simulation and monitoring, consolidating LuciSun’s methodological foundations in advanced PV system analysis.

RepsoLusim was an industrial research project dedicated to the application and validation of advanced 3D PV simulation methods on an operating bifacial photovoltaic plant under real industrial constraints. The project enabled LuciSun to develop and test digital twin approaches based on successive prototypes of LuSim 3D, allowing detailed analysis of irradiance distributions at module and sub-module level, including the effects of complex shading, tracker geometry and structural elements. By confronting advanced simulation concepts with field data and industrial workflows, RepsoLusim helped identify practical limitations related to data availability, modelling complexity and result interpretation. The project provided a structured validation of 3D modelling approaches for bifacial PV and directly informed the evolution of LuciSun’s tools, digital twin concepts and engineering practices.

DEMO-Bi-FV is a research project dedicated to the experimental validation and modelling of bifacial photovoltaic system performance under real operating conditions. The project is based on long-term measurements of front and rear irradiance, electrical performance and environmental variables, providing a robust dataset to analyse the influence of system geometry, ground properties and operating conditions on bifacial energy gains. Within this framework, LuciSun contributes advanced 3D PV simulation and performance analysis methods to confront modelling results with high-quality field data and to assess the limits of simplified assumptions commonly used in bifacial PV simulations. DEMO-Bi-FV also supports the exploration of data-driven approaches to complement physics-based models, strengthening the validation and refinement of LuciSun’s modelling tools for bifacial PV applications.

AgriECo4Wal was a doctoral research project focused on the territorial assessment of agrivoltaic systems and their integration within rural environments. The project led to the development of a GIS based methodology combining 3D light simulations, agronomic modelling and spatial datasets to evaluate agrivoltaic configurations beyond plot scale, at the level of landscapes, agricultural regions and local energy communities. This work allowed LuciSun to deepen its understanding of the interactions between PV system design, light availability, agricultural production and territorial constraints, highlighting the importance of spatial variability and crop sensitivity in agrivoltaic assessments. The project also explored the role of agrivoltaics within rural energy communities, strengthening LuciSun’s ability to connect detailed technical modelling with broader territorial and decision making contexts.

SYMBIOSYST is a European research project dedicated to the modelling, benchmarking and optimisation of agrivoltaic system design, with a focus on the interaction between photovoltaic installations and agricultural production. Within this framework, LuciSun contributes to the validation and comparison of advanced 3D modelling approaches used to simulate light distribution in a wide range of agrivoltaic configurations, explicitly accounting for complex phenomena such as shading, reflection, transmission through structures and bifacial effects. The project also supports the design and assessment of agrivoltaic demonstrators through detailed 3D modelling and systematic evaluation of key design parameters, enabling consistency between modelling assumptions and field implementation. By confronting simulation results with data from real demonstrators, SYMBIOSYST strengthens LuciSun’s methodological foundations for reliable and practice oriented agrivoltaic assessments.

SATRISE is a European research project funded by the European Space Agency, focused on advancing solar resource assessment through the use of satellite-based irradiance data with spectral resolution and 3D spatial characterisation. Within this framework, LuciSun contributes to the evaluation of how spectrally resolved and 3D irradiance information can be integrated into PV performance modelling, including the assessment of spectral effects on different PV technologies and the modelling of non-horizontal surfaces and complex geometries. The project provides a structured environment to compare advanced satellite-derived irradiance products with current engineering practices and to assess their added value for energy yield estimation. SATRISE strengthens LuciSun’s ability to critically evaluate emerging solar resource datasets and to refine modelling approaches for practical PV applications.

Sim4Sun is a doctoral research project dedicated to the development of advanced computational methods for the simulation and optimisation of complex photovoltaic systems, including bifacial PV, agrivoltaic systems and building-integrated photovoltaics. The project builds on GPU-accelerated 3D simulation techniques to enable large-scale parametric analyses across a wide range of design configurations, operating scenarios and boundary conditions. A central aspect of the work is the joint analysis of photovoltaic performance, economic indicators and, where relevant, agricultural constraints through multi-parameter optimisation. Sim4Sun also places strong emphasis on the explicit quantification and propagation of uncertainties, strengthening the transparency and credibility of PV performance assessments and supporting uncertainty-aware decision making for complex PV applications.