Photo Voltaics (PV) systems are key to the ecological transition and sustainability of modern society. Nowadays, PV systems are oriented towards new areas, such as bifacial photovoltaics, agrivoltaics, and building integrated PV, which promise high performance and energy yields up to 10–20% larger than standard monofacial PV.

However, disuniform solar irradiation, due to differences of ground albedo, soiling, and shadowing, poses severe limitations, demanding smarter solutions. Disuniform solar irradiation jeopardizes system efficiency and PV cell reliability, since strings and modules are brought to operate far from the optimal operating points, and possibly with an excessive thermal loading.

E4PV aims to demonstrate in the application field a new, distributed and embedded electronic component to enable solar system optimization for efficiency maximization and reliability enhancements in realistic dynamic shading conditions. The proposed solution leverages unique properties of high-efficiency Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor components.

It builds upon the knowledge created in ECOSISTER Spoke 3 (converter design), Spoke 2 (management of PV energy) and Spoke 6 (electrothermal simulation) at UniPR and UniMORE, and the outstanding expertise in PV at CNR IMM Catania.

E4PV aims to replace the passive bypass diodes in existing modules with a high-frequency, two-port buck-boost converter miniaturized and integrated within the string.

The new smart PV module solution:

• allows for higher PV system efficiency
• leads to smart modules with self-monitoring/optimization features
• exploits state-of-the-art GaN devices

The starting TRL 3 is supported by the GaN buck prototype presented by UniPR and resulting from previous ECOSISTER SP3 activities, as well as the PV simulation software that can forecast the energy impact of different configurations of bypass diodes against the E4PV approach.

Demonstration at TRL 6 will be achieved by comparing simultaneously in relevant field scenarios at the CNR facilities in Catania, two identical bifacial PV modules: one with standard bypass diodes and the other with E4PV embedded micro-optimizer. The role of bifaciality and partial PV module shadowing on the power yield will be experimentally evaluated and numerically modeled, with the goal of comparing the conventional bypass diode solution with the novel GaN-based DC-DC converter electronics.

The strong connections with important industrial stakeholders in the power electronics and PV areas, supporting the project with converter components and novel PV panels, are key assets of the project and demonstrate the innovation potential of E4PV as well as its expected impact.

Advanced simulation tools and methods leveraged from ECOSISTER SP6-WP2 activity (UniMORE) will guide the design of the prototype and the investigation of high ambient temperature on the GaN device performance and reliability. PV and grid simulation tools at system level, developed in SP2 (UniPR and CNR-IMM), are utilized to forecast the achievable efficiency improvement.