Projets de recherche 

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 est un projet de recherche européen dédié à la modélisation, au benchmarking et à l'optimisation de la conception des systèmes agrivoltaïques, avec un accent particulier sur l'interaction entre les installations photovoltaïques et la production agricole. Dans ce cadre, LuciSun contribue à la validation et à la comparaison d'approches de modélisation 3D avancées utilisées pour simuler la distribution de la lumière dans une large gamme de configurations agrivoltaïques, en tenant compte explicitement de phénomènes complexes tels que l'ombrage, la réflexion, la transmission à travers les structures et les effets bifaciaux. Le projet soutient également la conception et l'évaluation de démonstrateurs agrivoltaïques par une modélisation 3D détaillée et une évaluation systématique des paramètres de conception clés, permettant une cohérence entre les hypothèses de modélisation et la mise en œuvre sur le terrain. En confrontant les résultats de simulation aux données de démonstrateurs réels, SYMBIOSYST renforce les fondements méthodologiques de LuciSun pour des évaluations agrivoltaïques fiables et orientées vers la pratique.

SATRISE est un projet de recherche européen financé par l'Agence Spatiale Européenne, axé sur l'amélioration de l'évaluation des ressources solaires grâce à l'utilisation de données d'irradiance basées sur satellite, avec une résolution spectrale et une caractérisation spatiale 3D. Dans ce cadre, LuciSun contribue à l'évaluation de la manière dont les informations d'irradiance résolues spectralement et en 3D peuvent être intégrées dans la modélisation des performances PV, y compris l'évaluation des effets spectraux sur différentes technologies PV et la modélisation des surfaces non horizontales et des géométries complexes. Le projet fournit un environnement structuré pour comparer les produits avancés d'irradiance dérivés de satellites avec les pratiques d'ingénierie actuelles et pour évaluer leur valeur ajoutée pour l'estimation du rendement énergétique. SATRISE renforce la capacité de LuciSun à évaluer de manière critique les ensembles de données émergents sur les ressources solaires et à affiner les approches de modélisation pour des applications PV pratiques.

Sim4Sun est un projet de recherche doctoral dédié au développement de méthodes de calcul avancées pour la simulation et l'optimisation de systèmes photovoltaïques complexes, y compris les PV bifaciaux, les systèmes agrivoltaïques et le photovoltaïque intégré au bâtiment. Le projet s'appuie sur des techniques de simulation 3D accélérées par GPU pour permettre des analyses paramétriques à grande échelle sur un large éventail de configurations de conception, de scénarios d'exploitation et de conditions aux limites. Un aspect central du travail est l'analyse conjointe des performances photovoltaïques, des indicateurs économiques et, le cas échéant, des contraintes agricoles par optimisation multi-paramétrique. Sim4Sun met également l'accent sur la quantification et la propagation explicites des incertitudes, renforçant la transparence et la crédibilité des évaluations de performance PV et soutenant la prise de décision consciente de l'incertitude pour des applications PV complexes.