Sheds in PVsyst

In PVsyst, a "shed" refers to a single table or row of tables organized as an array (one shed behind another).

A particular case is "unlimited sheds", a special orientation type. This is a system of sufficiently long sheds that allows edge effects to be neglected. Unlimited sheds also assume a continuous row of PV modules with no gaps between tables.

This approach is useful for calculating the shading factor (mutual shading between adjacent sheds) in a simplified manner. It is a two-dimensional calculation based on the Profile angle. For each sun position, the shading factor is calculated using the collector width, plane tilt, and row spacing. The number of sheds is also important, as the first shed has no shading.

The unlimited sheds assumption is particularly used for calculating bifacial systems. This calculation is also performed in 2D. By treating the ground as a single line, detailed view factor calculations can be performed for positions on the ground between two sheds. The bifacial model currently available in PVsyst is based on this assumption.

Note: the term "shed" is specific to PVsyst. It derives from the French expression "toit en shed" which means sawtooth roof.