# Welcome to the pvfactors documentation!¶

pvfactors is an open-source Python library that makes it easy to calculate incident irradiance on various surfaces of a PV array, including back side PV surfaces. pvfactors was originally ported from the SunPower developed vf_model package which was first presented at the IEEE PV Specialist Conference 44 (1, link to paper).
You can find explanations on how to install the package in the Installation section, and learn how to use it using both the Tutorials and Developer API sections, but preferably after reading the Main concepts section.

## Citing pvfactors¶

We appreciate your use of pvfactors. If you use pvfactors in a published work, we kindly ask that you cite:

Anoma, M., Jacob, D., Bourne, B.C., Scholl, J.A., Riley, D.M. and Hansen, C.W., 2017. View Factor Model and Validation for Bifacial PV and Diffuse Shade on Single-Axis Trackers. In 44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference.

## Indices and tables¶

Footnotes

1

Anoma, M., Jacob, D., Bourne, B.C., Scholl, J.A., Riley, D.M. and Hansen, C.W., 2017. View Factor Model and Validation for Bifacial PV and Diffuse Shade on Single-Axis Trackers. In 44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference.