Bifacial Solar Systems 2024

As a technology, bifacial solar has become the new standard, at least for utility-scale photovoltaic  (PV) applications in most place of the world. With advanced TOPCon and HJT cell technologies being inherently bifacial and glass-glass becoming the mainstream, adapting to bifacial manufacturing is now more seamless than ever. At the system level, however, bifacial technology requires considerable optimization. This TaiyangNews Report on Bifacial Solar Systems discusses the system side of the technology.

The report provides an overview on the history and key characteristics of bifacial solar as well as technical standards.

Optimizing system design is key as several system parameters influence the bifacial benefit, and site albedo is among the top of the list. The bifacial gain of a PV system depends also strongly on its geometry, including the height (distance between the module and ground), tilt angle of the panels, and ground surface characteristics.

Energy yield predictions are vital from a project bankability standpoint, and bifacial systems present a significant challenge compared to monofacial systems. Estimating rear-side irradiance is complex due to factors like shading from mounting structures, junction boxes, neighboring modules, and ground characteristics.

This report also lists case studies providing real-life data on the ultimate benefit of the bifacial system under different conditions.