Advantages of Bifacial Solar Panels
In the solar market there is a new trend of solar panels that is developing. The Bifacial Solar Panels are panels of solar that take sunlight from both their front and rear. They are an innovative solution to certain types of solar installations.
What are Bifacial Panels?
The mono-face panels (traditional) are able to capture sunlight in one direction. Solar energy that is not captured is reflecting back. Bifacial solar panels do not have this problem. Instead, they feature solar cells on both sides. They can absorb light from both in the back and front. This implies that a bifacial wall is able to absorb light was reflect off of the ground or another materials.
Some residential applications, such as pergolas or ground-mounted systems, can benefit from solar panels that have bifacial faces. For the majority of homeowners, however, rooftop installations with Bifacial solar panels aren’t feasible. Instead panels that are elevated and tilted away from the mounting surface allow light to reflect back onto the panels.
How does a Bifacial Solar Panels work?
The panels absorb light from both the sides facing forward and back and allow to diffuse light as much as is possible. Albedo light refers the portion of sun’s light that is reflecting off a surface. It can reach 30% efficiency, and is influenced by several factors such as the reflectivity of the surface, height above ground and tilt angle. Diffused light is the scattered light that travels in any direction. The bifacial panels can absorb direct sunlight and reflect radiation from nearby solar panels. It also absorbs diffused indirect radiation from air or clouds.
Bifacial solar panels are equipped with a glass-to glass structure. They offer greater durability as opposed to mono-face panels with back sheet glass which was previously available. There are numerous photovoltaic technologies that are thin-film today. These include copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells. Many current thin-film solar technology like CIGS and dye-sensitized, can easily be converted to bifacial solar panels.
Bifacial solar panels have rear cover glass and the bifacial solar cell. Later, the unabsorbed photon inside the front layer is absorbed slowly as it recoils from its surrounding surface. This boosts the effectiveness of the Bifacial solar cells. Glass-to glass structures bring many benefits to solar panels, including reduced moisture corrosion, propagation of cracks, and debonding. They have a reduced cell temperature as well as a slower degrading rate. Bifacial solar panels are more flexible, yet they possess an excellent mechanical strength and a flameproof rating.
Bifacial Solar Panels: The Advantages
- Unique ability to generate electricity directly from the sun.
- These panels are able to generate electricity through the reflection of light that passes through them
- Bifacial solar panels can be constructed of transparent or dual-tempered back sheets, which differs from opaque back sheets.
- Degradation that could be caused by sunlight isn’t a concern with bifacial solar panels.
- The warranty for solar panels with bifacial design is nearly 30 years. This is different from the 25-year warranty on the traditional panels.
- The bifacial solar panel’s glass helps to prevent the exposure to UV and also improves moisture permeability.
- The modules are protected from chemical corrosion due to their high strength.
- The panels are made from strong glass that is resistant to cracking.
- The aluminum frames of the bifacial solar panels are not included. They don’t require grounding. This can save time and materials during installation costs.
Bifacial Solar Panels: The disadvantages
- A huge installation of bifacial panels cost.
- Double glass is a major reason for the cost of bifacial solar panels.
- Glass is a heavyweight.
- Bifacial solar panels can’t be used during the dark, cloudy days or storms.
Bifacial vs. Monofacial solar panels
Monofacial solar panels feature a single photovoltaic surface that can absorb the sunlight, and then convert it to renewable energy. Bifacial solar panels absorb sunlight from both sides, and require less space.
Bifacial panels are more efficient than traditional panels because they are larger in size that can absorb light. Bifacial panels that are vertically mounted can capture sunlight at sunrise and sunset. Panels mounted vertically can withstand weather conditions, such as sun and snow which may hinder their efficiency. The longevity of bifacial solar panels are significantly higher than conventional panels.
Monofacial panels can still provide certain advantages However, there are many other reasons why monofacial panels could be better than bifacial panels. Bifacial panels can be more complicated than others and require extra labor and equipment. They are much more effective than panels mounted vertically, but homeowners may pay more because they require ground mounts. Additional requirements such as the solar tracker system are also necessary.
Bifacial Solar Panel Design
Bifacial panels are significantly different from the traditional polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon panels. While bifacial panels are generally composed of monocrystalline cells, there are also polycrystalline options. Bifacial panels stand out due to their thin profile. Some bifacial designs require only limited framing. The modules are protected with the form of a thin, transparent layer. It could be double-glass or a clear back sheet.
Bifacial solar panels ‘ mounting systems differ from conventional solutions. Bifacial solar panels need the least shaded area both on their front and back surfaces in order to maximize solar energy capture. To lessen the shade on the back of the module, new rack designs can make use of narrower support rails and junction boxes.
Bifacial Solar Panels for Commercial and utility-scale Applications
Bifacial solar panels are ideal for utility and commercial installations that use solar trackers. Barnes Solar, a producer of solar panels found that bifacial solar panels produced 11 percent more solar energy in an inclined and ground-mounted solar system in China. A system that has bifacial panels and solar tracker produces an increase of 27 percent in solar power than traditional panels.
Since the panels absorb energy more from each side, bifacial panels can boost the output of energy of massive solar farms. A solar panel that is placed above the ground can take in sunlight, and reflect it through solar cells in the opposite direction. The surface below can affect the amount of light that is reflected back to the panels. Reflected sunlight is brighter on lighter surfaces like sand. This is more so on darker surfaces like dirt or asphalt.
Can you use bifacial solar panels for residential installations?
Bifacial modules don’t suit rooftop solar installations. They’re more affordable for larger solar projects that have reflected sunlight.
Bifacial panels are able to be utilized in residential settings, however they’re best suited for large-scale commercial and utility scale solar energy projects in the solar sector. Bifacial panels can be used to shade free-standing structures like pergolas, and also generate excess energy. In all cases where the panels aren’t viewable, bifacial panel panels could be utilized. Bifacial solar panel canopies and awnings allow reflected sunlight to reach the panels’ backs.
Bifacial panels are a good option for those who prefer a ground-mounted system over an on-roof one. A ground-mounted residential system functions exactly the same way as utility or commercial applications. It is elevated above ground in order for sunlight to get to the panels‘ backsides.
Five Reasons Bifacial Panels are ideal for farms
- There is also more space
Ground mounts are more suitable to ensure the highest manufacturing of bifacial panel. Ground mounts are able to be placed further away from roof mounts. To maximize space, roof solar panels usually placed flush next to each other. If the array is higher than the ground, for example, an awning, then there won’t be a lot of reflected light coming off the back of panels.
Rural businesses and farms are able to use more land, which means you can extend your bifacial panels to maximize the benefits of ground reflectivity.
You also have the option of controlling the amount of light reflecting. The panels will be more exposed to light if they have reflective surfaces like white rocks sand, or any other silver or white substance.
Ground mounts may also be used in other ways. They could be used as a covering for your patio or garden or even as a carport. If you’re interested in the bifacial-solar concept, make sure to investigate the various options.
More Durable
Businesses and farmers who are involved in agriculture must be confident that the solar panels they install can last for quite a time. It is a guarantee that they will continue to manufacture efficient solar panels for several decades.
Bifacial panels are more durable than standard one-sided panels that include back sheets. They feature glass facings each side. Tempered glass is the material used to make the glass. It is extremely durable and can withstand all forces, including projectiles from the force of hurricanes.
- Longer Warranties
Barnes Solar, a bifacial panel manufacturer, offers 30 years of warranty. This is five years more than the 25-year warranty that several manufacturers offer for one-sided panels.
The bifacial panels you have will generate more energy per panel, and will last longer.
- In Every Way, Trackers are Better than Trackers
Trackers are a method to increase solar power per panel. Trackers can adjust their angle on solar panel to align with the position of the sun in the sky. This lets you get more direct sunlight, and will last longer.
There are many moving parts in trackers. Like every appliance and mechanism they have more moving parts which can cause issues. Trackers are more costly and require more time to set up.
While the cost of installing trackers using traditional panels is less expensive than that of Bifacial panels, they will nevertheless produce the same amount. There are no moving parts, so you don’t need to be concerned about them breaking.
- Similar to normal solar cells
Like you would imagine, bifacial panels are more expensive than regular panels generally. Barnes Solar has a solid relationship with Canadian Solar, and we use them exclusively to obtain Bifacial solar panels at costs which are similar to standard panels.
Barnes Solar can offer solar panels for ground mounted with bifacial panels at a similar price to conventional panels to farms looking to increase their production.
For a similar cost, you can get higher production and higher quality. This is the most you can ask for.
Barnes Solar can often reduce the initial cost of their solar panels through grants or a federal credit. Combining this with the faster production of bifacial panels can make sure that you are able to swiftly make a profit on the investment.
Tariff exemptions on Bifacial Panels
In the past few years, tariffs on equipment and solar panels had significant impact on the sector. Trump put tariffs on non-domestically produced solar panels in 2018. These tariffs were designed to boost expansion in the solar manufacturing and production sector. The tariffs impeded access to solar panels at a lower price.
These tariffs have been maintained by the Biden administration since they took over the presidency. In fact, they have decided to extend them for 4 more years in 2022. But, they took an important decision in exempting bifacial panels from the tariffs. This decision is crucial for customers as it allows them to access lower-cost panels.
Are bifacial panels worth the investment?
Although bifacial solar modules are a good option for utility and commercial solar developers, they don’t perform well on rooftop residential projects. Bifacial solar panels are more costly than the equipment needed, so homeowners will still have to pay more for them. But they provide greater effectiveness and savings. No matter how large your project is, the location it is located or any other requirements you have in mind when comparing quotes for a solar panel installation is a good method to get a good price. Sign up your property to the Barnes Solar solar pv market and start receiving quotes from qualified solar installers who have been pre-screened and approved in your local area. You can also request a quote for bifacial panels simply by making a note in the profile.