Search Results (9)

Around the world, large-scale bifacial photovoltaics (BPV) modules are increasingly being used to generate clean electricity, given the cost of manufacturing is becoming comparable to conventional monofacial PV modules. BPV, when installed vertically, can still produce high levels of electricity by collecting radiation on the front as well as on the rear side. This paper assessed the renewable energy generation potential of vertical BPV plants along the central reservation of UK motorways. These installations maximize the utility of road space while minimizing land consumption. The feasibility of BPV systems for different segments of a motorway case study in the UK were modelled to calculate energy yield, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), payback period, and net present value. The LCOE of a medium to large-scale system was 10–11 p/kWh, 60% less than that of a small-scale system. The payback period for medium to large-scale systems was found to be 6 years, whereas for small systems, it was 10 years. The paper further discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with installing BPV panels on motorways with guidance on the types of locations which are likely to be most successful for future full-scale installations. Full article

The advantages of green roofs and solar panels are numerous, but in dry periods, green roofs can place urban water resources under pressure, and the efficiency of solar panels can be affected negatively by high temperatures. In this context, our analysis investigated the advantages of bio-solar green roofs and evaluated the impact of green roofs on solar panel electricity production and solar panels on green roof water consumption. The assessment was conducted through simulation in a selected case study located in Cosenza, a city with a Mediterranean climate, with solar panels covering 10% to 60% of the green roof. Analyses were performed on the power outputs of four kinds of photovoltaic panels: polycrystalline, monocrystalline, bifacial, and Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC). The energy production and shade frequencies were simulated using PVGIS 5.3 and PVSOL 2024 R3. The impact of photovoltaic (PV) shade on the water consumption of green roofs was evaluated by image processing of a developed code in MATLAB R2024b. Moreover, water–energy interconnections in bio-solar green roof systems were assessed using the developed dynamic model in Vensim PLE 10.2.1. The results revealed that the water consumption by the green roof was reduced by 30.8% with a bio-solar coverage area of 60%. However, the electricity production by the PV panel was enhanced by about 4% with bio-solar green roofs and was at its maximum at a coverage rate of 50%. This investigation demonstrates the benefits of bio-solar green roofs, which can generate more electricity and require less irrigation. Full article

This work concerns the experimental verification of changes in the energy efficiency of photovoltaic installations through the use of bifacial modules. For this purpose, an experimental stand was designed and built for the comparative analysis of the efficiency of two types of photovoltaic panels: bifacial (bPV) and monofacial (mPV). The tests consisted of placing the panels at different heights above the ground surface and at different angles. During the tests, three substrates with different albedo were taken into account: green grass, gray concrete (fabric), and white snow (polystyrene). The tests for both types of panels were carried out simultaneously (in parallel), which guaranteed the same environmental conditions (temperature and solar radiation intensity). Based on the results of the voltage and current measurements for different angles of PV module inclination and, for bPV panels, different heights above the ground surface and different types of substrate, a series of current–voltage characteristics and power characteristics were plotted. The “additional” energy efficiency of bifacial panels compared to monofacial panels was also determined. It was shown that under favorable conditions, using bifacial panels instead of monofacial panels can increase the production of electricity by more than 56% from structures of the same dimensions. The research results can be of great value when designing photovoltaic installations. Full article

To fully exploit the advantages of bifacial PV (bPV) modules and understand their performance under real-world conditions, a comprehensive investigation was conducted. It was focused on bPV installations with some mounting constraints, as in industrial rooftops, where the ideal high module-to-ground height for optimal bPV performances is not feasible due to structural reasons. The experimental setup involved measuring the I-V curves of conventional and bifacial modules under diverse atmospheric conditions, including different solar irradiance levels and ambient temperatures, as well as mounting configurations. The results show a proportional increment of power generation between 4.3% and 7.8% if compared with two different conventional modules and a bifacial power gain between 2 and 15% under identical conditions. Additionally, the negative potential influence of the mounting structure was observed. Small differences in the alignment between the module and structural beams can virtually eliminate the bifacial contribution, with an estimated reduction up to 8.5 W (a potential bifacial gain of 3.43%). Full article

Bifacial photovoltaic (BPV) panels represent one of the main solar technologies that will be used in the near future for renewable energy production, with a foreseen market share in 2030 of 70% among all the photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Compared to monofacial panels, bifaciality can ensure a gain in energy production per unit panel area together with a competitive cost. However, it is of paramount importance to identify whether there is also an environmental benefit when adopting bifacial technologies as opposed to traditional monofacial ones. To obtain a proper insight into the environmental impact, this paper reviews the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies of bifacial solar panels, identifying the most crucial processes and materials that raise environmental burdens. The analysis also contributes to determining whether the major aspects that influence energy production in real operation scenarios and, most of all, that can ensure the gain associated with bifaciality, are considered and how these can further affect the overall environmental impacts. In this sense, it was found that the installation parameters like the mounting structure, or the choice of ground material to raise the albedo as well as the diffuse irradiation that hits the rear surface of thepanel, are commonly not considered during LCA analysis. However, none of the analyzed studies address the issue in a comprehensive way, hampering an effective comparison between both the different works and traditional monofacial PV panels. Recommendations for future LCAs are finally proposed. Full article

Cool roof coatings are being applied on rooftops to reflect solar irradiance back into the atmosphere. Bifacial photovoltaic modules can receive solar irradiance from the front and rear side. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of reflected irradiance caused by cool roof coating (CRC) on the performance of bifacial photovoltaic (bPV) modules and monofacial photovoltaic (mPV) modules. According to the experiments, cool roof coating is an efficient way to increase the output and efficiency of solar modules. Experimental results show that for cool roof coating based on TiO₂ and FC resin with an average albedo of 0.63, the peak power output of the bifacial photovoltaic module is increased by 3.29% and its highest peak power efficiency is 18.1%. A peak power bifacial gain of 15.6% is seen. Due to a 1.3 °C decrease in temperature, the monofacial photovoltaic module power output also increased by 0.24%. Full article

Bifacial technology is attracting the attention of the photovoltaic community. Although considered premature, research and development activities still need to be carried out to improve bPV performance. In addition, the need for a standard test reference will aid bankability and increase confidence in this technology. This article describes the state of the art of bifacial technology, going through the bPV cell and its difference compared to conventional monofacial cells and listing the different sources of limitations, with an identification of different parameters that characterize the performance of the bifacial. Then, the paper reviews the different modeling methods that allow predicting the performance of bPV systems, and ends with the most important applications, whether for dual use of land to produce energy and food (agrivoltaic) or for placing bPV modules on water bodies instead of on the ground (aquavoltaics), or for vertical use as solar fences, acoustic barriers, or building-integrated photovoltaic modules. Full article

An optimal tilt-angle control based on artificial intelligence (AI control) for tracking bifacial photovoltaic (BPV) systems is developed in this study, and its effectiveness and characteristics are examined by simulating a virtual system over five years. Using deep reinforcement learning (deep RL), the algorithm autonomously learns the control strategy in real time from when the system starts to operate. Even with limited deep RL input variables, such as global horizontal irradiance, time, tilt angle, and power, the proposed AI control successfully learns and achieves a 4.0–9.2% higher electrical-energy yield in high-albedo cases (0.5 and 0.8) as compared to traditional sun-tracking control; however, the energy yield of AI control is slightly lower in low-albedo cases (0.2). AI control also demonstrates a superior performance when there are seasonal changes in albedo. Moreover, AI control is robust against long-term system degradation by manipulating the database used for reward setting. Full article

Bifacial photovoltaics (BPVs) are emerging with large momentum as promising solutions to improve energy yield and cost of PV systems. To reach its full potential, an accurate understanding of the physical characteristics of BPV technology is required. For this reason, we collected experimental data to refine a physical model of BPV. In particular, we simultaneously measured the module temperature, short circuit current (I_sc), open-circuit voltage (V_oc), power at the maximum power point (P_mpp), and the energy yield of a bifacial and a monofacial minimodule. Such minimodules, realised with the same geometry, cell technology, and module lamination, were tested under the same clear sky outdoor conditions, from morning to afternoon, for three days. The bifacial system experimentally shows higher module temperatures under operation, about 10 °C on a daily average of about 40 °C. Nevertheless, its energy yield is about 15% larger than the monofacial one. We propose a physical quantitative model that fits the experimental data of module temperature, I_sc, V_oc, P_mpp, and energy yield. The model was then applied to predict the annual energy yield of PV module strings. The effect of different PV module temperature coefficients on the energy yield is also discussed. Full article