University of Ottawa’s SUNLAB team has developed a new method to measure the solar energy produced by bifacial solar panels. Bifacial panels are double-sided solar technology that is expected to meet the increased global energy demand in the future. SUNLAB’s proposed characterization method will improve the measurement indoors by considering external factors of ground cover such as snow, grass, and soil. This new method will provide a way to consistently test bifacial solar panel performance indoors that accurately represents how the panels will perform outdoors.
Bifacial photovoltaics is a type of solar panel that can collect sunlight on both sides, with one side angled towards the sun and the other angled towards the ground. The semiconducting material, usually silicon, is wedged between two sheets of glass, which allows for sunlight collection on both sides. Bifacial solar panels offer several advantages over traditional solar panels. Firstly, they can produce up to 30% more energy than traditional panels, thanks to the additional light collected by the rear side. Additionally, bifacial solar panels are more durable and can produce power for over 30 years.
Currently, international device measurement standards do not distinguish between ground cover when measuring bifacial panels. SUNLAB’s methodology will improve this by taking external factors such as ground cover into account. This will help to provide more accurate and consistent measurements of performance, which will be useful in developing future solar technologies.