Scientific Resources : Bifacial Solar Panels
We've compiled a short list of scientific resources, third party documents, case studies, and general information on increasing the electricity generation of bifacial solar panels with the Opsun System. Consult the links below to understand how to design the best bifacial solar panels system.
The following is not a complete and exhaustive list of all available public documents on bifacial, but rather a quick list of readily-accesible, easy-to-read and understand documents showing how bifacial solar panels perform, and how the Opsun System is the best racking system to optimize bifacial solar panels' performance and electricity generation.
OPSUN
Opsun created a few documents showing how bifacial solar panels operate, based on existing scientific litterature, internal research, field-experience and simulation software:
Opsun - Bifacial Performance Review
And on Simulations:
Opsun - Bifacial Racking Simulations
In 2019, Opsun also presented at Solar Power International, in Salk Lake City, UT, on how to achieve maximum performances with bifacial solar panels:
Opsun-SPI - How to increase Bifi performance
JPMC:
"JPMorgan makes big, experimental investment in McCoy Center", By Tristan Navera, Columbus Business First, Nov 4, 2019
Longi-RETC
RETC is a California-based test center that tested and assessed several major-brand bifacial panels, ustilizing for many studies the Opsun racking, like the "Authoritative Third Party Pilot Project" below that yielded a solid 15.7% bifacial gains.
The Opsun Racking is easily recognizable:
LG
Opsun has beed collaborating with LG since the early days of bifacial, a lot of test setups from LG were done on Opsun racking, and we often collborated in exchanging ideas and collaborating on technical knowledge.
https://www.lg.com/global/business/download/resources/solar/Bifacial_design_guide_Full_ver.pdf
LG's Snow Tests are especially interresting (Left, monofacial, covered in snow, lef is bifacial, free of snow):
SANDIA
Prism often worked with Sandia National Labs to test their panels, and used Opsun racking to asses their performances:
These 2 first links are to SANDIA National Lab's huge online ressources on solar and bifacial PVs:
https://pvpmc.sandia.gov/pv-research/bifacial-pv-project/
https://pvpmc.sandia.gov/resources-and-events/documents/download-category/presentation/
Opsun collaborated to several research sites with Sandia national Labs in Vermont, Nevada. SANDIA tested bifacial solar PV panels on vertical racking and ground-mounted tilted racking developed by Opsun, in order to compare the performance of monofacial and bifacial PVs:
https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1458425
This link explains an interresting way to develop reflective ground-mounted surfaces for bifacial solar panels.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
Dr. Amir Asgharzadeh Shishavan studied performance of bifacial PVs utilizing Ray-tracing with favorable results:
https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8323&context=etd
PRISM SOLAR - CASE STUDY
This New-York, multi-year filed-study on a flat commercial with rooftop goves very good insights on the absolute performance of a bifacial solar system. At 30 degrees and on a perfectly white roof, this system operates like no other.
https://www.prismsolar.com/white-roof-case-study
This kind of design will generate the highest bifacial performance (30 deg, high profile, anchored):
NREL
USA's public body for science and technology on renewable energy has a few interresting article and ressources:
https://www.nrel.gov/news/features/2020/bifacial-solar-advances-with-the-times-and-the-sun.html
https://www.osti.gov/pages/servlets/purl/1423188
BIFI PV WORKSHOP
The European "Bifi PV Workshop" has a tremendous library of superb scientific article explaining in great details how bifacial solar panels can be optimized, and what works and what doesn't.