In this article, we tell you what they are and what impact they have on self-consumption.
What are bifacial plates?
First of all, let's explain what bifacial panels are . As their name suggests, these panels are solar panels that capture solar energy through both sides, unlike conventional solar panels, which capture it through only one of them.
This dual capacity allows this type of panel to increase the production of solar energy. However, this energy is not absorbed equally on both sides. The big question is: How do they manage to use sunlight to produce energy on both sides, if only one side faces the sun? We answer it below.
Bifacial panel materials
You may be wondering if bifacial solar panels are made of the same materials as monofacial panels. Generally, yes, although it is possible to choose between several types of materials for the back side.
The most common are glass or aluminium, although it is increasingly zambia email list common to see silicon as the main material for the sheets. Also, most bifacial panels tend to be monocrystalline, as they are capable of generating more energy with the same amount of light.
How do bifacial solar panels work?
Conventional solar panels are designed so that the back side is made of an opaque material. In bifacial solar panels , however , this material is replaced by a sheet of cells similar to the one we see on the main part of the panel. In other words, this type of panel has two layers of solar cells prepared to absorb energy.
Now, how is it possible for the back layer to capture energy if it is not facing the sun? The way in which solar energy is absorbed by this layer of bifacial panels is not by capturing direct light, but through the light it receives from reflection.
Let's explain it in a simpler way. When sunlight hits a solar panel directly, most of that radiation is absorbed by the side of the panel that receives it directly. However, there is a small part of radiation that passes through the panel or that is not absorbed.
This light is reflected off the ground or the surface on which the panel is installed. Bifacial panels take advantage of this reflection to absorb the radiation they receive through it, thanks to the fact that, instead of having an opaque sheet on the back, there is a sheet with energy semiconductor cells.
