Bifacial solar panels perform differently in cloudy or shaded areas compared to traditional monofacial panels due to their ability to capture light on both their front and rear sides.
Performance in Cloudy Conditions:
- Bifacial panels generally perform better than monofacial panels under cloudy or low-light conditions. This is because they can capture diffuse light from both sides, not just direct sunlight on the front face. The increased ability to absorb scattered and reflected light allows bifacial panels to generate relatively more energy on overcast days than monofacial panels, which rely mostly on direct sunlight on one side.
- Cloudy weather increases the proportion of diffuse light, which bifacial panels can utilize more effectively by capturing reflected light from the rear, including reflections from clouds and the ground surface. This offers a significant advantage in efficiency over traditional panels in these conditions.
Performance in Shaded Areas:
- Shading, from trees, buildings, or other obstructions, negatively impacts bifacial solar panels because shading reduces sunlight reaching both the front and especially the rear side of the panel. Since bifacial panels rely on reflected light hitting the rear side, shading can substantially decrease their overall energy production.
- Even small shaded areas can reduce output, as bifacial panels depend on light exposure to both sides for optimal performance. Any obstruction that limits rear side irradiance limits the benefit of the bifacial design.
Summary:
| Condition | Bifacial Panel Performance | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudy Weather | Performs better than monofacial panels | Captures diffuse and reflected light on both sides |
| Shaded Areas | Performance significantly reduced | Shading limits rear side light absorption, reducing total energy output |
In conclusion, bifacial solar panels have an advantage over monofacial panels in cloudy or diffuse light conditions due to their dual-sided light capture capability. However, their performance can be significantly affected by shading, which limits light availability on both sides and reduces their efficiency.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-do-bifacial-solar-panels-perform-in-cloudy-or-shaded-areas/
