Bifacial solar panels offer distinct advantages in overcast weather compared to traditional single-sided panels. Their main benefit is the ability to capture sunlight on both the front and rear surfaces, allowing them to utilize not just direct sunlight but also diffuse and reflected light. Here are the key benefits in overcast conditions:
- Increased Energy Generation from Diffuse Light: On cloudy or overcast days, direct sunlight is significantly reduced, but diffuse sunlight—light scattered by clouds—still reaches the panels. Bifacial panels can capture this scattered light more effectively because their rear side can absorb reflected light from surfaces such as rooftops, grass, snow, or even light-colored ground. This can boost overall efficiency by about 10-20% in cloudy weather compared to traditional panels.
- Better Utilization of Reflected Light: Overcast conditions still allow some sunlight to reach the Earth’s surface indirectly. Surfaces with good reflectivity like snow, white roofs, or light gravel reflect sunlight upward onto the backside of bifacial panels. This additional captured light improves energy output even when direct sunlight is limited.
- Higher Relative Output in Cloudy Climates: In locations with frequent overcast or foggy weather, bifacial panels maintain higher output levels, sometimes producing 60-80% of their normal capacity even on cloudy days, reducing the typical 30-50% reduction seen with conventional panels.
- Versatility in Low-Light and Shaded Conditions: Although overall efficiency drops in low-light situations, the rear side of bifacial panels can still produce some electricity by harvesting ambient reflected light from nearby surfaces, which helps maintain a baseline energy generation in less ideal lighting.
In summary, bifacial solar panels enhance energy production in overcast weather by capturing both diffuse and reflected light through their dual-sided design. This results in improved efficiency and resilience in cloudy conditions, making bifacial technology particularly advantageous in regions with frequent cloud cover or reflective environments such as snow-covered or light-colored surfaces.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-benefits-of-using-bifacial-solar-panels-in-overcast-weather/
