Articles | Open Access | DOI: https://doi.org/10.37547/tajet/Volume04Issue12-01

Energy and Financial Performance Analysis of Monofacial vs. Bifacial Solar Modules

Radhika Girish Lampuse , Engineering Oriden LLC Pittsburgh, USA

Abstract

The increasing demand for high-efficiency solar technologies has brought bifacial solar modules to the forefront of renewable energy research. This study evaluates the performance and financial viability of bifacial solar modules compared to conventional monofacial modules. By utilizing PVsyst software, simulations were conducted for an existing solar project under various configurations, including module type, inverter type, racking system, inverter load ratio, pitch, and module elevation, resulting in 200 iterations. The top 20 iterations for bifacial module type and the corresponding variants of monofacial module type, yielding the highest energy output, were selected for financial analysis based on Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Results indicate that bifacial modules outperform monofacial modules in both energy production and financial returns, making them a compelling choice for future solar installations. This paper provides insights into key performance parameters and offers a comparative framework for evaluating emerging solar technologies.

Keywords

bifacial solar modules, monofacial solar modules, PVsyst

References

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C. Deline et al., ”Bifacial Solar Advances with the Times—and the Sun,” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Mar. 2020 [On- line]. Available: https://www.nrel.gov/news/features/2020/bifacial-solar- advances-with-the-times-and-the-sun.html

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Radhika Girish Lampuse. (2022). Energy and Financial Performance Analysis of Monofacial vs. Bifacial Solar Modules. The American Journal of Engineering and Technology, 4(12), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.37547/tajet/Volume04Issue12-01