Experimental comparison of Monofacial and Bifacial PV Modules performance

Faced with the challenges of limited space for agriculture and areas available for solar cell installation for energy production, the interest in bifacial solar cells has rapidly grown in recent years. This article presents a comparative study on the electricity generation potential of monofacial and bifacial PV modules under the climatic conditions of Thailand. Both types of PV modules were mounted on the same test platform at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, equipped with a system to measure and record meteorological and electrical system parameters. The experiment involved altering the surface beneath the PV modules to five different types: concrete, white paint, sand, gravel, and grass. The study found that the albedo values were 23.03, 37.59, 22.56, 24.65, and 19.15, respectively, while the energy production gains (Bifacial gain) were 15.62, 20.96, 11.33, 11.2, and 8.1%, respectively. These findings highlight the potential for utilizing bifacial solar cells in areas with limited agricultural space.