Traditional solar panels are monofacial, which means “one face.” These monofacial panels capture sunlight on the top side, and any solar energy that cannot be captured is reflected away. We believe that there is an underused option in the industry: the bifacial solar panel.
Bifacial solar panels also have solar cells on the bottom side that can capture some of the solar energy reflected off the surface underneath that is normally lost with traditional panels. Bifacial Solar Panels have the ability to capture sunlight on both their front and back sides.
Why do we use bifacial panels?
Bifacial solar panels are a relatively new and underutilized solution for certain types of solar installations. At AEW we are finding a niche in using them for ground mounted applications, where tilt angle and clearance can be easily controlled. We also apply a layer of thick plastic and light colored gravel to help reflect UV rays and assist backside generation. An added bonus, the plastic and gravel also acts a a vegetation barrier, so you won’t have to mow or weed whack under your panels!
Bifacial Panels in use
Here are some progress photos of one of our Ground mount Solar Installs using BiFacial Panels. This system was installed for a farmer down in Floyd County who was awarded both REAP and GOAP grants!! Notice the plastic weed barrier and light colored gravel we add underneath to help with backside generation of bi-facial panels.
