Beyond One-Sided Solar Unlocking Efficiency and Space with Bifacial Photovoltaic Systems

Bifacial photovoltaic systems (bPVs) have become increasingly popular in the past decade due to their ability to generate electricity from both sides of the module, resulting in improved efficiency through the utilization of scattered and reflected light. Typically, while bPVs tend to be more expensive than traditional monofacial photovoltaic panels, this is offset by their higher energy output on less land space. An economic analysis is conducted in this study to swap out a 2.4 MW single-sided solar panel system with bifacial ones on the rooftops of a university campus in Jordan. The additional space generated will be used to enhance the system's capability. The findings indicated that the new double-sided system could reduce the required area by over 27% if its capacity matched the current system. The findings indicated that expanding the area significantly augmented the current capacity by 47%. The return on investment (ROI) for the replacement procedure is 5.43% with a payback period of 8.2 years over a lifespan of 20 years.