Bifacial Lightweight Solution without Glass

A well-known limitation of photovoltaic (PV) modules is their weight, especially with the current trend towards larger module sizes. Conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) monofacial modules, with 3.2 mm glass as the front panel, typically weigh around 10 kg/m2, which can limit their range of applications. For conventional c-Si bifacial modules, typically 2 mm glass-glass constructions, the weight is around 13 kg/m2. In this work, we present the results obtained using a translucid composite in the lamination, which allows us to reduce the module weight by 73% compared to bifacial and 65% for monofacial ones. Despite the necessity for further enhancements to avoid yellowness in response to elevated temperatures and humidity, the PV modules have demonstrated the capacity to withstand hail impact without damaging the solar cells, which is a noteworthy achievement.