Experimental Study of Bifacial Solar Panels with Reflective Surface Variations in Bandung, Indonesia

Authors

  • Rofi Barokah Universitas Widyatama Bandung
  • Nia Nuraeni Suryaman Universitas Widyatama Bandung
  • Ahmad Rajani Universitas Widyatama Bandung

Keywords:

Bifacial photovoltaic, reflective surface, solar radiation, energy yield, tropical climate

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the performance of bifacial photovoltaic (PV) panels under different reflective surface conditions in a tropical urban environment, specifically in Bandung, Indonesia. Bifacial PV systems offer the advantage of capturing solar radiation from both the front and rear sides, with performance significantly influenced by the surface beneath the panels. The experiment involved three surface types: asphalt, untreated paving blocks, and paving blocks coated with white paint. Each panel was installed at a fixed 8° tilt facing north, and data were collected from 09:00 to 15:00 local time. The results indicate that the white-painted surface produced the highest power output, reaching up to 410 Watts, followed by paving blocks at 390 Watts and asphalt at 370 Watts. Although all surfaces received a similar radiation pattern, their differing reflectivity affected the amount of radiation reaching the rear side of the bifacial panels. The white-painted surface, characterized by high reflectance, not only enhanced rear-side radiation capture but also maintained a more stable power output after peak solar hours. These findings highlight the critical role of surface reflectivity in optimizing bifacial PV performance and support the strategic use of surface materials in PV system deployment, particularly in tropical climates. This study contributes valuable empirical data to the growing field of bifacial PV applications and offers practical insights for improving energy yield in real-world tropical settings.

References

[1] R. O. Yakubu, L. D. Mensah, D. A. Quansah, and M. S. Adaramola, “A systematic literature review of the bifacial photovoltaic module and its applications,” J. Eng., vol. 2024, no. 8, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1049/tje2.12421.

[2] J. F. R. Da Silva, W. S. Cezilio, K. R. De Oliveira, and E. Fonseca, “Análise de implementação de painéis fotovoltaicos bifaciais em residências,” Int. Seven J. Multidiscip., vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 1173–1192, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.56238/isevmjv3n4-004.

[3] S. M. Moreno-Buesa, E. Muñoz-Cerón, G. Nofuentes Garrido, S. Gulkowski, J. de la Casa Higueras, and J. Aguilera Tejero, “Characterization of bifacial technology Pv systems,” Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. Part A J. Power Energy, vol. 238, no. 6, pp. 1084–1098, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1177/09576509241250128.

[4] S. Daliento, M. De Riso, P. Guerriero, I. Matacena, M. Dhimish, and V. D’Alessandro, “On the Optimal Orientation of Bifacial Solar Modules,” in 2024 International Symposium on Power Electronics, Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion (SPEEDAM), IEEE, Jun. 2024, pp. 396–400. doi: 10.1109/SPEEDAM61530.2024.10609062.

[5] A. Garrod, S. Neda Hussain, M. H. Intwala, A. Poudhar, S. Manikandan, and A. Ghosh, “Electrical and thermal performance of bifacial photovoltaics under varying albedo conditions at temperate climate (UK),” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 13, p. e34147, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34147.

[6] K. Ganesan, D. P. Winston, S. Sugumar, and S. Jegan, “Performance analysis of n-type PERT bifacial solar PV module under diverse albedo conditions,” Sol. Energy, vol. 252, pp. 81–90, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2023.01.020.

[7] S. Bouchakour, D. Valencia-Caballero, A. Luna, E. Roman, E. A. K. Boudjelthia, and P. Rodríguez, “Modelling and Simulation of Bifacial PV Production Using Monofacial Electrical Models,” Energies, vol. 14, no. 14, p. 4224, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.3390/en14144224.

[8] J. C. Blakesley, G. Koutsourakis, D. E. Parsons, N. A. Mica, S. Balasubramanyam, and M. G. Russell, “Sourcing albedo data for bifacial PV systems in complex landscapes,” Sol. Energy, vol. 266, p. 112144, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2023.112144.

[9] S. Sreenath, K. Sudhakar, and A. F. Yusop, “Performance assessment of conceptual bifacial solar PV system in varying albedo conditions,” IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng., vol. 1078, no. 1, p. 012033, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1088/1757-899X/1078/1/012033.

[10] S. Bouchakour, D. V. Caballero, A. Luna, E. R. Medina, K. B. El Amin, and P. R. Cortes, “Monitoring, modelling and simulation of bifacial PV modules over normal and high albedos,” in 2020 9th International Conference on Renewable Energy Research and Application (ICRERA), IEEE, Sep. 2020, pp. 252–256. doi: 10.1109/ICRERA49962.2020.9242869.

[11] M. R. Lewis, T. J. Coathup, A. C. J. Russell, J. Guerrero‐Perez, C. E. Valdivia, and K. Hinzer, “Quantifying Structural Shading and Reflection Effects on Single Axis Tracked Bifacial Photovoltaic System Performance,” Adv. Energy Sustain. Res., vol. 5, no. 8, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1002/aesr.202400007.

[12] K. Mahmood, A. Hussain, M. Arslan, and B. Tariq, “Experimental Investigation of Impact of Cool Roof Coating on Bifacial and Monofacial Photovoltaic Modules,” in ICAME 2023, Basel Switzerland: MDPI, Sep. 2023, p. 38. doi: 10.3390/engproc2023045038.

[13] D. Berrian and J. Linder, “Enhanced Bifacial Gain with Optimized Mountings in Photovoltaic Systems,” Sol. RRL, vol. 7, no. 23, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1002/solr.202300474.

[14] N.-P. Harder et al., “Position Dependence of the Performance Gain by Selective Ground Albedo Enhancement for Bifacial Installations,” in 2023 IEEE 50th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), IEEE, Jun. 2023, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/PVSC48320.2023.10359920.

[15] E. S. Ghunaim, “Improving the Performance of Bifacial Modules by Adding Reflection Material,” in 2022 11th International Conference on Power Science and Engineering (ICPSE), IEEE, Sep. 2022, pp. 10–14. doi: 10.1109/ICPSE56329.2022.9935349.

[16] M. E. Morales Udaeta et al., “Optimal power production analysis for bifacial photovoltaic units using different albedos framed by energy-economic and environmental assessment,” in Renewable Power Generation and Future Power Systems Conference 2023 (RPG 2023 UK), Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2023, pp. 150–156. doi: 10.1049/icp.2023.3221.

[17] H. Thangaraj, P. Winston David, M. Raj, and G. Babu Balachandran, “Performance of stand-alone bifacial photovoltaic module using non-biodegradable waste as reflectors for tropical climatic region of southern India: An experimental approach,” Sol. Energy, vol. 268, p. 112302, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2023.112302.

[18] M. Han, L. Lu, and B. Sun, “Overall energy performance of building-integrated bifacial photovoltaic sunshades with different installation and building parameters in hot and humid regions,” Sol. Energy, vol. 275, p. 112619, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2024.112619.

[19] Y. Muñoz, M. De La Rosa, L. C. Acevedo, and W. Velandia, “Technical and Financial Assessment of Photovoltaic Solar Systems with Bifacial Technology Comparing Four Scenarios with Different Albedos with Respect to the Base Scenario with Monofacial Technology, in a Tropical Location in Colombia,” Int. J. Energy Econ. Policy, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 389–393, Jul. 2023, doi: 10.32479/ijeep.14194.

Downloads

Published

2025-08-14

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2025): Desember (in Progress)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Rofi Barokah, Nia Nuraeni Suryaman, Ahmad Rajani

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright Notice

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.