EVERGREEN

Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences and Green Asia Strategy

ISSN:2189-0420 (Print until Mar 2020)
ISSN:2432-5953 (Online)

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Performance Analysis of Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules and Its Practical Implications

Henrik Zsiborács1,*, Nóra Hegedűsné Baranyai1, András Vincze1
1Renewable Energy Research Group, University Center for Circular Economy, University of Pannonia Nagykanizsa, H-8800 Nagykanizsa, Hungary
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
E-mail: zsiboracs.henrik@pen.uni-pannon.hu (HZ)
Evergreen, Vol. 13, Iss. 02, pp. 801–812, 2026
DOI: 10.5109/7432656
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Received: March 30, 2026 | Revised: May 27, 2026 | Accepted: May 28, 2026 | Published: June 2026
Abstract
One of the key directions in the development of photovoltaic technologies is increasing the electrical energy yield per unit area, in which bifacial photovoltaic modules are playing an increasingly important role. These modules are characterized by their ability to utilize not only the incident radiation on the front side but also the radiation reaching the rear side, primarily originating from reflection from various surfaces. However, the actual performance gain strongly depends on the installation environment, geometric configuration, and surface reflectivity. The aim of the present study was to provide a quantitative evaluation of bifacial module performance under both real and controlled measurement conditions, with particular emphasis on the separate assessment of front- and rear-side irradiance contributions to electrical power output. The measurements were carried out in Hungary, in the town of Keszthely, under natural conditions with natural grass as ground cover, as well as in controlled configurations using full covering of the module. Based on the field measurements, bifacial operation resulted in an average power increase of 8.7% compared to the monofacial reference. Additional investigations revealed that, under controlled conditions, the electrical response of the rear side reached approximately 73% of the front-side power, which is consistent with the bifaciality factor of the investigated module. The results highlight a significant distinction between the intrinsic, module-level physical potential of bifacial technology and the performance gain that can be practically realized under real installation conditions. From a practical perspective, the applicability of bifacial technology is therefore highly site-specific, and its effective utilization can only be achieved through the combined consideration of installation environment and structural parameters, particularly module mounting height, tilt angle, and the availability of sufficient rear-side clearance.
Keywords
albedo; bifacial photovoltaic modules; component-based measurement; installation geometry; performance analysis; photovoltaic systems; rear-side irradiance
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