In research conducted under the BIPPP (Bifacial Integrated Premium PV Product) project, which aims to develop a comprehensive lineup of products and services for PV plant operation, Liten has built an initial experimental pre-industrial bifacial PV demonstrator system on its INES campus. The bifacial panels can collect photons on both sides.

First, 60 bifacial modules were manufactured on Liten’s semi-automated line at the institute’s Modules Platform. The modules are assembled into five 3 kWp (kilowatt-peak) systems that will be used to develop a numerical model for predicting bifacial plant production and to assess the advantages of the technology depending on the albedo compared to monofacial solar cells. “Before we manufactured the modules, we made improvements to the cell encapsulation material and module architecture,” said one researcher. “We made changes to the module design and system chassis to reduce the areas of shade and improve the performance of the system.”

Liten plans to manufacture another 300 modules in 2017, this time using bifacial cells made from Crystalmax® monolike silicon. The operating data gathered from the demonstrator system will help plant equipment manufacturers and operators improve the performance of their plants and achieve the highest possible yields.

"This project has been supported by the Investments of the Future Program".