Bifacial Solar Modules Incorporating Effectively Transparent Contacts

Abstract

Bifacial solar cells have been gaining momentum due to their promise of reducing the price of photovoltaic generated electricity by increasing power output. In addition to front side illumination, bifacial solar cells can also accept photons incident on the rear side. In many embodiments, increased power output values of up to and around 50% can be achieved. In some circumstances, other values can be achieved. For example, ˜40-70% under cloudy conditions and between ˜13-35% under sunny conditions, depending on the height of the ground clearance, can be achieved. Other factors such as but not limited to the (spectral) albedo of the surroundings as well as the geometry in which the cells are mounted can strongly influence the power output. As can readily be appreciated, the exact amount of increased power output can vary widely depending on the configuration and operating conditions of the bifacial solar cell.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.