pv magazine Webinar | Striving for highest cost-efficiency of bifacial tracker arrays & considerations for bifacial bankability

Initiative partner: Soltec

The economic success of a bifacial array is not only determined by irradiation coming from above but also by how much bounces back from the ground. Much research has been done to figure out solutions to this limitation, and bifacial researchers are still getting a fill grip of how the parameters need to align for solid cost-efficiency.

In this pv magazine Webinar, our first guest José Alfonso Teruel, CTO of Soltec Innovations, will present the latest results from the Soltec’s Bifacial Tracking Evaluation Center (BiTEC) in Livermore, California. The researchers at Livermore have been examining row spacing, various surface materials, and other parameters to determine possibilities to improve the cost efficiency of bifacial arrays. Tracker supplier Soltec claims that introducing bifacial modules will optimize and solar plants cost-efficiency nexus. Teruel will explain the calculation behind this during the webinar.

Soltec will also explain how the use of bifacial modules requires a novel approach to backtracking, to mitigate row-to-row shading, during morning and evening hours. Naturally, the power production of bifacial modules is dependent on the ground albedo of the sight where the array is located. Albedo enhancing materials, such as white gravel, or reflective sheets of plastic, have been talked about and researched. We will discuss when and how it makes sense to use such materials.

During this pv magazine Webinar, we will also welcome our second guest Daniel Barandella, Solar Advisory Lead of EMEA and Latin America of UL. Coming from the field of testing, auditing, and consulting Barandella will speak about the bankability of bifacial project, delving into various module technologies and project designs.

Furthermore, this pv magazine Webinar will cover why designers of solar power stations must consider parameters such as installation height and ground cover ratio in their planning. Choosing these parameters for monofacial sites is no longer a point of contention. Bringing bifacial modules to the table has changed this, however, and module suppliers, tracker manufacturer, and EPCs are eager to find the new golden formula. Combining bifacial modules and single-axis trackers requires to adapt these parameters to get the optimum yield from the site.

Join this pv magazine Webinar to learn more about how to optimize key parameters and when to use Albedo enhancing materials to receive the highest cost-efficiency of bifacial tracker arrays.

pv magazine Webinar content:
• Key parameters that affect the cost-efficiency of bifacial + single-axis tracking PV plant
• Optimization of these parameters
• New lessons from backtracking with bifacial modules
• When and how to use Albedo enhancing materials
• Latest results from BiTEC testing lab for several albedo materials

Questions can be submitted beforehand or during the Webinar through a chat window. Marian Willuhn, Editor at pv magazine, will be the moderator of this pv magazine Webinar. We look forward to your participation!

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This webinar was recorded on 30 April 2020.