A Guide to Bifacial Solar Panels (2023)

Bifacial solar panels have photovoltaic (PV) cells on both sides, which means they can capture direct sunlight on their front side and reflected sunlight on their back. While not always practical for rooftop installations, bifacial solar panels can generate electricity in exposed applications like ground-mount systems, solar carports and canopies.

Read on to learn more about ideal applications, solar panel costs and more.

A bifacial solar panel is exactly what its name suggests: a module with PV cells on both the front and rear faces. Like traditional panels, bifacial panels generate electricity with direct sunlight that reaches their front side. But, bifacial models also use the albedo effect to absorb sunlight from reflective surfaces (like the ground) on their backside.

Bifacial panels are ideal for installations where the backside of the solar array is exposed and can capture reflected light, including ground-mount systems, solar carports and canopies. Installers may not recommend bifacial panels for your rooftop system since flush installations cover their backside. However, homeowners with enough space for an exposed ground-mount system can benefit from the increased efficiency of bifacial panels.

Traditional or monofacial solar panels have a frame with an opaque backing and can only generate electricity when sunlight reaches their uncovered frontside. For this reason, monofacial panels are more cost-effective for flush rooftop installations. Reflected sunlight is lost when using monofacial panels since an opaque back sheet covers the rear solar cells.

Some bifacial solar panels have a frame like traditional panels but with tempered glass panes covering both sides. You can also find frameless bifacial panels that clamp the solar cells and tempered glass panes together without using an opaque frame.

According to a 2018 study by LONGi, bifacial solar cells can increase energy generation in ground-mount systems by 11% and up to 27% if you also use solar trackers. However, bifacial systems are more expensive than monofacial systems by around 10 to 20 cents per watt.

Bifacial panels make sense in locations where sunlight can reach both sides. Installers will not recommend bifacial panels for rooftop solar power systems with flush racking, which will cover their rear side.

The following are specific applications where bifacial solar panels are effective:

The above applications elevate solar panels above the ground so sunlight can reflect off surrounding surfaces toward the underside of the panels, which increases electricity production.

When using bifacial solar panels, the same rules apply as when maximizing energy production with monofacial panels. You should:

There are also ways to increase the amount of sunlight that reaches the back surface of bifacial panels. You can paint walls, outdoor structures and other nearby surfaces light or clear colors to increase sunlight reflection.

Bifacial PV panels can increase the cost of a solar installation by around 10 to 20 cents per watt. Bifacial panels make sense when additional electricity savings outweigh higher equipment costs. But when this is not possible, monofacial panels offer a higher return on investment and a shorter payback period.

According to the solar energy company Renogy, bifacial panels cost between $6,000 to $12,000, depending on how many panels you need. This estimate does not account for an entire system, which will likely be more with added installation, parts and labor.

The MarketWatch Guides Team conducted a national survey of 1,000 homeowners with solar and found the average cost of residential solar systems to be $2.85 per watt. The following table compares the cost of monofacial and bifacial solar modules, considering several system sizes from 5 to 10 kilowatts (kW).

*Note: We estimated ranges for systems based on prices per watt of $2.95 to $3.05, which is 10 to 20 cents more than the national average of $2.85 per watt.

Monofacial and bifacial PV modules are both eligible for the 30% solar federal tax credit. The credit allows you to recover almost one-third of your initial investment as a tax deduction the year you install panels. Solar batteries also qualify for the tax credit.

Under favorable sunlight conditions, you can expect a 6 kW solar system to generate around 9,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy each year. If you consider the U.S. average electricity price of 16 cents per kWh, a 9,000 kWh output is equivalent to $1,440 in annual energy savings.

The above example is a simplified calculation. The best solar companies can analyze the sunlight conditions on your property and determine the ideal solar panels and system capacity.

Several solar manufacturers offer bifacial panels. The following table summarizes the average panel efficiency and costs you can expect from each installer.

Solar Panel Company

Overview

SunPower

SunPower manufactures some of the most efficient panels in the solar industry, with bifacial models that range from 20.2% to 21.1%. However, its panels can be more expensive than some competitors. The company also offers installations nationwide and extends 25-year warranty coverage.

Jinko Solar

Jinko Solar makes most of its modules in Asia, with the Eagle series produced in the U.S. Its bifacial panels include efficiency ratings of 19.8% to 20.6%. The company provides a 10-year product warranty for most panels.

Hyundai Energy Solutions

Hyundai solar panels balance price and efficiency — with efficiency ratings of 19.1% to 19.8%. The company offers 10-year or 12-year warranty coverage depending on the product.

Q Cells

Q Cells offers bifacial panels with efficiency ratings of up to 21.2% and high-performance Q.ANTUM solar cells developed using passive emitter and rear cell (PERC) technology. The company covers its solar panels with a 25-year warranty.

Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar offers a wide selection of bifacial panels with polycrystalline and monocrystalline cells, including BiKu models. Most products include 12-year or 15-year warranties.

Among the solar manufacturers listed above, SunPower is the only company that offers solar panel installation services using a network of over 850 installers nationwide. The other brands focus exclusively on manufacturing, with installation services delegated to local solar companies.

Bifacial solar panels are cost-effective with ground installations, outdoor structures and when elevated on flat roofs. These applications expose the back of the panels to sunlight so you can generate more electricity. Bifacial panels use the same inverters as monofacial panels so you don't have to worry about finding specialized equipment.

Here are a few key takeaways regarding bifacial panels:

It does not make sense to use bifacial panels in situations that will completely hide their back surface, such as flush roof installations. In this case, you assume an extra equipment cost (since bifacial panels are more expensive), without seeing additional energy savings in return. This dynamic can negatively affect the return on investment (ROI) of your solar project.

Large-scale solar developers often use bifacial panels in commercial settings to maximize energy production per square foot. Bifacial panels are also exempt from specific import tariffs that apply to traditional panels, a major advantage for developers who rely on imports.

Yes, when used in suitable applications. Bifacial solar panels are ideal for ground-mount systems, elevated systems on flat roofs and outdoor structures such as canopies and carports. In general, they are cost-effective when sunlight can reach both sides of the panel.

However, installers do not recommend bifacial solar panels for traditional roof installations since flush mounting will hide their back surface. When bifacial panels only absorb sunlight from one side, part of their power generation capacity is wasted.

The typical efficiency of high-quality bifacial panels ranges from around 16% to 22%. Leading bifacial panel manufacturers include SunPower, JinkoSolar, Hyundai, Q Cells and Canadian Solar.

The Jinko Solar Tiger Neo is one of the largest bifacial panels you can find in the market. This panel has 156 monocrystalline half-cells and a rated output of up to 635 watts. It is 40% larger than a typical residential solar panel. Using larger solar panels is not normally a problem in ground-mount installations and canopies since installers can design the structure according to panel dimensions.

Yes, but bifacial panels are only recommended for elevated solar systems on flat roofs.

If you install bifacial panels on a roof with a traditional racking system, the amount of sunlight that reaches their backside is minimal or zero. Since there is only a small separation between the panels and the roof shingles, there is no space for sunlight to reflect off the panels.

Leonardo David is an electromechanical engineer, MBA, energy consultant and technical writer. His energy-efficiency and solar consulting experience covers sectors including banking, textile manufacturing, plastics processing, pharmaceutics, education, food processing, real estate and retail. He has also been writing articles about energy and engineering topics since 2015.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York's Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.