A Critical Review of the Environmental Performance of Bifacial Photovoltaic Panels

Manfredi Picciotto Maniscalco, Sonia Longo, Gabriele Miccichè, Maurizio Cellura and Marco Ferraro ()
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Manfredi Picciotto Maniscalco: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l’Energia “Nicola Giordano”, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 9, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Sonia Longo: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 9, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Gabriele Miccichè: Centre for Sustainability and Ecological Transition, University of Palermo, Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Maurizio Cellura: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 9, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Marco Ferraro: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l’Energia “Nicola Giordano”, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 9, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Bifacial photovoltaic (BPV) panels represent one of the main solar technologies that will be used in the near future for renewable energy production, with a foreseen market share in 2030 of 70% among all the photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Compared to monofacial panels, bifaciality can ensure a gain in energy production per unit panel area together with a competitive cost. However, it is of paramount importance to identify whether there is also an environmental benefit when adopting bifacial technologies as opposed to traditional monofacial ones. To obtain a proper insight into the environmental impact, this paper reviews the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies of bifacial solar panels, identifying the most crucial processes and materials that raise environmental burdens. The analysis also contributes to determining whether the major aspects that influence energy production in real operation scenarios and, most of all, that can ensure the gain associated with bifaciality, are considered and how these can further affect the overall environmental impacts. In this sense, it was found that the installation parameters like the mounting structure, or the choice of ground material to raise the albedo as well as the diffuse irradiation that hits the rear surface of thepanel, are commonly not considered during LCA analysis. However, none of the analyzed studies address the issue in a comprehensive way, hampering an effective comparison between both the different works and traditional monofacial PV panels. Recommendations for future LCAs are finally proposed.

Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment; bifacial photovoltaic panels; energy production; environmental impacts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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