The Case for Bifacial Photovoltaics in the Southern African Development Community

Abstract

This article makes a case for Bifacial Photovoltaics (BPV) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Several countries in the SADC region are deploying large solar PV plants and integrating them with the grid. These plants use standard monofacial PV panels. This article argues that future plants should utilize BPV panels for improved energy output and decreased LCOE. Three SADC member countries were considered in this article – Namibia, Botswana, and Angola. A 5 MW BPV plant and 5 MW monofacial PV plant with fixed mounting were simulated in System Advisor Model (SAM) in each of the three selected countries. The results of the simulations were then analyzed. The results show that BPV modules offered a lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and, on average, a 6% increase in annual energy output. Furthermore, improved performance ratios and capacity factors were observed with the BPV systems. These results could be better with increased surface albedo which can be achieved by preparing the ground surface of the plant with materials that have high albedo. Finally, this article recommends that BPV modules should be adopted in SADC for utility-scale PV plants.