We have another solar power technology development to report on today – this time in the form of double-sided solar panels.
Researchers in Israel have recognised that panels directly applied to a structure are not reaching their full potential, so they decided to experiment with making them double-facing.
The team from bSolar, an Israeli start-up company, have called their creations bifacial solar cells – although their concept is not entirely new, it has taken a while for the cost of mass producing the technology to come down.
Just how much better are these solar panels than traditional models?
Well the team at bSolar estimate that they improve energy generation by between ten and 30 per cent on inclined installations, including rooftops and in open fields.
As for vertical installations, such as facades, the amount of power generated may be boosted by as much as 50 per cent – pretty impressive figures!
A challenge that lays ahead for the company is making the solar panels more commercially viable, as although costs have come down, there is still potential for them to be reduced further.
Yossi Kofman, co-founder and chief executive officer of bSolar, said: "Everyone is looking for high-power and differentiated products, and that’s what we are providing."
Posted by Mike Peacock