Featured in Gas busters – 09-2020

Bottom-optimization

With bifacial modules making their way into the mainstream, tracker manufacturers and energy companies are operating test facilities around the world. To drive the LCOE as low as possible, tracker manufacturers now also care about what is happening underneath the modules, and not just above. As the power comes from light reflected from the ground, increasing that reflectivity has been mooted by many stakeholders. This is not without complication, however, and the quest for optimization goes into the next round.

By

Jonathan Gifford

08 Sep 2020

Alion Energy’s concrete slip-forming process. The concrete bases eliminate the need for pile driving, and can provide a base for cleaning robots to travel on. | Image: Alion Energy

A new PV test facility has been installed at one of the earth’s sunniest locations, and it is adopting an approach that may shed additional light on the promising combination of bifacial modules with single-axis tracking. The 120 kWp Bifacial Test and Innovation Center in Chile’s Atacama Desert was commissioned in May 2020. Engineers from …

This article is part of pv+

Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.