A Test Bench Realization for the Comparison in Performance Between a Bifacial Photovoltaic Module Installed on the Ground and Floating One

In the past decade, the scientific community focused on developing high-energy-density photovoltaic modules and identifying suitable areas for power plant construction without encroaching on other primary human activities. One promising solution is the use of bifacial modules in floating photovoltaic systems. This paper presents experimental investigations demonstrating the suitability of bifacial modules for floating plants. A test bench was utilized to monitor the real-time I-V and P-V characteristics of two bifacial photovoltaic modules (one ground-mounted and one floating) under varying irradiation levels and tilt angles. The operating temperature of the floating module remained consistently lower than the ground-mounted module by 7 to 14 degrees Celsius across all conditions. At a tilt angle of 15°, commonly used in floating photovoltaic systems, production gains ranged from 10% to 13 % in favor of the floating configuration. For tilt angles exceeding 15°, even greater production gains were observed, sometimes nearly doubling that of ground-mounted modules, depending on irradiation conditions. These measurements identified the optimal inclination angle for bifacial modules as 45°. This suggests that in calm waters, where mechanical loads on buoyancy and mooring systems are lower, adopting bifacial modules could justify increasing tilt angles.