Bifacial solar modules outperform in India with strategic ground albedo design

⚡ AI Executive Summary

A comprehensive study examined how bifacial and monofacial solar photovoltaic systems perform across five distinct Indian climate zones, integrating technical performance metrics, environmental impact, and economic viability. The research used standardized modeling to compare systems under varying ground-surface reflectance conditions, revealing that performance gains from bifacial technology scale predictably with surface albedo and differ meaningfully by regional climate. The findings suggest that ground-albedo engineering—particularly through high-reflectance surface treatments—can unlock tangible gains in energy yield, carbon intensity reduction, and levelized cost improvements for bifacial deployments. This climate-specific optimization framework has immediate practical value for India's solar expansion strategy, as utilities and project developers can now calibrate technology choices and site-preparation approaches to maximize returns and climate benefits in their target regions. The work also underscores that bifacial advantage is not universal; optimal configurations are highly site-dependent, requiring localized analysis rather than blanket adoption.