DNV Rolls Out Bifacial Solar Testbed In California

DNV has begun installing what it calls the largest bifacial solar panel test facility in the world, at Davis, California, with the goal of benchmarking brand variations in the market to facilitate widespread adoption. The $250,000 project recently won a $200,000 grant from the US Department of Energy. The test site will house 1,500-volt bifacial panel arrays from as many manufacturers as are willing to cooperate, says Tara Doyle, the head of Business Development & Project Management at DNV GL, based in Berkeley. The tests will focus on 1,500-volt panels rather than lower voltage panels since 1,500 volts is expected to become the norm in the solar industry soon.