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Super cool and fun testing. Heck yeah man. Crazy all the solar channels did bifacial solar panel videos randomly this week 😂 isn't that crazy haha love how you tested with the front of the panel covered. so cool
Hey Joe fantastic results. That helped clarify some numbers for me. I’m gonna head over to Patreon and throw a little cash in the pot for your expenses that saved me some time & was the reality check I needed for sizing my system. Thanks man you da best!
Excellent test! I ordered two solar AC heat pumpsg a couple of months ago and got everything installed. They came with four 450 watt bifacial solar panels that save there capable of 540 Watts total output. Although I have not tested them with a meter as you did, I did install them on a white metal roof. I was curious as to how well they would work since my setup is an East / West very slightly sloped roof. I am pleased to say that the setup works brilliantly! When I got everything up and running in July I was getting full solar power for the heat pumps at around 8 to 8:15 and lasting until 7:30 to 7:45 before it trailed off. My first bill on full solar went from $242 to $115!! So I know that I'm getting reflective power back from the white metal roof. I can't wait for another month or two when we will begin to need heat and use solar power on these heat pumps, FREE HEAT! Great video!
Thanks for going to all the trouble and expense to show us what happens. Just watched Tech Ingredients experimenting with solar cookers. Might be something to try but have to be diffused to keep from melting the panels. I'm going to try Mylar on an old small TV dish to see what happens.
You did a great job, but I wish you would of took the blocking off the front of the panel so we would have seen the resalt with each setup as it would be in real life.
How about placing the rear face towards the sun and compair front to rear outputs and also do a vertical test on boath sides as if you were going to make a fence with them along a north south axis to gain morning and after noon sun from tha same panel. make sure the panels are perpendicular to the sun as time passes to keep your results more acurate compaied to sun angle. I ask this as i want to set some panels on a fence for winter time to boost output during lower sun hight in the sky should get better the lower the sun in the sky. thanks for all your good experimenting.
I was sleeping, woke up, noticed the video, and I had to watch every second of it. First of all, I enjoyed the editing, your little car ride made me laugh. Secondly, I think that you went above and beyond with this test. Now the people can have a very good indication what to expect if they would make something that is really reflective with a good angle. I do not think that you could have done it any better. And now I think that after watching this test it would be something for people who already have a solar array on a rack that is tracking the sun. And the golden side from the mylar is mostly reflecting infrared light so that explains the heat. The tools that you bought are always handy for later tests. Well done, and thank you for satisfying the curiosity from your viewers, it is much appreciated, so a huuuuuge 👍 Now that you have all that reflective material, perhaps it is a nice idea to use that with a test on a cloudy day on the top side from a solar panel. Just to see if that would make a significant improvement. Something reflective that is mounted to the panel on either side and at an angle. More like a 3D shape, if that makes any sense. Or just by putting something reflective in front of the panel at an angle. The 3 D shape might be a bit complicated to do. So I wouldn't blame you if you skip that. 👍
"And the golden side from the mylar is mostly reflecting infrared light so that explains the heat" The same reason it was, and still is, used on a lot of satellites and spacecraft...
Thanks and yeah I could use some of these for other/later testing. If the weather will allow, I might try a cloudy day and see if anything helps. 3d shaped objects would be cool but dont know if Ill go thaaaaat far😁
@@AveRage_Joe It is funny, because right after you posted your video with this test several other people also dropped a video about bifacial solar panels. One guy did an interesting test as well. His channel is called Projects With Everyday Dave. He has a substantial array with different types of panels. And he has a test setup with two panels that are installed vertically facing to the east and west. Just to see if panels that are facing to the east and west produce more or less power at certain parts of the day, and or when there is snow or when it is a cloudy day, compared to panels that are facing the south and installed at an angle.
Great job showing the different options and their results! A couple years ago I had tried to take a mirror and reflect sunlight at the front of a panel and the results were about the same as what you saw in your test.
I appreciate this very much. I recently ordered some Bi panels. So, I'm thinking about how to assemble reflective material behind my panels, mounted on my roof.
Great test Joe well done, here in Brazil we get a lot of wind so mine will have to be fairly solid flexible mirror tiles, that are cheap enough to replace when required, as they will be roof mounted and adjustable with the adjustable panel rack. I am looking at Bi-Facials too.
Nice video, thanks. You have tested here many good reflecting materials, however, it is unlikely they would be used in real life. What, on the other hand, could and is actually used in real life, is a next raw of panels. So the idea is to check how much gain you would get from bifacial panels in a ground mount array if there are multiple arrays placed one behind another, like on commercial solar power stations.
Thanks for watching! Yes, real world is unlikely. I will probly test the rows later on as it is looking like most voted for ground mount array for these panels in the other video😁 Will need to figure out which ground mount and then save up a lil cash for it/them.💥🤘
I bet you could take the shattered panel and clamp it back to back with the non-broken panel and it would produce more with the shattered face looking down at your reflective ground than the bifacial down side. If that makes sense... Thanks for taking the time to do these videos.
I too have discovered with my bi-facial panels that very reflective material like mirrors do not work well. Not only do they reflect light back but the heat they reflect as well negates everything else. Now you know that a white background like rock or siding of a house will be more suitable. Distance is key as the panels will use the ambient light without increasing deficiency due to increase temperatures from very reflective material. I wonder how much more efficient it would have been had you sprayed the back of the panel. Regardless great job on this video and the testing. Just had an idea, since you are a tuber and I am not. I was just wondering if shining lights at dusk if the panels would produce any voltage.
Great intro! Thanks for all your effort. I wonder.... if you point your irradiance meter at different reflective surfaces would it provide any useful info??
Can you do a full day measurement (ie day graph plot) with your measuring tool? if so Try a test with white tarp in front & back of the bifacial panel. Sun More light should reflect onto the panel as the sun passes over head. You might need to pitch the panel with a steeper angle to collect more light from the tarps below. I would try with a 45 to 60 degree panel pitch. Perhaps over lay at different angles to see which angle works best with flat white tarp mounted on the ground. If you have two panels (both non damaged), can you try a chevron mount. with one panel facing south east & the other south west & provide a full day graph of power. The idea is that the southeast panel will collect more power in the morning & the southwest panel more in the evening. This would be useful to increasing power output during more of the day. In many days, the PV output likely exceeds demand during mid-day (ie more power than the inverter & charger can take). The idea is to couple the PV output to best match input capacity of the inverter & charge to reduce losses. hope that makes sense. Compare with baseline of both panels mounted south. Plot on graph both mounting methods.
This is really good information, I have a question, why not build a slightly large frame around the panel and make the reflective blanket into a bad parabola. The sun enters around the perimeter of the larger frame and gets bounced around by the reflective surface. It just requires that the panels be separated by what ever distance is correct for your backside cells. The test you did to isolate the back was awesome by the way. So given your data and the fact that cell efficiency is ruffly the wattage per square foot of a panel it seems that would be the way to get a power bump. Oh and the parabola can be made by just building a square frame and forcing air into the space the shape can be fixed various materials. I mean really Bifacial panels should actually spread the wafers apart so light can pass to the back where it hits a reflective surface sending light to the back side. There was a fancy solar panel way back that did just that, it was used for expensive pergolas. Technically you could just put triangles at the side of the panels and just stretch the Mylar flat behind the panel creating a reflective surface. I would keep the angle of the side mirrors so it sends the light behind the panel so it bounces (saw tooths) between the solar panel and the reflective surface. Thanks for the information it was very enlightening :) -MG
Doesn't the bifacial properties use radiant heat to move the electrons. Which means the closer the heat source or sunlight reflector the more energy comes out of the panel. Just my thoughts
it needs to be diffused and highly reflective at the same time. Try the back (matte) side of kitchen foil. You want something like a mirror but with a blurry image.
Very interesting. Too bad the wind interfered with testing. I would have next tested, if the solar panels would be in danger of overheating and decreasing output. By removing the cover over the front in addition to many days of data.
@taj-ma-haul9094 I siriusly almost said trafficing in my last comment but thought.....hmmmmm maybe im the only one thats a wirdo. NOPE your just as weird as me 🤗😆
From what I noticed once you backed out of the shading from the panel your output jumped. It was cool to watch and informative. One thing I would ask is what did you say that site was for sun angles and is that an app you have on your phone to help with adjusting the angle of the panel. Thanks
Yeah once out of that shadow it was smooth sailing! I searched google for sun or solar panel angle for my location and clicked lol. For the level app its called bubble level😆🤘
That's interesting 🤔..... I'm currently wondering if you were to take two normal panels with the white backing and place them back to back in the same experiment, would it be possible to get an extra 50 - 100w? I'm thinking that since a solar panels front is designed to be facing the sun, it might work better facing down to take advantage of the reflected light? If that works, I could essentially double up on All my solar panels and get more energy per square area! Without the need for replacement of my current panels for the bi facial type....
Great video. I bought some of the Hyperion (spelling?) from signature. There is a flood of the $ 100+ panels on the market now. Im pretty sure they are all the same. What do you think?
What is your wife saying about all this ??? Is she acting like Richard Dryfus's wife in the movie "Close encounters of the third kind" when he was building that mountain on the kitchen table out of garden dirt and chicken wire ? LOL I think these tests were excellent.
I just bought 10 of the 400 bifacial panels by the time they got unstrapped from the pallet I have 9 good ones left. After watching your SHOW LOL I have decided I need to reassess how I am going to mount them. Around my place and on top of my 45 ft carport I already have 34 panels up. 14 are 400 watt and 20 are 370 watt but none are bifacial. I have 5 systems operating. Also I probably am not even getting 50 % of what you would be getting. the angle of mine are not correct but that's because they are not exposed for viewing buy those that would like to cause some kind of issue for me just because I have them. I have almost paid for most of it. The expensive part for me was 5 server rack batteries. 8 12v lipo4 batteries 1 24 VDC big golf cart battery, 4 48 VDC 50 ah lipo4 batteries, 2 230Ah 12VDC batteries. and 2 Eco flow delta pros with extra battery plus a Eco flow delta max. That it I am tired of listing batteries. But I have went from a $400. a month electric bill to less than a $100. a month bill. I wish AveRage Joe live close to me and ofcourse if I could get him to look over my stuff. It would make him feel so intelligent . Once again thank You so much for the Show I subscribed and will be learning from your series.
I am installing ~6000 watts of panels now, to add to my home made rack of batteries. Not quite done with my installation, it was more expensive than I was expecting so far. How long will it take to pay off the investment of all your acquired stuff, at this $300/month electric cost savings?
Thanks for watching! Sorry to hear you are down to 9.... I know the feeling! Sounds like a pretty SWEET setup AND you are saving $$ and are less reliant on the grid/others! If you lived near me, we could help each other out FO SHO!😆
Nice! Its always more work and $ then we think lol. You also should factor in if your utility goes out(if connected). I know I am 1000% happy when the grid goes out I am able to keep all the food cold in fridge/freezer, stay warm in the winter or cool in summer. Plus having the satisfaction I built it all!💥🤘
Interesting test. The gold foil reflects infrared / heat the most. Gold is used for infrared astronomy all the time. It makes sense that the silver foil would get more energy without all that heat. I don't think using these highly reflective materials just to gain 40 - 50 watts per panel makes practical sense. They won't hold up to rain, hail and wind long term. It would be easier and likely cheaper to just add an additional panel or two if you need that extra power. Probably best to just use light colored gravel around the panels.
Yeah the gold makes sence and is perfect for that! 100% agree that this is not practical for all of those reasons unless you had the perfect setup. Most would just add another panel I would think💥🤘
Silver is the Best! - Used EMART 24'' x 36'' (60 x 90cm) Light Reflectors ($19) on a EcoFlow NextGen 160W Portable Solar Panel - I got 184w on a 160w Panel. The Panel was sitting on the pair of Reflectors.
Excellent review and methodical process I think you've now made me decide not to pay extra for bifacial panels the value is just not there For my application. But you are to be applauded for your exemplary effort and sharing your findings with all of us bravo!
400 total back (% from total with 374w front base for all) 26w =grass (+ 06%) 36w = tarp only (+ 09%) 50w = w white panel (+ 13%) 43w = move back 10ft back drop 38w = alum foil 63w = 6 feet back 64w = mirrors 70w = solar blanket 6ft mark 60w = gold side
ok, simple questions that might be a complex to answer. Cost per watt generated, which panels are the best? And watts per sq ft - what are the best? I assume some people besides me might wonder if more cheap panels would be cheaper than expensive bi-facial ones? But if you have limited space, then??
correct me if I am wrong, I can locally obtain a 500Watt single side solar panel for about 90 euro. With a "maximum" gain of about 70Watts for the BI-facial ones, I cannot see the justification of the price difference. I am also pretty sure you will get a similar result if you backlight a non BI-facial or 'normal' panel - I think space may be a factor - however for the price of two BI-facial panels anyone can find three MONO-facial panels with ultimately higher gain
For people on a boat it might be useful. They have limited space, so every extra watt with the same footprint is welcome. Many boats and yachts have solar panels mounted on a rack at the back of the boat, or even on the roof. Especially catamarans. And the sea is reflecting a lot of sunlight, especially around the Bahamas and Florida and such. They usually have 4 panels or so mounted at the back, so let's say that they get 200 watt per hour extra in total. For a boat that is a lot of power. And it saves a lot of fuel for a generator.
I’m a little disappointed with signature solar right this moment. My hybrid mini split. Was told it would ship this Friday, when I placed my order. Now they saying late September because they are back ordered on mini rails.
I thought the idea was some of the light passes straight through the panel and the rear collects that light when it's reflected back up 🤔 by covering the front your also blocking the rear?
🤷♂️ I dont know if light passes through the cells. Maybe it can? It can pass by the cells or inbetween the cells next to each other which I guess could give moar power. I always thought it was the light bouncing back off other objects.
@AveRage_Joe seems your correct 👍 early videos show the pass through method with panels roof mounted and reflective surfaces under them, I've obv missed the later rack mounted style with just rear reflective capture in mind, probably cos I'm more focused on vehicle mounted systems 🤔 Apologies 👍
No worries here! Some of the early vids and panels used more glass and light could pass around the cells. These panels I think are mostly black inbetween the cells so reflection from another surface is probly best.💥🤘
HOWdy A-R-J, ... Thanks for this experiment ... ... I still am quite CURIOUS what production number YOU would get if you FLIPPED the PANEL over & BLOCKED the Front side ( now aiming down ) & just measured the BACK side of Mr. Bi-Facial facing UP toward the SUN ??? Thanks AGAIN ... COOP the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...
Saw a video of the whitest substance ever made, It reflects much more light then a mirror. Would be great if sheets of that were not too expensive. I have about 40 of those reflective foam panels, might be too hot for the summer but for the winter months the extra watts would be useful. I have 24 panels on a low ground mount.
thats a great test, i thought the mirrors would do better but good to see the cheap blankets did a great job, if your cat helped the results would be even better lol
OK dude, this is what I want to know. If you are mounting them on a flat roof with like a 10 degree angle to the sun. Does making the roof reflective give you any benefit? Like if you cover the roof in Mylar or something?
You left out one scenario, and maybe the most realistic... Set up 2 panels on the racks, one in back of the other, relative to the sun, and far enough apart so the back one isn't shaded by the front. Then, set the angle on the rear panel so its reflected light is falling on the back of the front panel. (Like you did with the mirrors and mylar, but from the same height, not on the ground). Then set the angle of the front panel to match the rear panel, and see what the combined (front+rear) output is for the front panel. This should replicate these panels being 2elements in a larger panel array, which i think is the intended use of bifacial panels. The sun angle on the front face isn't ideal, but is the power loss made up by the power coming from the rear face? Great tests, though, and very illuminating.😁😁😁
I havent heard that is the intention for bifacial panels. I do like that idea tho. May try that when I setup the actual array but the panels might be fixed at a specific angle but we see.
A windmill doesn't produce any electricity. I am from the Netherlands, and here we have windmills. They mill something, that is why it is called a wind powered mill. A device that converts the power from the wind into electricity is called a wind turbine. It a completely different machine that does a completely different job. 👍
aluminium sheet mirrors are the most durable in the long run. also you could try to put a solar panel on the general collection point of a spherical parabolic aluminium mirror. yep it does not have to be point focused. just square mirror tiles are fine. what about the rage, ave. just try to increase the solar collection surface area without needing to use more solar panels. ie the more collection area must be radically cheaper simpler than the main solar panel. parabolic mirror with the solar panel flipped around, back side to the sun. ie the main sun light to the panel is the parabolic mirror/ditch reflection. multiply the sun. any angle, because you are comparing everything with the base line. and others are in the same test conditions. try acrylic + black sheet with thin water channel between sandwich, for solar flash boiling solar heat collection. or call it leaf solar collection. no need to do heat tower solar concentration plants, just do large parabolic pv solar collection dishes. wind power is an option. try wedge sail vawt wind turbines. when doing parabolic concentration solar pv, the mirrors must point the solar fully to the panel, not away from it, naturally. clear indication of course is that the mirror illuminates the back side completely. maybe try the reflector in the same orientation as the solar panel, ie vertical, not horizontal. maximize the reflection area etc. numbers are just spread sheets. like solar panels. flip the solar panel and cover the front side, to get only the bi-facial back side max power in the sun. splitting internet hairs here. lol. watch out, commenter feeling may get hurt. as usual. consider solar bbq cooking device diy. also with wind, just wing it.
It requires specific circumstances and a specific setup. People who are considering a solar array with a sun tracker might be interested. Or people who can put their panels close to a wall. But sure, this is not going to work for people who live in a small house without a garden or a yard or a big flat roof.
Thanks for all the testing. If you want an obscure test, I'd love to see the max output if you're able to cool the panel while in the sun. It doesn't have to be a bi-facial panel. Perhaps water flowing down the panel while taking readings. Keep in mind, safety first. Water and electricity don't mix. The goal is just to see if the panel performs better if the panel is cooled. Great work!!!
Hmmm... So I was hoping you would do something that's a bit more real world... Like mirrors on the ground...or the reflective sheets on the ground underneath the panels...ie... Not perfectly aligned but not in the shade of the panel either
@@DavidHalko lol. Valid .. I thought of that as I wrote it. Point I was trying to make was that perfect alignment of a reflector wasn't going to be possible.... And not real world... However... A reflector (of some kind) can be left on the ground under the panel easily.
Yeah perfect angle is only at that specific time of day. All the suggestions I got were just seeing what these would do. Id need to have it setup kinda "long term" and in a better place. Possibly once the actual array is setup.🤘
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Affiliate Links to the Solar Panels, Racks and Tester⤵
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🔗VBR-SOL Solar Irradiance Meter - amzn.to/4eeisP0
Super cool and fun testing. Heck yeah man. Crazy all the solar channels did bifacial solar panel videos randomly this week 😂 isn't that crazy haha love how you tested with the front of the panel covered. so cool
Hey Joe fantastic results. That helped clarify some numbers for me. I’m gonna head over to Patreon and throw a little cash in the pot for your expenses that saved me some time & was the reality check I needed for sizing my system. Thanks man you da best!
Excellent test! I ordered two solar AC heat pumpsg a couple of months ago and got everything installed. They came with four 450 watt bifacial solar panels that save there capable of 540 Watts total output. Although I have not tested them with a meter as you did, I did install them on a white metal roof. I was curious as to how well they would work since my setup is an East / West very slightly sloped roof. I am pleased to say that the setup works brilliantly! When I got everything up and running in July I was getting full solar power for the heat pumps at around 8 to 8:15 and lasting until 7:30 to 7:45 before it trailed off. My first bill on full solar went from $242 to $115!! So I know that I'm getting reflective power back from the white metal roof. I can't wait for another month or two when we will begin to need heat and use solar power on these heat pumps, FREE HEAT! Great video!
That was a fantastic and comprehensive test Joe. I admire your dedication and have given you a well deserved Sub.
Thanks for going to all the trouble and expense to show us what happens. Just watched Tech Ingredients experimenting with solar cookers. Might be something to try but have to be diffused to keep from melting the panels. I'm going to try Mylar on an old small TV dish to see what happens.
Nice testing! Wish I had some snow to test these panels with. They should definitely do great in the winter
Thanks Man! I can and cant wait for snow lol and YES! These are going to be GREAT in winter!💥🤘
You did a great job, but I wish you would of took the blocking off the front of the panel so we would have seen the resalt with each setup as it would be in real life.
How about placing the rear face towards the sun and compair front to rear outputs and also do a vertical test on boath sides as if you were going to make a fence with them along a north south axis to gain morning and after noon sun from tha same panel. make sure the panels are perpendicular to the sun as time passes to keep your results more acurate compaied to sun angle. I ask this as i want to set some panels on a fence for winter time to boost output during lower sun hight in the sky should get better the lower the sun in the sky. thanks for all your good experimenting.
I was sleeping, woke up, noticed the video, and I had to watch every second of it. First of all, I enjoyed the editing, your little car ride made me laugh. Secondly, I think that you went above and beyond with this test. Now the people can have a very good indication what to expect if they would make something that is really reflective with a good angle. I do not think that you could have done it any better. And now I think that after watching this test it would be something for people who already have a solar array on a rack that is tracking the sun. And the golden side from the mylar is mostly reflecting infrared light so that explains the heat. The tools that you bought are always handy for later tests. Well done, and thank you for satisfying the curiosity from your viewers, it is much appreciated, so a huuuuuge 👍
Now that you have all that reflective material, perhaps it is a nice idea to use that with a test on a cloudy day on the top side from a solar panel. Just to see if that would make a significant improvement. Something reflective that is mounted to the panel on either side and at an angle. More like a 3D shape, if that makes any sense. Or just by putting something reflective in front of the panel at an angle. The 3 D shape might be a bit complicated to do. So I wouldn't blame you if you skip that. 👍
"And the golden side from the mylar is mostly reflecting infrared light so that explains the heat"
The same reason it was, and still is, used on a lot of satellites and spacecraft...
Thanks and yeah I could use some of these for other/later testing. If the weather will allow, I might try a cloudy day and see if anything helps. 3d shaped objects would be cool but dont know if Ill go thaaaaat far😁
Great point!🤘
@@AveRage_Joe It is funny, because right after you posted your video with this test several other people also dropped a video about bifacial solar panels. One guy did an interesting test as well. His channel is called Projects With Everyday Dave. He has a substantial array with different types of panels. And he has a test setup with two panels that are installed vertically facing to the east and west. Just to see if panels that are facing to the east and west produce more or less power at certain parts of the day, and or when there is snow or when it is a cloudy day, compared to panels that are facing the south and installed at an angle.
I watch some of his vids.😁 The vertical setup is exactly as expected. I would think people towards the North and South pole would benifit the most😆
Keep up with the good video's, i love them all Average Joe
I think it was a very informative test. You saved many people some trial and error and gave us all some ideas. 👍
Thank you and appreciate that!💥🤘
Great job showing the different options and their results! A couple years ago I had tried to take a mirror and reflect sunlight at the front of a panel and the results were about the same as what you saw in your test.
I appreciate this very much. I recently ordered some Bi panels. So, I'm thinking about how to assemble reflective material behind my panels, mounted on my roof.
Great test Joe well done, here in Brazil we get a lot of wind so mine will have to be fairly solid flexible mirror tiles, that are cheap enough to replace when required, as they will be roof mounted and adjustable with the adjustable panel rack. I am looking at Bi-Facials too.
Good job Joe. Good test....looks like rear make about 10-15% of the front....best case. Good to know. Thanks
Nice video, thanks. You have tested here many good reflecting materials, however, it is unlikely they would be used in real life. What, on the other hand, could and is actually used in real life, is a next raw of panels. So the idea is to check how much gain you would get from bifacial panels in a ground mount array if there are multiple arrays placed one behind another, like on commercial solar power stations.
Thanks for watching! Yes, real world is unlikely. I will probly test the rows later on as it is looking like most voted for ground mount array for these panels in the other video😁 Will need to figure out which ground mount and then save up a lil cash for it/them.💥🤘
Thank you for all you did to make this video. It is very interesting. It has also given me some ideas on how to improve my output.
You Bet! Glad it was some help!🤘
Thank you, been wanting to see the gold mirror on solar panel as seen used on the James Webb Space Telescope.
Very good BiFacial Solar Panel test.
Can you try testing with the gold blanket attached directly to the back of the solar panels?
I'd like to see ultra ultra white barium sulphate paint as a reflective material. Great to see testing!
I bet you could take the shattered panel and clamp it back to back with the non-broken panel and it would produce more with the shattered face looking down at your reflective ground than the bifacial down side. If that makes sense... Thanks for taking the time to do these videos.
Awesome video! Your dedication to thorough testing is impressive. Can't wait to see what you'll experiment with next! 🌞🔬👍
Thank You and 100% Appreciate that!💥🤘
I too have discovered with my bi-facial panels that very reflective material like mirrors do not work well. Not only do they reflect light back but the heat they reflect as well negates everything else. Now you know that a white background like rock or siding of a house will be more suitable. Distance is key as the panels will use the ambient light without increasing deficiency due to increase temperatures from very reflective material. I wonder how much more efficient it would have been had you sprayed the back of the panel. Regardless great job on this video and the testing. Just had an idea, since you are a tuber and I am not. I was just wondering if shining lights at dusk if the panels would produce any voltage.
Great intro! Thanks for all your effort.
I wonder.... if you point your irradiance meter at different reflective surfaces would it provide any useful info??
Thanks! Yeah I think it would work somewhat the same and give us good info!
@@AveRage_Joe 👍👍
Can you do a full day measurement (ie day graph plot) with your measuring tool? if so Try a test with white tarp in front & back of the bifacial panel. Sun More light should reflect onto the panel as the sun passes over head. You might need to pitch the panel with a steeper angle to collect more light from the tarps below. I would try with a 45 to 60 degree panel pitch. Perhaps over lay at different angles to see which angle works best with flat white tarp mounted on the ground.
If you have two panels (both non damaged), can you try a chevron mount. with one panel facing south east & the other south west & provide a full day graph of power. The idea is that the southeast panel will collect more power in the morning & the southwest panel more in the evening. This would be useful to increasing power output during more of the day. In many days, the PV output likely exceeds demand during mid-day (ie more power than the inverter & charger can take). The idea is to couple the PV output to best match input capacity of the inverter & charge to reduce losses. hope that makes sense. Compare with baseline of both panels mounted south. Plot on graph both mounting methods.
Hmm might be interesting to get a few more solar panels and make the z rack space saving array
This is really good information, I have a question, why not build a slightly large frame around the panel and make the reflective blanket into a bad parabola. The sun enters around the perimeter of the larger frame and gets bounced around by the reflective surface. It just requires that the panels be separated by what ever distance is correct for your backside cells. The test you did to isolate the back was awesome by the way. So given your data and the fact that cell efficiency is ruffly the wattage per square foot of a panel it seems that would be the way to get a power bump. Oh and the parabola can be made by just building a square frame and forcing air into the space the shape can be fixed various materials. I mean really Bifacial panels should actually spread the wafers apart so light can pass to the back where it hits a reflective surface sending light to the back side. There was a fancy solar panel way back that did just that, it was used for expensive pergolas. Technically you could just put triangles at the side of the panels and just stretch the Mylar flat behind the panel creating a reflective surface. I would keep the angle of the side mirrors so it sends the light behind the panel so it bounces (saw tooths) between the solar panel and the reflective surface. Thanks for the information it was very enlightening :)
-MG
Doesn't the bifacial properties use radiant heat to move the electrons. Which means the closer the heat source or sunlight reflector the more energy comes out of the panel. Just my thoughts
You did great testing, thank you! The video was helpful.
Thanks and glad it was somewhat helpful!💥🤘
Was wondering how good they are I have 32 100 amp bifacial panels but have never tested that part of them
Thanks for this rigorous extensive test.
You have an impressive amount of stuff. (Much more than the "average" joe.)
Years of being a Hoarder🤗😆😆😆💥
it needs to be diffused and highly reflective at the same time. Try the back (matte) side of kitchen foil. You want something like a mirror but with a blurry image.
You should place the materials (mirrors etc) directly against the back side and try it again ;)
Blinded by the light, wrapped up in a tarp just trying to get that angle right
I always think of the movie "Blow" when I hear those words/song😆🤷♂️
@@AveRage_Joe Haha... keep up the good work! Really looking into these panels.
Probably, brought up before but what if the panels are just vertical. Facing, East/West. Reflective material on both sides.
Very interesting. Too bad the wind interfered with testing. I would have next tested, if the solar panels would be in danger of overheating and decreasing output. By removing the cover over the front in addition to many days of data.
I'm still missing the Average Joe on his back managing 3 mirrors in realtime to solar track!
On this episode of Average Joe we test out Human Tracking😆😆💥🤘
@@AveRage_Joe Tracking, yes, tracking, not trafficking...
@taj-ma-haul9094 I siriusly almost said trafficing in my last comment but thought.....hmmmmm maybe im the only one thats a wirdo. NOPE your just as weird as me 🤗😆
@@AveRage_Joe Sounds like a badge... hahahahahahahaha
@taj-ma-haul9094 😆😆😆
From what I noticed once you backed out of the shading from the panel your output jumped. It was cool to watch and informative. One thing I would ask is what did you say that site was for sun angles and is that an app you have on your phone to help with adjusting the angle of the panel. Thanks
Yeah once out of that shadow it was smooth sailing! I searched google for sun or solar panel angle for my location and clicked lol. For the level app its called bubble level😆🤘
Oh how I wish I could remove the dust from that voltmeter.
5:31 what is this liquid? Could you do a video about the best way to clean solar panels
Liked a lot how you editin the car driving!!!!
We have bifacials. Yes, putting white stuff behind it does help. Still good job.
Had to please the viewers😆😆🤘
That's interesting 🤔.....
I'm currently wondering if you were to take two normal panels with the white backing and place them back to back in the same experiment, would it be possible to get an extra 50 - 100w?
I'm thinking that since a solar panels front is designed to be facing the sun, it might work better facing down to take advantage of the reflected light?
If that works, I could essentially double up on All my solar panels and get more energy per square area! Without the need for replacement of my current panels for the bi facial type....
Great video. I bought some of the Hyperion (spelling?) from signature. There is a flood of the $ 100+ panels on the market now. Im pretty sure they are all the same. What do you think?
Keep a eye out for jets 🛩️ flying over and messing around with your data 📊
Ok I did not expect numbers this high.
Thumbs up 👍 thanks.
That was fun!
I know RIGHT! WE NEED SUN😆😆😆
Thank you for making the video. Rename your channel to Super Joe..
Great test.alot of info.keep up the great work.
What is your wife saying about all this ??? Is she acting like Richard Dryfus's wife in the movie "Close encounters of the third kind" when he was building that mountain on the kitchen table out of garden dirt and chicken wire ? LOL I think these tests were excellent.
I Love that Movie!😆😆🛸
Nice one Joe, gives some good indicative data, though I was shouting at the screen at the lack of 45 degree bracing for the posts on the base frame! 😊
I 100% almost welded some in lol
🤣👽🛸
perhaps blue or green color reflectors, instead of gold?
I just bought 10 of the 400 bifacial panels by the time they got unstrapped from the pallet I have 9 good ones left. After watching your SHOW LOL I have decided I need to reassess how I am going to mount them. Around my place and on top of my 45 ft carport I already have 34 panels up. 14 are 400 watt and 20 are 370 watt but none are bifacial. I have 5 systems operating. Also I probably am not even getting 50 % of what you would be getting. the angle of mine are not correct but that's because they are not exposed for viewing buy those that would like to cause some kind of issue for me just because I have them. I have almost paid for most of it. The expensive part for me was 5 server rack batteries. 8 12v lipo4 batteries 1 24 VDC big golf cart battery, 4 48 VDC 50 ah lipo4 batteries, 2 230Ah 12VDC batteries. and 2 Eco flow delta pros with extra battery plus a Eco flow delta max. That it I am tired of listing batteries. But I have went from a $400. a month electric bill to less than a $100. a month bill. I wish AveRage Joe live close to me and ofcourse if I could get him to look over my stuff. It would make him feel so intelligent . Once again thank You so much for the Show I subscribed and will be learning from your series.
I am installing ~6000 watts of panels now, to add to my home made rack of batteries. Not quite done with my installation, it was more expensive than I was expecting so far.
How long will it take to pay off the investment of all your acquired stuff, at this $300/month electric cost savings?
Thanks for watching! Sorry to hear you are down to 9.... I know the feeling! Sounds like a pretty SWEET setup AND you are saving $$ and are less reliant on the grid/others! If you lived near me, we could help each other out FO SHO!😆
Nice! Its always more work and $ then we think lol. You also should factor in if your utility goes out(if connected). I know I am 1000% happy when the grid goes out I am able to keep all the food cold in fridge/freezer, stay warm in the winter or cool in summer. Plus having the satisfaction I built it all!💥🤘
I would 3d print that generator wrench so you could spin it from outside the door, just to avoid smashing my fingers.
That would be Fan Freakin Tastic! That wrench is a PIA lol😆🤘
25:15 Conclusions and Results
Interesting test. The gold foil reflects infrared / heat the most. Gold is used for infrared astronomy all the time. It makes sense that the silver foil would get more energy without all that heat.
I don't think using these highly reflective materials just to gain 40 - 50 watts per panel makes practical sense. They won't hold up to rain, hail and wind long term. It would be easier and likely cheaper to just add an additional panel or two if you need that extra power. Probably best to just use light colored gravel around the panels.
Yeah the gold makes sence and is perfect for that! 100% agree that this is not practical for all of those reasons unless you had the perfect setup. Most would just add another panel I would think💥🤘
I have a flat roof. Can you measure if there is a gain using mylar on the underside of a solar panel mounted on a flat roof?
I also feel you do test one more time with blanket vs mirror. As mirror must be unbeatable? While you still have setup
Also is there chance of panel damage if heat 🔥 is coming from both directions?
You convinced me no Bifacial panels not enough gain to bother.
Silver is the Best! - Used EMART 24'' x 36'' (60 x 90cm) Light Reflectors ($19) on a EcoFlow NextGen 160W Portable Solar Panel - I got 184w on a 160w Panel. The Panel was sitting on the pair of Reflectors.
Do you have a photo of how the panel is sitting on those ?
Excellent review and methodical process I think you've now made me decide not to pay extra for bifacial panels the value is just not there For my application. But you are to be applauded for your exemplary effort and sharing your findings with all of us bravo!
400 total
back (% from total with 374w front base for all)
26w =grass (+ 06%)
36w = tarp only (+ 09%)
50w = w white panel (+ 13%)
43w = move back 10ft back drop
38w = alum foil
63w = 6 feet back
64w = mirrors
70w = solar blanket 6ft mark
60w = gold side
ok, simple questions that might be a complex to answer. Cost per watt generated, which panels are the best? And watts per sq ft - what are the best?
I assume some people besides me might wonder if more cheap panels would be cheaper than expensive bi-facial ones? But if you have limited space, then??
Have you seen the Tech Ingredients channel test of bi-facial solar panels. They did some cool things to boost efficiency of a panel.
I watch his channel but dont remember that video. Will take a look thanks🤘
@@AveRage_Joe The video(s) were focused on increasing efficiency with reflective materials, blah blah blah.
I was totally entertained. Lol. I think maybe a UFO flew over and tipped the results of the gold blanket...
😆🤘 Thanks! Im pretty sure we have UFO's here so you are probly right😆😆🛸
Hey, why don't you cover the front with cardboard or a tarp so you can see what the back is doing without the front?
Would like to see results this winter.
correct me if I am wrong, I can locally obtain a 500Watt single side solar panel for about 90 euro. With a "maximum" gain of about 70Watts for the BI-facial ones, I cannot see the justification of the price difference. I am also pretty sure you will get a similar result if you backlight a non BI-facial or 'normal' panel - I think space may be a factor - however for the price of two BI-facial panels anyone can find three MONO-facial panels with ultimately higher gain
For people on a boat it might be useful. They have limited space, so every extra watt with the same footprint is welcome. Many boats and yachts have solar panels mounted on a rack at the back of the boat, or even on the roof. Especially catamarans. And the sea is reflecting a lot of sunlight, especially around the Bahamas and Florida and such. They usually have 4 panels or so mounted at the back, so let's say that they get 200 watt per hour extra in total. For a boat that is a lot of power. And it saves a lot of fuel for a generator.
So glad you have at least one MERICAN tool. Milwaukee!
Will need a drill next!😆
Hi, maybe install a small load canter at the output of Gen !
Easier to wire projects ;)
100% on the "list" of things to get done lol🫣😆🤘
5:08 Seven years bad luck for breaking mirrors, huh? So how many years for breaking the Solar Panel?
400 watt, so 400 x 7 2800 years…lol😂🎉
Oh Lordy...🫣😬 Im DONE😆
Not perfect test but maybe 4 to 10 times better that i could do without help. Thank U so much for effort.
If I had moar hands.... maybe could improve to 6-10🙃😆💥🤘
@@AveRage_Joe im sure of that, thank U again
I’m a little disappointed with signature solar right this moment. My hybrid mini split. Was told it would ship this Friday, when I placed my order. Now they saying late September because they are back ordered on mini rails.
I am sure you are neighbors.Found this very entertaining lol
Hoping the people driving by as well😆😆🤘
just your average diesel generator powered welder, LOL
Nothing to see here...😆😆 I had 240v in the garage but needed that wire for another project😬🫣😆
we need to exercise our generators anyway. i run ours every month to make sure it is okay to use if it is ever needed
There it is
I thought the idea was some of the light passes straight through the panel and the rear collects that light when it's reflected back up 🤔 by covering the front your also blocking the rear?
🤷♂️ I dont know if light passes through the cells. Maybe it can? It can pass by the cells or inbetween the cells next to each other which I guess could give moar power. I always thought it was the light bouncing back off other objects.
@AveRage_Joe seems your correct 👍 early videos show the pass through method with panels roof mounted and reflective surfaces under them, I've obv missed the later rack mounted style with just rear reflective capture in mind, probably cos I'm more focused on vehicle mounted systems 🤔
Apologies 👍
No worries here! Some of the early vids and panels used more glass and light could pass around the cells. These panels I think are mostly black inbetween the cells so reflection from another surface is probly best.💥🤘
HOWdy A-R-J, ...
Thanks for this experiment ...
...
I still am quite CURIOUS what production number
YOU would get if you FLIPPED the PANEL over
&
BLOCKED the Front side ( now aiming down )
&
just measured the BACK side of Mr. Bi-Facial
facing UP toward the SUN ???
Thanks AGAIN
...
COOP
the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA
...
Thanks Joe
Take a tall boy can place it on the panel and eliminate the shadow. From “off grid garage”
SPAT!
Can be arranged!😆😆🤘
🍻🍺
Saw a video of the whitest substance ever made, It reflects much more light then a mirror. Would be great if sheets of that were not too expensive. I have about 40 of those reflective foam panels, might be too hot for the summer but for the winter months the extra watts would be useful. I have 24 panels on a low ground mount.
thats a great test, i thought the mirrors would do better but good to see the cheap blankets did a great job, if your cat helped the results would be even better lol
OK dude, this is what I want to know. If you are mounting them on a flat roof with like a 10 degree angle to the sun. Does making the roof reflective give you any benefit? Like if you cover the roof in Mylar or something?
I would imagine it would help a little🤏 but not near as much on a ground mount. Might make moar if the roof was white.
Hey Joe you'll need a spat solar panel alignment tool also known as a can of your favourite beverage lol shout ok ut to off grid garage
I have a fridge full😅🤘
You left out one scenario, and maybe the most realistic... Set up 2 panels on the racks, one in back of the other, relative to the sun, and far enough apart so the back one isn't shaded by the front. Then, set the angle on the rear panel so its reflected light is falling on the back of the front panel. (Like you did with the mirrors and mylar, but from the same height, not on the ground). Then set the angle of the front panel to match the rear panel, and see what the combined (front+rear) output is for the front panel.
This should replicate these panels being 2elements in a larger panel array, which i think is the intended use of bifacial panels. The sun angle on the front face isn't ideal, but is the power loss made up by the power coming from the rear face?
Great tests, though, and very illuminating.😁😁😁
I havent heard that is the intention for bifacial panels. I do like that idea tho. May try that when I setup the actual array but the panels might be fixed at a specific angle but we see.
Just curious if you tried one of these big panels under a full moon at night?
No sure havent....yet😁
Awesome Video ❤❤❤
I have a challenge for you, Put a Windmill in one of the shady areas of your yard and see how it compares to Solar
A windmill doesn't produce any electricity. I am from the Netherlands, and here we have windmills. They mill something, that is why it is called a wind powered mill. A device that converts the power from the wind into electricity is called a wind turbine. It a completely different machine that does a completely different job. 👍
@@insAneTunA well I meant to say turbine
@@Moes_Prep_and_Tech 😁👍
aluminium sheet mirrors are the most durable in the long run. also you could try to put a solar panel on the general collection point of a spherical parabolic aluminium mirror. yep it does not have to be point focused. just square mirror tiles are fine. what about the rage, ave. just try to increase the solar collection surface area without needing to use more solar panels. ie the more collection area must be radically cheaper simpler than the main solar panel. parabolic mirror with the solar panel flipped around, back side to the sun. ie the main sun light to the panel is the parabolic mirror/ditch reflection. multiply the sun. any angle, because you are comparing everything with the base line. and others are in the same test conditions. try acrylic + black sheet with thin water channel between sandwich, for solar flash boiling solar heat collection. or call it leaf solar collection. no need to do heat tower solar concentration plants, just do large parabolic pv solar collection dishes. wind power is an option. try wedge sail vawt wind turbines. when doing parabolic concentration solar pv, the mirrors must point the solar fully to the panel, not away from it, naturally. clear indication of course is that the mirror illuminates the back side completely. maybe try the reflector in the same orientation as the solar panel, ie vertical, not horizontal. maximize the reflection area etc. numbers are just spread sheets. like solar panels. flip the solar panel and cover the front side, to get only the bi-facial back side max power in the sun. splitting internet hairs here. lol. watch out, commenter feeling may get hurt. as usual. consider solar bbq cooking device diy. also with wind, just wing it.
Freedom and coocoo made me subscribe 😎 you, sir. Speak my language
😆🤘 America!🦅
Outstanding tests and testor. And the driving videos and farting. Who could ask for more? Great job!
Thank You and 100% Appreciate that!😁💥🤘
Your 1st test is more like the real world setup Who going to do all that other in there yard
It requires specific circumstances and a specific setup. People who are considering a solar array with a sun tracker might be interested. Or people who can put their panels close to a wall.
But sure, this is not going to work for people who live in a small house without a garden or a yard or a big flat roof.
Yeah 1st test would be realistic but all the suggestions wanted to see😆🤘
Guaranteed he passed 15 Dollar Generals on the way to Lowe’s he could’ve gotten mirrors from
Hahahha, I like that. F for Freedom baby! C for Coocoo. FREEEEEEEEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸😆💥🤘
Can we get a link where we don't have to buy 10! 🤷🤦
Thats the min order so its worth the shipping and less chance of them breaking during shipping. I asked😏
Thanks for all the testing. If you want an obscure test, I'd love to see the max output if you're able to cool the panel while in the sun. It doesn't have to be a bi-facial panel. Perhaps water flowing down the panel while taking readings. Keep in mind, safety first. Water and electricity don't mix. The goal is just to see if the panel performs better if the panel is cooled. Great work!!!
Has any of your neighbors said any disparaging remarks because you are choosing a bifacial lifestyle? 😅 Sorry, my humor isn't for everyone. 😮 😅
Wow. Exemplary "average" testing. I'm sure your neighbors enjoyed watching you too. 🤣
Hmmm... So I was hoping you would do something that's a bit more real world... Like mirrors on the ground...or the reflective sheets on the ground underneath the panels...ie... Not perfectly aligned but not in the shade of the panel either
“mirrors on the ground… more real world” - I don’t think that is more real world, TBH
@@DavidHalko lol. Valid .. I thought of that as I wrote it. Point I was trying to make was that perfect alignment of a reflector wasn't going to be possible.... And not real world... However... A reflector (of some kind) can be left on the ground under the panel easily.
I was thinking this😁
Yeah perfect angle is only at that specific time of day. All the suggestions I got were just seeing what these would do. Id need to have it setup kinda "long term" and in a better place. Possibly once the actual array is setup.🤘
@@AveRage_Joe will prouse just did a test on bifacials... Check it out
“But you didn’t test…” “Here’s an average NO”. 💥
Im 1000% surprised that didnt happen😲😆
Who tf was your geometry teacher?
I dont remember geometry so couldnt say😬😆😆