The energy yield of photovoltaic systems can be augmented by increasing the efficiency of individual cells through tandem architectures, increasing the normal irradiance on modules through tracking, or increasing the total irradiance with bifacial modules. Here, we investigate bifaciality in series-connected tandem architectures and find modest energy gains relative to their monofacial cousins. More importantly, the range of appropriate top-cell bandgaps widens, enabling higher-performance top-cell materials to be used without a detrimental impact on the current matching between the cells.

Bifacial PV modules use radiation received by both the front and back surfaces, but only irradiance models for the front surface are fully developed and validated.• This work developed a backside irradiance model and compared model estimates with backside irradiance measurements using reference cells installed on the backside of PV systems at NREL and Sandia.

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