Californian solar electricity company Sungevity has installed bifacial photovoltaic (PV) panels at Jacobs Hall for the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation of the University of California, Berkeley.
The panels have been developed by Sunpreme, which is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The system will help the institute control its electricity bills and deliver environmental benefits.
Sunpreme chairman and CEO Ashok K. Sinha said: "We are spearheading the transformation of PV solar installations from purely utilitarian function to artistic roof-top designs, adding beauty to the function.
"Our symmetrical double glass panels are visually appealing even from the underside looking up, while delivering PV power at the highest levels.
Commissioned in the Q1 of this year, the new system is the largest solar array at the University of California, Berkeley campus.
The latest bifacial technology enables panels to absorb light from both sides, increasing generation capacity. They are made of double glass GxB310, have 21.5% efficient cells, which are frameless and need no grounding and high-sensitivity to low-light.
Sungevity’s CEO Andrew Birch said: "We chose Sunpreme Bifacial PV Panels for their double glass technical solution, proven product reliability and outstanding aesthetics."
The system is suitable even for extreme and challenging environmental conditions.
Image: Bifacial PV panels installed at University of California, Berkeley’s Jacobs Hall. Photo: courtesy of PR Newswire / Sunpreme, Inc.
