A Comparative Experimental Assessment of Monocrystalline, Bifacial, and Polycrystalline Photovoltaic Technologies Under Tropical Operating Conditions
Abstract
Selecting the most appropriate Photovoltaic (PV) technology is essential for maximizing energy production and ensuring the long-term reliability of solar power plants operating under tropical climatic conditions, where high solar irradiance, elevated temperatures, and fluctuating weather conditions significantly influence system performance. This study experimentally compares the performance of monocrystalline, bifacial, and polycrystalline PV modules under identical tropical operating conditions in West Jakarta, Indonesia. Three 100 Wp PV modules were installed side-by-side and continuously monitored over a 30-day period using an Internet of Things (IoT)-based data acquisition system. Electrical and environmental parameters, including solar irradiance, ambient temperature, module temperature, voltage, current, output power, and daily energy yield, were recorded at 10 min intervals. The PV technologies were evaluated based on daily energy yield, conversion efficiency, operational stability, and environmental sensitivity, while one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation analysis were employed for statistical validation. The results demonstrate that the bifacial module achieved the highest average daily energy yield (0.453 kWh/day) and conversion efficiency (20.7%), followed by the monocrystalline module (0.423 kWh/day; 19.4%) and the polycrystalline module (0.391 kWh/day; 16.8%). Furthermore, the bifacial module exhibited the lowest coefficient of variation (7.8%), indicating superior operational stability under fluctuating environmental conditions. ANOVA confirmed statistically significant differences among the investigated PV technologies (F = 15.72, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that bifacial PV technology provides the most favorable combination of energy yield, conversion efficiency, and operational stability for PV deployment in tropical regions, offering valuable guidance for PV technology selection and solar power plant development in tropical countries.