Bifacial solar panels
A bifacial panel collects light on its back as well as its front, from sunlight bouncing off the roof or ground beneath it. How much the back adds depends almost entirely on how the panel is mounted and what lies under it.
Updated 27 September 2026
Two faces, one panel
A normal panel has a solid, opaque back sheet. A bifacial panel has glass or a clear sheet on the back as well, and cells that respond to light from either side. The front still does most of the work. The back picks up what reflects from beneath: off the roof, the ground, or a wall.
Most bifacial panels are also dual-glass, glass on both faces, which makes them stiffer and better sealed against moisture than a panel with a plastic back sheet.
What decides how much the back adds
- The surface underneath. White or light-coloured roofs and pale stone reflect far more than dark ones.
- The height. A panel on a raised frame lets reflected light reach the whole of its back; a panel mounted flat and low shades its own rear.
- The spacing. Rows packed tightly shade the ground under each other.
No single figure fits every roof, which is why this page does not quote one. Ask for the datasheet’s bifaciality figure, and treat any promise of a fixed extra percentage with care.
Where it pays in Punjab
Many homes here put panels on a raised steel frame so the roof stays usable for drying clothes or storage. That is close to ideal for bifacial panels: height, and usually a light roof. You can see the shape of it in the installations we have photographed. Ground-mounted arrays over pale soil, such as those for solar water pumps, are another good fit.
Flush against a dark roof, a bifacial panel still works, and the back simply adds less.
Bifacial is now common
Many new TOPCon panels are bifacial as standard. Of UTL’s panels, the 630 Wp G12R, the 545 W and the 520 W DCR are all bifacial. So on a new quote, the useful question is whether your mounting lets the back side contribute.
Bifacial and the subsidy
For the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, the panels must be DCR and on the ALMM list; being bifacial does not change that. See DCR and non-DCR panels, and for the wider comparison, which panel technology is best now.
Questions we are asked
How much extra power does a bifacial panel make?
It depends on the surface under the panel and how high the panel is mounted. A light-coloured roof and a raised structure let more reflected light reach the back. Flat against a dark roof, the back adds little. Ask for the bifaciality figure on the datasheet, which says how the back compares with the front.
Are bifacial panels worth it for a home?
Often, if the panels sit on a raised frame over a light-coloured roof, which many Punjab homes use so the roof stays usable underneath. Many TOPCon panels are bifacial as standard now, so the choice is often already made.
Do bifacial panels qualify for the PM Surya Ghar subsidy?
Yes, if they are DCR panels on the ALMM list. Bifacial describes the panel's two faces; DCR describes where the cells were made.