First Solar announces world's first bifacial thin-film modules

U.S. cadmium telluride thin-film module manufacturer First Solar, Inc. has announced a »limited production run« of bifacial modules. The »Series 6 Plus« is based on First Solar's Series 6 module, but features a transparent rear contact. This allows the module to not only convert light hitting both sides into electricity, but also allows irradiation in the infrared spectrum to pass through without absorbing it as heat, according to First Solar.
While bifacial crystalline modules, the production of which does not involve too much additional expense compared to monofacial ones, are available in a large selection, First Solar's product would be the first of its kind in the – incomparably smaller – market for thin-film modules. The manufacturer expects the 6 Plus series, once commercialized, »to represent the first real alternative to crystalline silicon-based bifacial technology.« Currently, the new module type is »undergoing field and laboratory testing.«