Review on the Applicability of Bifacial Solar Photovoltaic Panels in Marine Environments

The deployment of floating photovoltaics (FPV) is growing to overcome land-use constraints, but the extension of bifacial photovoltaics (bPV) in marine environments has yet to be thoroughly systematized as outstanding optical and mechanical durability challenges remain. Analogous studies regard over-water reflectance as scalar albedo, seldom include motion-induced mismatch in yield prediction and typically fail to incorporate marine-specific cost and reliability drivers that collectively limit bankable appraisal. Proposed a systematic stressor–impact–mitigation hierarchy that connects marine environmental drivers throughout the lagoon, nearshore, and offshore across BRDF-dependent reflectance (R), metocean dynamics (H/U), salt aerosols (C/D) and biofouling (BN) to optical, thermal, electrical and structural responses. We introduce a motion-aware performance modeling concept involving the joint effects of metocean parameters (Hs, Tp, U10) with frame orientation factors that control angle-of-incidence effects and spatial sorting propagation mechanisms to enhance yield prediction fidelity. Marine-specific CAPEX/OPEX components are integrated into an LCOE sensitivity analysis of techno-economic synthesis, highlighting that energy-optimal layouts may not align with cost-optimal configurations. The analysis highlights key gaps in evidence, including long-duration co-logged rear-POA and motion datasets; multi-stressor durability qualification protocols; standardized marine design paradigms. Introducing a forward roadmap to facilitate marine bifacial FPV systems model validation, durability certification, and bankable deployment.