Bifacial Photovoltaic Systems on Engineered Highway Sound Barriers

Project Details

• Student(s): Karl Baroud
• Advisor(s): Dr. Jimmy Issa and Dr. Pierre Rahme
• Department: Industrial & Mechanical
• Academic Year(s): 2025-2026

Abstract

This project investigates a novel application of bifacial photovoltaic (PV) technology: integrating vertical bifacial panels onto highway sound barriers. Sound barriers are tall, vertical, and sun-exposed structures already installed along thousands of kilometers of highway, making them an underused candidate for solar energy generation at minimal additional land cost. The research further explores engineering the panel’s supporting structure as a high-albedo reflector to direct additional light onto the rear face of the panel, thereby improving bifacial gain. The goal is to demonstrate that existing transport infrastructure can be transformed into a productive, low-footprint source of renewable energy.