Double-Sided Solar Panels Are Taking Off in China

Here’s one way to get more power from solar panels: use both sides of the cells. But don’t expect that to double the output.

China is expected to jump-start the market for panels that can absorb light on both sides with plans to install 2.7 gigawatts this year, according to research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Other regions may add as much as 200 megawatts in 2018, and the global market may reach 15 gigawatts by 2020. A typical nuclear reactor has about 1 gigawatt of capacity.