Formed photovoltaic module busbars
Granted: November 6, 2018
Patent Number:
10121910
A photovoltaic system including a cell connection piece coupled to a plurality of photovoltaic cells and a terminal of a junction box. The cell connection piece includes an interconnect bus, a plurality of bus tabs unitarily formed with the interconnect bus, and a terminal bus coupled with the interconnect bus. The plurality of bus tabs extend from the interconnect bus. The terminal bus includes a nonlinear portion.
Conductive foil based metallization of solar cells
Granted: October 30, 2018
Patent Number:
10115855
Methods of fabricating a solar cell, and system for electrically coupling solar cells, are described. In an example, the methods for fabricating a solar cell can include forming a first cut portion from a conductive foil. The method can also include aligning the first cut portion to a first doped region of a first semiconductor substrate. The method can include bonding the first cut portion to the first doped region of the first semiconductor substrate. The method can also include…
Mechanism for cleaning solar collector surfaces
Granted: October 30, 2018
Patent Number:
10111563
A system and method for cleaning a collector surface of a solar collector. The system includes a first liquid-dispensing unit configured to deliver a first spray of liquid to the collector surface. The system also includes a brush element having a longitudinal side oriented along a first direction and disposed adjacent to the first liquid-dispensing unit. A first squeegee element is oriented along the first direction and adjacent to the brush element. The first squeegee element, the…
Solar panel
Granted: October 30, 2018
Patent Number:
D832203
Single-step metal bond and contact formation for solar cells
Granted: October 23, 2018
Patent Number:
10109751
A method for fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method can include forming a dielectric region on a surface of a solar cell structure and forming a first metal layer on the dielectric region. The method can also include forming a second metal layer on the first metal layer and locally heating a particular region of the second metal layer, where heating includes forming a metal bond between the first and second metal layer and forming a contact between the first metal layer and…
Systems and methods for improved installation and grounding of photovoltaic assemblies
Granted: October 16, 2018
Patent Number:
10103688
Improved PV assemblies for converting solar radiation to electrical energy and methods of installation thereof are disclosed herein. PV arrays comprising a plurality PV modules are also described herein. A PV assembly can comprise a plurality of PV modules arranged into rows and/or columns of a PV array. A PV module can comprise a plurality of solar cells encapsulated within a PV laminate. In some embodiments, a PV module includes a frame at least partially surrounding the PV laminate. A…
High throughput chemical vapor deposition electrode
Granted: October 16, 2018
Patent Number:
10100439
Processes and systems to fabricate high throughput, low cost tubular polysilicon feed rods, which can be used as direct feedstock to grow a crystalline silicon material, are disclosed. In an example, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process includes depositing polysilicon on a tubular electrode to form a tubular polysilicon feed rod. The tubular polysilicon feed rod may be melted in a float zone process to grow the single-crystalline silicon material.
Firing metal for solar cells
Granted: October 9, 2018
Patent Number:
10096728
A solar cell can include a substrate and a semiconductor region disposed in or above the substrate. Selective firing of a conductive paste can be used to form a conductive contact for a solar cell. The solar cell can also include a conductive contact disposed on the semiconductor region with the conductive contact including a conductive paste that has a top and bottom portion with the top portion having particles coalesced together.
Foil-based metallization of solar cells
Granted: October 2, 2018
Patent Number:
10090421
Approaches for the foil-based metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the substrate. A conductive contact structure is disposed above the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The conductive contact structure includes a plurality of metal seed material regions providing a metal seed…
System for manufacturing a shingled solar cell module
Granted: October 2, 2018
Patent Number:
10090430
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells conductively bonded to each other in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency. The front surface metallization patterns on the solar cells may be configured to enable single step stencil printing, which is facilitated by the overlapping configuration of the solar cells in the super…
Solar panel
Granted: September 25, 2018
Patent Number:
10084104
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in an overlapping shingled manner and conductively bonded to each other in their overlapping regions to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module. Rear surface electrical connections between solar cells in electrically parallel super cells provide alternative current paths (i.e., detours) through the solar module around damaged, shaded, or otherwise…
Metallization of conductive wires for solar cells
Granted: September 25, 2018
Patent Number:
10084098
Methods of fabricating a solar cell, and system for electrically coupling solar cells, are described. In an example, the methods for fabricating a solar cell can include placing conductive wires in a wire guide, where conductive wires are placed over a first semiconductor substrate having first doped regions and second doped regions. The method can include aligning the conductive wires over the first and second doped regions, where the wire guide aligns the conductive wires substantially…
Solar cell fabrication using laser patterning of ion-implanted etch-resistant layers and the resulting solar cells
Granted: September 18, 2018
Patent Number:
10079319
Solar cell fabrication using laser patterning of ion-implanted etch-resistant layers, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes a maximum concentration of the approximately Gaussian distribution of P-type dopants approximately in the center of each of segmented P-type emitter regions between first and second sides of each of the segmented P-type emitter regions.
Conductivity enhancement of solar cells
Granted: September 11, 2018
Patent Number:
10074753
Methods and structures for forming a contact region on a solar cell are presented. The solar cell can have a front side which faces the sun during normal operation, and a back side opposite the front side and a silicon substrate. The silicon substrate can include at least one doped region a dielectric layer formed over the doped region. The solar cell can also include a first metal contact, such as an electrolessly plated metal contact, within a contact region through a first dielectric…
Localized power point optimizer for solar cell installations
Granted: September 4, 2018
Patent Number:
10069308
In one embodiment, a solar cell installation includes several groups of solar cells. Each group of solar cells has a local power point optimizer configured to control power generation of the group. The local power point optimizer may be configured to determine an optimum operating condition for a corresponding group of solar cells. The local power point optimizer may adjust the operating condition of the group to the optimum operating condition by modulating a transistor, such as by…
Methods and apparatus for dispatching electrical energy from distributed energy resources
Granted: September 4, 2018
Patent Number:
10069300
Demand of a facility load for electrical energy is monitored and compared to a demand cap for a demand period. A demand cap may be set for peak periods, another demand cap may be set for part-peak periods, and yet another demand cap may be set for off-peak periods. Dispatch of electrical energy from the energy storage system is based on the demand of the facility load relative to the demand cap.
Bowing semiconductor wafers
Granted: September 4, 2018
Patent Number:
10068787
Methods for processing semiconductor wafers, methods for loading semiconductor wafers into wafer carriers, and semiconductor wafer carriers. The methods and wafer carriers can be used for increasing the rigidity of wafers, e.g., large and thin wafers, by intentionally bowing the wafers to an extent that does not break the wafers. In some examples, a method for processing semiconductor wafers includes loading each semiconductor wafer into a respective semiconductor wafer slot of a…
Photovoltaic system protection
Granted: August 21, 2018
Patent Number:
10056862
A method includes measuring one or more performance metrics of a set of solar cells coupled to an inverter. Based at least on the performance metrics meeting a first criterion, a first subset of the set of solar cells are disabled, reducing a voltage, power, or current provided to the inverter. Based at least on the performance metrics meeting a second criterion, a second subset of the set of solar cells are disabled, further reducing a voltage, power, or current provided to the…
Firing metal with support
Granted: August 21, 2018
Patent Number:
10056506
A solar cell can include a substrate and a semiconductor region disposed in or above the substrate. The solar cell can also include a conductive contact disposed on the semiconductor region with the conductive contact including a paste, a first metal, and a first conductive portion that includes a conductive alloy formed from the first metal at an interface of the substrate and the semiconductor region.
Solar power generation assembly
Granted: August 14, 2018
Patent Number:
D825448
