Encapsulant bonding methods for photovoltaic module manufacturing
Granted: May 22, 2018
Patent Number:
9978896
Various improved approaches to prevent solar cell motion during manufacturing of PV laminates and modules are described herein. Disclosed contactless heating methods comprise positioning a plurality of solar cells on a layer of encapsulant and heating an encapsulant bonding region within the first encapsulant layer to a temperature sufficient to adhere the plurality of solar cells to the superstrate. Compared to some heat-tacking methods and manual taping, the contactless heating methods…
Conductive contact for solar cell
Granted: May 22, 2018
Patent Number:
9978889
Conductive contacts for solar cells and methods of forming conductive contacts for solar cells are described. For example, a solar cell includes a substrate. A conductive contact is disposed on the substrate. The conductive contact includes a layer composed of a first metal species having a plurality of pores. The conductive contact also includes a second metal species disposed in the plurality of pores. Portions of both the first and second metal species are in contact with the…
Anchor for solar module
Granted: May 22, 2018
Patent Number:
9976297
An anchor for mounting one or more solar modules to a roof is disclosed. The anchor can comprise a clamp body comprising a central surface and a first arm extending from the central surface. The first arm can have a first clamping face. The clamp body can be sized and shaped to receive one or more webs extending from one or more solar modules. The anchor can include a rotatable clamp device coupled to the clamp body, the rotatable clamp device configured to press a first web of the one…
Method of operating a solar tracking apparatus
Granted: May 8, 2018
Patent Number:
9964336
Methods of operating solar tracking apparatuses are described. For example, a method includes determining a minimum amount of energy required to move the solar tracking apparatus from a first position to a second position. An available radiance is estimated for a solar resource coupled to the solar tracking apparatus. The solar tracking apparatus is moved from the first position to the second position prior to a point in time when the energy derivable from the available radiance is less…
Converter topologies and control
Granted: May 1, 2018
Patent Number:
9960712
An inverter includes a transformer that includes a first winding, a second winding, and a third winding, a DC-AC inverter electrically coupled to the first winding of the transformer, a cycloconverter electrically coupled to the second winding of the transformer, an active filter electrically coupled to the third winding of the transformer. The DC-AC inverter is adapted to convert the input DC waveform to an AC waveform delivered to the transformer at the first winding. The…
Radially arranged metal contact fingers for solar cells
Granted: May 1, 2018
Patent Number:
9960292
A solar cell includes negative metal contact fingers and positive metal contact fingers. The negative metal contact fingers are interdigitated with the positive metal contact fingers. The metal contact fingers, both positive and negative, have a radial design where they radially extend to surround at least 25% of a perimeter of a corresponding contact pad. The metal contact fingers have bend points, which collectively form a radial pattern with a center point within the contact pad.…
Converter topologies and control
Granted: April 24, 2018
Patent Number:
9954462
Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are provided wherein inverter topologies and inverter control employ primary and secondary windings with a half-bridge circuit and an unfolding bridge circuit positioned between the second winding and an AC grid. Certain topologies may employ control circuits for controlling the bridges suitable for a phase angle of the AC grid.
Stirling engine or cooler heat exchanger
Granted: April 17, 2018
Patent Number:
9945322
A free piston Stirling engine with a heat exchanger that has an inner component part assembled within an outer component part. The outer component part has a tubular outer wall and circumferentially spaced ridges that extend radially inward from the tubular outer wall and are separated from each other by inward opening slots. The inner component part has a tubular inner wall and circumferentially spaced ridges that extend outward from the inner tubular wall and are separated from each…
Shingled solar cell panel employing hidden taps
Granted: April 17, 2018
Patent Number:
9947820
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged 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. Each super cell comprises a plurality of rectangular or substantially rectangular silicon solar cells arranged in line with long sides of adjacent silicon solar cells overlapping and conductively bonded directly to each other to…
Metallization of solar cells
Granted: April 17, 2018
Patent Number:
9947812
Approaches for the metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell involves forming a plurality of alternating N-type and P-type regions in or above a substrate. The method also involves forming a metal seed layer on the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type regions. The method also involves patterning at least a portion of the metal seed layer at regions in alignment with locations between the alternating…
Thermo-compression bonding tool with high temperature elastic element
Granted: April 17, 2018
Patent Number:
9944055
A thermo-compression bonding tool with a high temperature elastic element, and methods of bonding a metal sheet to a substrate using a thermo-compression bonding tool are described. In an example, a system for bonding a metal sheet to a substrate includes a stage to support the substrate and an elastic roller located above the stage. The elastic roller includes a high temperature material. The system also includes a heated backing plate located above the elastic roller. The backing plate…
Photovoltaic module and laminate
Granted: April 10, 2018
Patent Number:
9941435
A photovoltaic module is disclosed. The photovoltaic module has a first side directed toward the sun during normal operation and a second, lower side. The photovoltaic module comprises a perimeter frame and a photovoltaic laminate at least partially enclosed by and supported by the perimeter frame. The photovoltaic laminate comprises a transparent cover layer positioned toward the first side of the photovoltaic module, an upper encapsulant layer beneath and adhering to the cover layer, a…
Wire-based metallization for solar cells
Granted: April 3, 2018
Patent Number:
9935213
Approaches for fabricating wire-based metallization for solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate having a back surface and an opposing light-receiving surface. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the back surface of the substrate. A conductive contact structure is disposed on the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The conductive contact…
Trench process and structure for backside contact solar cells with polysilicon doped regions
Granted: March 27, 2018
Patent Number:
9929298
A solar cell includes polysilicon P-type and N-type doped regions on a backside of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. A trench structure separates the P-type doped region from the N-type doped region. Each of the P-type and N-type doped regions may be formed over a thin dielectric layer. The trench structure may include a textured surface for increased solar radiation collection. Among other advantages, the resulting structure increases efficiency by providing isolation between…
Edge reflector or refractor for bifacial solar module
Granted: March 27, 2018
Patent Number:
9929296
One embodiment relates to a bifacial photovoltaic module having an edge reflector. The module includes a plurality of solar cells in an array, each solar cell having a front side and a back side. A reflector is configured on an edge of the array of solar cells, the first reflector being configured to reflect light onto the front side of a row of solar cells adjacent to the edge. Another embodiment relates to a method of reducing non-uniformity of power generation from a bifacial…
Electrical independence of tracker rows
Granted: March 27, 2018
Patent Number:
9927827
A photovoltaic (PV) system can include one or more trackers that each includes a plurality of rows of PV collection devices. The rows of PV collection devices can be electrically independent from one another.
Soft switching technique for a grid-tied inverter
Granted: March 20, 2018
Patent Number:
9923488
A method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitate a soft switching technique for operating an inverter. In a full bridge inverter, a one of first set of transistors in the inverter may be rapidly activated and deactivated in pulses while one of a second set of transistor may be activated during a switching time period where the inverter matches the voltage and frequency of an AC grid. During a blanking time period between switching time periods, one of the second set of…
Photovoltaic systems with local maximum power point tracking prevention and methods for operating same
Granted: March 20, 2018
Patent Number:
9923374
A photovoltaic system includes solar cells and an inverter configured to convert direct current generated by the solar cells to alternating current. The photovoltaic system includes a maximum power point (MPP) tracking module configured to perform MPP tracking for the photovoltaic system. The MPP tracking module is configured to detect shading of the solar cells and to modify its MPP tracking to prevent tracking of local MPPs. The MPP tracking module may be incorporated in the inverter.
Drive with integrated inclination sensor
Granted: March 20, 2018
Patent Number:
9920957
A drive can include a positional sensor within an outer housing of the drive so as to provide an output indicative of a position of the drive. The positional sensor can be an inclinometer. The inclinometer can be used for feedback control of an inclination of the drive. The drive can further include control electronics within the same housing, so as to provide feedback control of a motor of the drive. The control electronics can include an input for receiving a requested inclination and…
Alignment free solar cell metallization
Granted: March 6, 2018
Patent Number:
9911874
A solar cell can include a substrate and a semiconductor region disposed in or above the substrate. The solar cell can also include a contact finger coupled to the semiconductor region via a plurality of weld regions with at least one of the weld regions being a partial weld.
