Composite masking between solar cells
Granted: December 20, 2022
Patent Number:
11532761
Composite making regions are provided. These masking regions can include layers or other areas of different transparency where a first region has a first transparency and a second region has a different transparency. Masking regions can be positioned between adjacent photovoltaic cells of photovoltaic arrays.
Aggregated photovoltaic panels
Granted: December 13, 2022
Patent Number:
11527990
Photovoltaic panels may be aggregated in various ways and may be aggregated with the use of a backplane where the backplane comprises electrical connectors positioned to electrically connect the PV panels. The PV panels may have various sizes and shapes and may overlap one or more other PV panels or PV panels being aggregated.
Power scrubber
Granted: December 13, 2022
Patent Number:
D972307
Single-walled connecting key framesets
Granted: December 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11519638
Frames and processes of manufacture using single-wall frame sections coupled to other single-wall frame sections or double-wall frame sections using a connecting key are provided. The connecting key can be metallic, polymer, ceramic, a laminate, and combinations thereof.
Solar power system commissioning
Granted: November 29, 2022
Patent Number:
11515837
Commissioning a solar power monitoring system includes imaging a plurality of labels, wherein each label of the plurality of labels is associated with an electronic component. Further, commissioning the solar power monitoring system includes discovering each electronic component at the same time based on the imaging of the plurality of labels, displaying a list of the discovered electronic components, and commissioning a solar power monitoring system including the discovered electronic…
Solar cells having junctions retracted from cleaved edges
Granted: November 29, 2022
Patent Number:
11515441
Methods of fabricating solar cells having junctions retracted from cleaved edges, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface, a back surface, and sidewalls. An emitter region is in the substrate at the light-receiving surface of the substrate. The emitter region has sidewalls laterally retracted from the sidewalls of the substrate. A passivation layer is on the sidewalls of the emitter region.
In-cell bypass diode
Granted: November 22, 2022
Patent Number:
11508860
A solar cell can include a built-in bypass diode. In one embodiment, the solar cell can include an active region disposed in or above a first portion of a substrate and a bypass diode disposed in or above a second portion of the substrate. The first and second portions of the substrate can be physically separated with a groove. A metallization structure can couple the active region to the bypass diode.
Solar cell emitter region fabrication with differentiated P-type and N-type region architectures
Granted: November 15, 2022
Patent Number:
11502208
Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a…
Photovoltaic panel having an adhered support frame
Granted: November 15, 2022
Patent Number:
11502640
A photovoltaic panel having a distributed support frame adhered to a photovoltaic module is described. For example, the distributed support frame may include one or more support member or support mounts adhered to the photovoltaic module by an adhesive layer. The photovoltaic module may include layers bound together by an encapsulant. Accordingly, the distributed support frame may be attached to the photovoltaic module during a same lamination process used to laminate the photovoltaic…
Solar cell having a plurality of sub-cells coupled by cell level interconnection
Granted: November 15, 2022
Patent Number:
11502213
Methods of fabricating solar cells having a plurality of sub-cells coupled by cell level interconnection, and the resulting solar cells, are described herein. In an example, a solar cell includes a plurality of sub-cells. Each of the plurality of sub-cells includes a singulated and physically separated semiconductor substrate portion. Each of the plurality of sub-cells includes an on-sub-cell metallization structure interconnecting emitter regions of the sub-cell. An inter-sub-cell…
Reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate(s) and photovoltaic panel(s)
Granted: November 8, 2022
Patent Number:
11495698
Reconfigurable PV panels can have features that include cut lines for separating full panels into smaller subpanels, connector ribbons for assembling several reconfigurable PV panels into a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array and can be stacked upon each other and unstacked by rotating them about a shared connection.
Shingled solar cell module
Granted: October 25, 2022
Patent Number:
11482639
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.
Corner connector for photovoltaic module frame
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11463044
Corner connection members for a photovoltaic module frame include thru-passages for receiving insert components that perform and facilitate a variety of functions, such as attaching the photovoltaic module to a roof, providing a ground connection for the solar cells, to facilitate the mechanical and electrical connection of photovoltaic modules which are arranged side-by-side, to facilitate securing photovoltaic modules in a stack, and providing mechanical and electrical connections to…
Photovoltaic system monitoring and analysis
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11460490
A method for monitoring a photovoltaic (PV) system includes receiving PV system information for a predetermined timeframe; displaying a power flow based on the received PV system information corresponding to the predetermined timeframe; displaying energy storage system information based on the received PV system information corresponding to the predetermined timeframe; and displaying an energy mix analysis based on the received PV system information corresponding to the predetermined…
Interconnection of solar cells in a solar cell module
Granted: September 27, 2022
Patent Number:
11456395
A solar cell module includes serially connected solar cells. A solar cell includes a carrier that is attached to the backside of the solar cell. Solar cells are attached to a top cover, and vias are formed through the carriers of the solar cells. A solar cell is electrically connected to an adjacent solar cell in the solar cell module with metal connections in the vias.
Automated solar collector installation design including version management
Granted: September 13, 2022
Patent Number:
11443261
Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of predefined “features” with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described…
Photovoltaic module or array shutdown
Granted: September 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11437953
A photovoltaic (PV) system can include a plurality of PV modules and circuitry configured to receive an indication of a status of the PV system and to, in response to the indication, determine whether to switch between a first state in which the PV modules output DC power and a second state in which the PV modules do not output power.
Metallization of solar cells with differentiated p-type and n-type region architectures
Granted: September 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11437530
Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell can include a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a…
Process and structures for fabrication of solar cells
Granted: September 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11437528
Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accommodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thicknesses.
Solar canopy
Granted: May 10, 2022
Patent Number:
D951179
