Self ballasted celestial tracking apparatus
Granted: December 17, 2013
Patent Number:
8609977
The invention is a wind resistant celestial tracking apparatus that uses gravitational forces acting on the moving elements of the structure to provide overturning resistance. A molded self curing compound, such as reinforced concrete, is used as the structural material that provides the mass, and thus the gravitational overturning resistance that reduces or eliminates the need for a massive ballasted or dug-in foundation. The combination of these features potentially lowers cost…
Thermal tracking for solar systems
Granted: December 10, 2013
Patent Number:
8604404
A power generating system is disclosed. The power generating system comprises a solar cell, a support structure coupled to the solar cell and adapted to adjust the position of the solar cell, a first thermal sensor coupled to the solar cell and adapted to detect a first temperature at a first location on the solar cell, a second thermal sensor coupled to the solar cell and adapted to detect a second temperature at a second location on the solar cell, the second location spaced apart from…
Hybrid polysilicon heterojunction back contact cell
Granted: December 3, 2013
Patent Number:
8597970
A method for manufacturing high efficiency solar cells is disclosed. The method comprises providing a thin dielectric layer and a doped polysilicon layer on the back side of a silicon substrate. Subsequently, a high quality oxide layer and a wide band gap doped semiconductor layer can both be formed on the back and front sides of the silicon substrate. A metallization process to plate metal fingers onto the doped polysilicon layer through contact openings can then be performed. The…
Free-piston stirling machine for extreme temperatures
Granted: November 26, 2013
Patent Number:
8590301
A free piston Stirling machine including a thermal buffer tube extending from the machine's expansion space and surrounded by its heat rejector and its regenerator, a displacer cylinder extending from the thermal buffer tube to the compression space and surrounded by the heat rejecting heat exchanger, and a displacer that reciprocates within an excursion limit that extends into the regenerator by no more than 20% of the length of the regenerator during normal operation and preferably…
Balanced multiple groupings of beta stirling machines
Granted: November 26, 2013
Patent Number:
8590300
Multiple free-piston Stirling (FPS) machines are arranged in a group and connected for preventing or minimizing vibration. A first set of identical beta FPS machines are arranged in a mechanically co-directional orientation and configured to reciprocate in thermodynamically synchronous reciprocation with each other. The first set has axes of reciprocation intersecting a first point. A second set of beta FPS machines are arranged in a mechanically co-directional orientation that is the…
Process and structures for fabrication of solar cells with laser ablation steps to form contact holes
Granted: November 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8586403
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.
Method for forming diffusion regions in a silicon substrate
Granted: November 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8586397
A method of manufacturing solar cells is disclosed. The method comprises depositing an etch-resistant dopant material on a silicon substrate, the etch-resistant dopant material comprising a dopant source, forming a cross-linked matrix in the etch-resistant dopant material using a non-thermal cure of the etch-resistant dopant material, and heating the silicon substrate and the etch-resistant dopant material to a temperature sufficient to cause the dopant source to diffuse into the silicon…
Opposing row linear concentrator architecture
Granted: November 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8584667
A solar concentrator assembly is disclosed. The solar concentrator assembly comprises a first reflective device having a first reflective front side and a first rear side, a second reflective device having a second reflective front side and a second rear side, the second reflective device positioned such that the first reflective front side faces the second rear side, and a support assembly coupled to and supporting the first and second reflective devices, the second reflective device…
Hole-thru-laminate mounting supports for photovoltaic modules
Granted: November 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8584406
A mounting support for a photovoltaic module is described. The mounting support includes a pedestal having a surface adaptable to receive a flat side of a photovoltaic module laminate. A hole is disposed in the pedestal, the hole adaptable to receive a bolt or a pin used to couple the pedestal to the flat side of the photovoltaic module laminate.
Bypass diode for a solar cell
Granted: November 12, 2013
Patent Number:
8580599
Methods of fabricating bypass diodes for solar cells are described. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a first conductive region of a first conductivity type above a substrate of a solar cell. A second conductive region of a second conductivity type is formed on the first conductive region. In another embodiment, a method includes forming a first conductive region of a first conductivity type above a substrate of a solar cell. A second conductive region of a second conductivity…
Method of manufacturing a large-area segmented photovoltaic module
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8572836
One embodiment of the invention relates to a segmented photovoltaic (PV) module which is manufactured from laminate segments. The segmented PV module includes rectangular-shaped laminate segments formed from rectangular-shaped PV laminates and further includes non-rectangular-shaped laminate segments formed from rectangular-shaped and approximately-triangular-shaped PV laminates. The laminate segments are mechanically joined and electrically interconnected to form the segmented module.…
Snap-in and progressive locking photovoltaic module
Granted: October 29, 2013
Patent Number:
8567134
A photovoltaic assembly for converting solar radiation to electrical energy is described. The photovoltaic assembly includes a first photovoltaic module, a second photovoltaic module and a coupling platform. The first and second photovoltaic module each have a first side for securing to the coupling platform. The coupling platform has a retractable locking mechanism and a retaining device. The retaining device is positioned such that the first side of the second PV module inhibits the…
Diode and heat spreader for solar module
Granted: October 22, 2013
Patent Number:
8563849
Arrangements of diodes and heat spreaders for solar modules are described. For example, a solar module may include a backsheet with a low profile, surface-mount diode disposed above the backsheet. A pair of ribbon interconnects is coupled to the low profile, surface-mount diode and may penetrate the backsheet.
Supported PV module assembly
Granted: October 15, 2013
Patent Number:
8558101
A supported PV assembly may include a PV module comprising a PV panel and PV module supports including module supports having a support surface supporting the module, a module registration member engaging the PV module to properly position the PV module on the module support, and a mounting element. In some embodiments the PV module registration members engage only the external surfaces of the PV modules at the corners. In some embodiments the assembly includes a wind deflector with…
Deposition system with electrically isolated pallet and anode assemblies
Granted: October 15, 2013
Patent Number:
8557093
A system for substrate deposition. The system includes a wafer pallet and an anode. The wafer pallet has a bottom and a top. The top of the wafer pallet is configured to hold a substrate wafer. The anode has a substantially fixed position relative to the wafer pallet and is configured to move with the wafer pallet through the deposition chamber. The anode is electrically isolated from the substrate wafer.
Photovoltaic module with adhesion promoter
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8552288
Photovoltaic modules with adhesion promoters and methods for fabricating photovoltaic modules with adhesion promoters are described. A photovoltaic module includes a solar cell including a first surface and a second surface, the second surface including a plurality of interspaced back-side contacts. A first glass layer is coupled to the first surface by a first encapsulating layer. A second glass layer is coupled to the second surface by a second encapsulating layer. At least a portion…
System and method for associating a load demand with a variable power generation
Granted: October 1, 2013
Patent Number:
8548637
Systems and methods for associating a load demand with a variable power generation are described. For example, a method of providing power from a renewable resource includes receiving a signal including an output capability value for a renewable variable power generation module. An input power demand value is calculated for a load demand module based on the output capability value of the received signal. A customer load is controlled on a power transmission and distribution grid based on…
Device and method for solar power generation
Granted: October 1, 2013
Patent Number:
8546681
A photovoltaic device comprising an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface to reflect incident solar radiation towards a forward adjacent reflector element in the array. The at least one reflector element includes a photovoltaic receptor mounted on the reflector element by a mounting arrangement to receive reflected solar…
Photovoltaic assemblies and methods for transporting
Granted: September 17, 2013
Patent Number:
8534007
A PV assembly including framework, PV laminate(s), and a stiffening device. The framework includes a perimeter frame at least 10 feet in length and at least 5 feet in width. The PV laminate(s) are assembled to the perimeter frame to define a receiving zone having a depth of not more than 8 inches. The stiffening device is associated with the framework and is configured to provide a first state and a second state. In the first state, an entirety of the stiffening device is maintained…
Heat-regulating glass bending apparatus and method
Granted: September 10, 2013
Patent Number:
8528366
A sag-bending system is disclosed. The sag-bending system comprises a sag-bending glass support mold and a perimeter thermal manager. The support mold comprises a plurality of rib members extending in a first direction, each of the plurality of rib members having a curved upper surface shaped to form the collective upper surface having a position and shape to support a quadrilateral-shaped sag-bent glass sheet into a desired contour, each of the rib members further having a lower…
