Apparatuses and methods for removal of ink buildup
Granted: March 12, 2013
Patent Number:
8393707
A substrate patterning method including the steps of spraying ink on a surface of a substrate, the spraying of the ink resulting in an overspray of excess ink past an edge of the substrate; changing a temperature of the excess ink to cause a change in a viscosity of the excess ink; and removing the excess ink having the changed viscosity.
Fabrication of solar cells with counter doping prevention
Granted: February 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8377738
A solar cell fabrication process includes printing of dopant sources over a polysilicon layer over backside of a solar cell substrate. The dopant sources are cured to diffuse dopants from the dopant sources into the polysilicon layer to form diffusion regions, and to crosslink the dopant sources to make them resistant to a subsequently performed texturing process. To prevent counter doping, dopants from one of the dopant sources are prevented from outgassing and diffusing into the other…
Method to dice back-contact solar cells
Granted: February 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8378706
A method of processing of solar cells includes determining that a back-contact solar cell is defective. The back-contact solar cell includes a first plurality of interconnect pads at a first edge thereof, and a second plurality of interconnect pads at a second, opposed thereof, the first and second pluralities of interconnect pads having opposite operational charges. The back-contact solar cell is then diced to define at least first and second back-contact solar cell sections. The first…
Method and apparatus for monitoring energy consumption of a customer structure
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8350417
In one embodiment, an improved circuit breaker module is installed in an electrical panel of a customer structure that receives power from a solar cell module and a utility company. The circuit breaker module may include a current sensor for sensing electrical current drawn by the customer structure from the utility company. The circuit breaker module may further include a current processing unit for capturing sensed electrical current values to generate energy consumption data and a…
Automated solar collector installation design including ability to define heterogeneous design preferences
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8352220
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 pre-defined “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…
Opposing row linear concentrator architecture
Granted: December 25, 2012
Patent Number:
8336539
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…
Method of fabricating a solar cell with a tunnel dielectric layer
Granted: December 18, 2012
Patent Number:
8334161
Methods of fabricating solar cells with tunnel dielectric layers are described. Solar cells with tunnel dielectric layers are also described.
Photovoltaic system with managed output and method of managing variability of output from a photovoltaic system
Granted: December 18, 2012
Patent Number:
8334489
Photovoltaic systems with managed output and methods for managing variability of output from photovoltaic systems are described. A system includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules configured to receive and convert solar energy. The system also includes a sensor configured to determine an orientation for each of the plurality of photovoltaic modules, the orientations based on a maximum output from the photovoltaic system. The system also includes an orientation system configured to…
Edge coating apparatus with movable roller applicator for solar cell substrates
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8322300
A non-contact edge coating apparatus includes an applicator for applying a coating material on an edge of a solar cell substrate and a control system configured to drive the applicator. The control system may drive the applicator along an axis to maintain a distance with an edge of the substrate as the substrate is rotated to have the edge coated with a coating material. The applicator may include a recessed portion into which the edge of the substrate is received for edge coating. For…
Solar cell contact formation using laser ablation
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8324015
The formation of solar cell contacts using a laser is described. A method of fabricating a back-contact solar cell includes forming a poly-crystalline material layer above a single-crystalline substrate. The method also includes forming a dielectric material stack above the poly-crystalline material layer. The method also includes forming, by laser ablation, a plurality of contacts holes in the dielectric material stack, each of the contact holes exposing a portion of the…
Non-permeable substrate carrier for electroplating
Granted: November 27, 2012
Patent Number:
8317987
One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier comprises a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are to be held. Electrically-conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body, and a plurality of contact clips are coupled to the electrically-conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and electrically couple the substrates to the…
Internal position and limit sensor for free piston machines
Granted: November 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8307700
A sensor for sensing the position of a reciprocating free piston in a free piston Stirling machine. The sensor has a disk mounted to an end face of the power piston coaxially with its cylinder and reciprocating with the piston The disk includes a rim around its outer perimeter formed of an electrically conductive material A coil is wound coaxially with the cylinder, spaced outwardly from the outer perimeter of the disk and mounted in fixed position relative to the pressure vessel,…
Multiple armature linear motor/alternator having magnetic spring with no fringe fields and increased power output
Granted: November 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8310113
An electromagnetic, reciprocating linear motor or alternator having at least two armatures that are adjacent along an axis of reciprocation. The armatures have gaps that are linearly aligned along a gap path parallel to the axis. Field magnets reciprocate within the gap path. The field magnets include a main field magnet associated with each armature, each main field magnet having a magnetic polarization in the same direction across the gap path. A secondary magnet provides a centering…
Device and method for solar power generation
Granted: November 6, 2012
Patent Number:
8304644
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 assembly which is removably and replaceably mounted on the reflector element. The photovoltaic…
Photovoltaic module kit including connector assembly for non-penetrating array installation
Granted: October 23, 2012
Patent Number:
8291654
A PV module kit for non-penetrating rooftop installation, including a plurality of PV modules and a plurality of connectors. Each of the PV modules includes a PV laminate and a frame forming a mounting region assembled thereto. The connectors include a male connector having a male fastener extending from a head, and a female connector having a female fastener assembled within a head. The heads are entirely formed of plastic. The kit provides a mounted array state including a junction at…
Photovoltaic array with minimally penetrating rooftop support system
Granted: October 23, 2012
Patent Number:
8294022
A photovoltaic array including a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies and a plurality of mounting units. The mounting units each include an elongate rail and a plurality of leg assemblies. The rail is sized and configured to maintain a portion of at least two of the photovoltaic assemblies, with the leg assemblies extending from the rail in a spaced-apart fashion and terminating in a foot for placement against a rooftop structure for minimally penetration installation. Further, at least…
Fire resistant PV shingle assembly
Granted: October 2, 2012
Patent Number:
8276329
A fire resistant PV shingle assembly includes a PV assembly, including PV body, a fire shield and a connection member connecting the fire shield below the PV body, and a support and inter-engagement assembly. The support and inter-engagement assembly is mounted to the PV assembly and comprises a vertical support element, supporting the PV assembly above a support surface, an upper interlock element, positioned towards the upper PV edge, and a lower interlock element, positioned towards…
High throughput solar cell ablation system
Granted: September 11, 2012
Patent Number:
8263899
A solar cell is formed using a solar cell ablation system. The ablation system includes a single laser source and several laser scanners. The laser scanners include a master laser scanner, with the rest of the laser scanners being slaved to the master laser scanner. A laser beam from the laser source is split into several laser beams, with the laser beams being scanned onto corresponding wafers using the laser scanners in accordance with one or more patterns. The laser beams may be…
Photovoltaic module and interlocked stack of photovoltaic modules
Granted: September 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8258395
One embodiment relates to an arrangement of photovoltaic modules configured for transportation. The arrangement includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module including a frame having at least a top member and a bottom member. A plurality of alignment features are included on the top member of each frame, and a plurality of alignment features are included on the bottom member of each frame. Adjacent photovoltaic modules are interlocked by the alignment features on…
Backside contact solar cell with formed polysilicon doped regions
Granted: August 14, 2012
Patent Number:
8242354
A solar cell includes abutting P-type and N-type doped regions in a contiguous portion of a polysilicon layer. The polysilicon layer may be formed on a thin dielectric layer, which is formed on a backside of a solar cell substrate (e.g., silicon wafer). The polysilicon layer has a relatively large average grain size to reduce or eliminate recombination in a space charge region between the P-type and N-type doped regions, thereby increasing efficiency.
