Photovoltaic roof tiles and method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10771006-B2
Application number	US-201816034299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 12, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A solar tile and method for manufacturing solar tiles as a roofing surface with improved aesthetics that reduce the visual differences between solar and non-solar portions of tile. Roof tiles include an active area of thin-film photovoltaic material and an inactive area of thin-film photovoltaic material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic tile comprising:
a light transmissive top sheet;
a base substrate, wherein the base substrate is adhered to the top sheet;
an active area of photovoltaic material between the base substrate and the top sheet; and
an inactive area of photovoltaic material between the base substrate and the top sheet; and
an adhesive material disposed between the inactive area of photovoltaic material and the top sheet forming an adhesion region,
wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is located between an edge of the base substrate and the active area of photovoltaic material,
wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is continuous and surrounds the active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate.

2. The photovoltaic tile of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic materials of the active area and the inactive area are the same type of thin-film solar material.

3. The photovoltaic tile of claim 2 , wherein the thin-film solar material is deposited on the base substrate.

4. The photovoltaic tile of claim 3 , wherein the active area of photovoltaic material is substantially rectangular and the inactive area of photovoltaic material forms a continuous rectangular border around the active area of photovoltaic material.

5. The photovoltaic tile of claim 4 , wherein a continuous portion of the base substrate without deposited thin-film solar material is directly adjacent to and surrounds the inactive area of photovoltaic material.

6. The photovoltaic tile of claim 4 , wherein the rectangular border comprises a width of greater than 5 mm.

7. The photovoltaic tile of claim 1 , wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material does not directly contact the active area of photovoltaic material and is separated by a continuous gap on the base substrate surrounding the active area of photovoltaic material, and
wherein the continuous gap is located at a predetermined distance from the edge of the base substrate in order for the active area of photovoltaic material to comply with a setback requirement.

8. The photovoltaic tile of claim 7 , wherein the continuous gap is less than 100 microns.

9. The photovoltaic tile of claim 8 , wherein the continuous gap is laser scribed through the base substrate.

10. The photovoltaic tile of claim 1 , wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material surrounds a second active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate, distinct from and not directly contacting the active area of photovoltaic material.

11. A photovoltaic roof tile comprising:
a light transmissive top sheet;
a layer of thin-film photovoltaic material on a base substrate, the layer of thin-film photovoltaic material, comprising;
an active area of photovoltaic material and an inactive area of photovoltaic material, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is located between an edge of the base substrate and the active area of photovoltaic material; and

encapsulating material surrounding the active area of photovoltaic material and the inactive area of photovoltaic material and disposed between the base substrate and the light transmissive top sheet; and
an adhesive material disposed between the inactive area of photovoltaic material and the light transmissive top sheet forming an adhesion region,
wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is continuous and surrounds the active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate.

12. The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 11 , wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material does not directly contact the active area of photovoltaic material and is separated by a continuous gap on the base substrate surrounding the active area of photovoltaic material, and
wherein the gap is located at a predetermined distance from the edge of the base substrate in order for the active area of photovoltaic material to comply with a setback requirement.

13. The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 12 , wherein the gap is less than 100 microns.

14. The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 11 , wherein the layer of thin-film photovoltaic forms a substantially rectangular active area of photovoltaic material and a continuous substantially rectangular border of inactive area of photovoltaic material around the active area of photovoltaic material.

15. The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 14 , wherein the rectangular border comprises a width of greater than 5 mm.

16. The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 11 , wherein the layer of thin-film photovoltaic material further comprises a second active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate, distinct from the active area of photovoltaic material.

17. A photovoltaic roof tile comprising:
a light transmissive top sheet;
a thin-film photovoltaic material, comprising:
an active area and an inactive area of the thin-film photovoltaic material disposed on a base substrate, wherein the inactive area is located between an edge of the base substrate and the active area of the thin-film photovoltaic material; and

an adhesive material disposed between the inactive area of the thin-film photovoltaic material and the light transmissive top sheet forming an adhesion region,
wherein the inactive area of the thin-film photovoltaic material is continuous and surrounds the active area of the thin-film photovoltaic material on the base substrate.

Assignees

• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Flanigan Daniel Preston
• Mayer Alex Christopher

Classifications

• H10F77/123

  comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdS, ZnS or HgCdTe · CPC title

• H10F77/126

  comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS] · CPC title

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• H10F19/807

  Double-glass encapsulation, e.g. photovoltaic cells arranged between front and rear glass sheets · CPC title

• H10F19/31

  having multiple laterally adjacent thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate · CPC title