Partially translucent photovoltaic modules and methods for manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10978601-B2
Application number	US-201816481605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2018
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

Example embodiments relate to partially translucent photovoltaic modules and methods for manufacturing partially translucent photovoltaic modules. One embodiment includes a method for electrically interconnecting a plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates. The method includes positioning a plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates side by side. The thin-film photovoltaic plates are partially translucent or non-translucent. The method also includes providing at least one connection element on a surface of each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates. The at least one connection element includes a plurality of electrically conductive wires arranged in a grid structure. Further, the method includes physically separating each connection element into a first connection part that includes a plurality of first electrically interconnected, conductive wires and a second connection part that includes a plurality of second electrically interconnected, conductive wires. In addition, the method includes providing busbars and forming electrical busbar connections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for electrically interconnecting a plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates, wherein the method comprises:
positioning the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates side by side, wherein each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates is partially translucent or non-translucent and comprises:
at least one first plate electrode of a first polarity; and
at least one second plate electrode of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, wherein the at least one first plate electrode and the at least one second plate electrode are at least partially exposed on a same surface and at opposite edges of the thin-film photovoltaic plate;

providing at least one connection element on an illumination surface of each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates, wherein the at least one connection element comprises a plurality of electrically conductive wires arranged in a grid structure, wherein rows of electrically conductive wires are electrically coupled to one another via columns of electrically conductive wires;
subsequent to providing the at least one connection element on a surface of each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates, physically separating each connection element into a first connection part comprising a plurality of first electrically interconnected, conductive wires and a second connection part comprising a plurality of second electrically interconnected, conductive wires such that, on a surface of each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates, the plurality of first electrically interconnected, conductive wires is electrically insulated from the plurality of second electrically interconnected, conductive wires;
forming, for each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates, a first electrical connection between corresponding first electrically interconnected conductive wires and the at least one first plate electrode;
forming, for each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates, a second electrical connection between corresponding second electrically interconnected conductive wires and the at least one second plate electrode;
providing a first busbar of the first polarity and a second busbar of the second polarity; and
forming, for each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates, a first electrical busbar connection between the corresponding first electrically interconnected, conductive wires and the first busbar and a second electrical busbar connection between the corresponding second electrically interconnected, conductive wires and the second busbar, thereby electrically interconnecting the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface on which the at least one connection element is provided is a front surface for at least one of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates.

3. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates comprises a plurality of thin-film photovoltaic cells,
wherein each of the thin-film photovoltaic cells comprises a first cell electrode and a second cell electrode, and
wherein the method further comprises providing an optically transparent, electrically insulating layer on the surface on which the at least one connection element is provided to thereby electrically insulate the first cell electrodes and the second cell electrodes from the at least one connection element.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the optically transparent, electrically insulating layer is provided before providing the at least one connection element.

5. The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein the optically transparent, electrically insulating layer and the at least one connection element are provided simultaneously, and
wherein the at least one connection element is integrated with the optically transparent electrically insulating layer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the first electrical connection and forming the second electrical connection comprise welding, soldering, gluing, pressing, printing of an electrically conductive structure, welding of an electrically conductive structure, or soldering of an electrically conductive structure.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the first electrical busbar connection and forming the second electrical busbar connection comprise welding, soldering, gluing, pressing, printing of an electrically conductive structure, welding of an electrically conductive structure, or soldering of an electrically conductive structure.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one connection element has an optical transparency of more than 90%, more than 95%, or more than 98%.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one connection element has a sheet resistance lower than 10 Ohm per square, lower than 2 Ohm per square, lower than 0.5 Ohm per square, or lower than 0.1 Ohm per square.

10. A method for manufacturing a thin-film photovoltaic module, wherein the method comprises:
providing a plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates that are partially translucent or non-translucent and comprise at least one first plate electrode of a first polarity and at least one second plate electrode of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, wherein the at least one first plate electrode and the at least one second plate electrode are at least partially exposed on a same surface and at opposite edges of the thin-film photovoltaic plate;
providing a first encapsulation sheet;
electrically interconnecting the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates by a method according to claim 1 ,
wherein providing the first busbar of the first polarity and the second busbar of the second polarity comprises providing the first busbar and the second busbar on the first encapsulation sheet,
wherein positioning the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates side by side comprises positioning the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates on the first encapsulation sheet having the first busbar and the second busbar provided thereon, thereby leaving the first busbar and the second busbar at least partially exposed;
providing a second encapsulation sheet on the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates at a side of the thin-film photovoltaic plates opposite to a side of the first encapsulation sheet; and
performing a lamination step to encapsulate the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates in between the first encapsulation sheet and the second encapsulation sheet and to form a thin-film photovoltaic module.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising providing an encapsulation layer in between the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates and at least one of the first encapsulation sheet and the second encapsulation sheet.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one connection element is integrated with the encapsulation layer.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein an optically transparent, electrically insulating layer, the at least one connection element, and the encapsulation layer are integrated into a single sheet.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein placing the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates side by side comprises positioning the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates such that plate electrodes of adjacent thin-film photovoltaic plates having same polarity are located next to each other.

15. A thin-film photovoltaic module comprising:
a plurality of thin-film photovoltaic plates positioned side by side, wherein each of the thin

Assignees

• Imec Vzw
• Univ Hasselt

Inventors

• Meuris Marc
• Borgers Tom
• Onsia Bart

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · 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

• H10F19/37

  comprising means for obtaining partial light transmission through the integrated devices, or the assemblies of multiple devices, e.g. partially transparent thin-film photovoltaic modules for windows · CPC title

• H10F19/902

  for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F19/90 Primary

  Structures for connecting between photovoltaic cells, e.g. interconnections or insulating spacers (between thin-film photovoltaic cells on a single substrate H10F19/35) · CPC title