Solar module having reflector between cells

Patent · 31 December 1998

OSTI ID:872712

Kardauskas, Michael J ^[1]

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1. Billerica, MA

A photovoltaic module comprising an array of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells disposed in a planar and mutually spaced relationship between a light-transparent front cover member in sheet form and a back sheet structure is provided with a novel light-reflecting means disposed between adjacent cells for reflecting light falling in the areas between cells back toward said transparent cover member for further internal reflection onto the solar cells. The light-reflecting comprises a flexible plastic film that has been embossed so as to have a plurality of small V-shaped grooves in its front surface, and a thin light-reflecting coating on said front surface, the portions of said coating along the sides of said grooves forming light-reflecting facets, said grooves being formed so that said facets will reflect light impinging thereon back into said transparent cover sheet with an angle of incidence greater than the critical angle, whereby substantially all of the reflected light will be internally reflected from said cover sheet back to said solar modules, thereby increasing the current output of the module.

• Assignee: ASE Americas, Inc. (Billerica, MA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5994641
• OSTI ID: 872712
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/136/438/
adjacent
adjacent cell
adjacent cells
angle
array
cells
cells disposed
coating
comprises
comprising
cover
critical
critical angle
current
current output
disposed
electrically
electrically interconnected
embossed
facets
falling
film
flexible
flexible plastic
form
formed
forming
front
front surface
grooves
impinging
incidence
increasing
interconnected
interconnected photovoltaic
internal
internal reflection
internally
internally reflected
light
light falling
light impinging
light-reflecting
light-transparent
means
means disposed
module
module comprising
modules
mutually
mutually spaced
novel
output
photovoltaic
photovoltaic cell
photovoltaic cells
photovoltaic module
planar
plastic
plurality
portions
provided
reflect
reflect light
reflected
reflected light
reflecting
reflecting coating
reflection
reflector
relationship
sheet
sheet form
solar
solar cell
solar cells
spaced
spaced relation
spaced relationship
structure
substantially
surface
thereon
transparent
transparent cover
v-shaped
v-shaped groove
v-shaped grooves
whereby