Solar panel with four terminal tandem solar cell arrangement

A method for manufacturing a solar panel comprising:

• providing a silicon based submodule holding an arrangement of a plurality of silicon based solar cells;
• providing a front transparent plate and a backsheet;
• providing the backsheet with at least a first conductive pattern;
• arranging the silicon based submodule between the front transparent plate and the backsheet with the front transparent plate being above the front surfaces of the plurality of silicon based solar cells, in which the plurality of silicon based solar cells each are provided with electrical contacts on a rear surface with each rear surface arranged on the backsheet, such that each silicon based solar cell of the silicon based submodule is electrically connected to the first conductive pattern;
• arranging a thin film photovoltaic submodule on the surface of the front transparent plate facing towards the silicon based submodule, the thin film photovoltaic submodule comprising a plurality of thin film solar cells and being arranged with two thin film photovoltaic submodule contact terminals in a layout such that the two thin film photovoltaic submodule contact terminals electrically connect to a second conductive pattern on the backsheet outside of locations of the first conductive pattern on the backsheet, and
• arranging the backsheet for four-terminal wiring layout with the first conductive pattern for providing electrical connections to the plurality of crystalline silicon based solar cells and the second conductive pattern for providing electrical connections to the plurality of thin film solar cells, and the method further comprises:
• arranging the plurality of thin film solar cells in a series connection in an array, with a first group of thin film solar cells electrically connected in series in a first direction and a second group of thin film solar cells electrically connected in series in the first direction;
• the first group being in an electrical parallel connection with the second group, between the two thin film photovoltaic submodule contact terminals, with one end of the electrical parallel connection being connected to one of the two thin film photovoltaic submodule contact terminals and the other end of the electrical parallel connection connected to the other of the two thin film photovoltaic submodule contact terminals,
• wherein a dimension of each group of thin film solar cells in the first direction corresponds with a dimension of at least one silicon based solar cell in the first direction, and the first group of serially interconnected thin film solar cells covers the at least one respective silicon based solar cell, the second group covers at least one other silicon based solar cell adjoining in the first direction,
• a group terminal of the first and second groups of thin film solar cells to the thin film photovoltaic submodule contact terminals is located outside the area of the at least one silicon based solar cell covered by the respective group, and is at a location in between the at least one silicon based solar cell and the at least one other adjoining silicon based solar cell.