System and methods for achieving a micro louver effect in a photovoltaic cell
AssigneeTesla, Inc.
InventorsAlex Christopher Mayer, Brian Edward Atchley, Andreas Meisel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays that can be aesthetically pleasing and appear seamless to an observer. Micro louvered structures can be incorporated into photovoltaic (PV) stacks, such that light entering a PV stack that is reflected off of embedded solar cells is not directed out at angles at which a typical observer would normally view the PV stack or roof on which a solar array is installed. Further, portions of the micro louvered structures can be coated with reflective, refractive, dielectric, and/or colored films such that underlying solar cells within the PV stack are obscured from the sightlines of a typical observer.
Claims9
A photovoltaic (PV) laminate stack, comprising:
- a glass layer;
- an encapsulant layer arranged below the glass layer;
- an anti-reflective coating disposed on a surface of the glass layer and forming an exterior surface of the PV laminate stack, wherein the anti-reflective coating is formed by a sol gel;
- a plurality of solar cells embedded within the encapsulant layer, a portion of the encapsulant layer separating the plurality of solar cells from the glass layer;
- and
- a plurality of refraction bands positioned in a periodic sequence and formed by staining portions of the anti-reflective coating with a pigment that obscures visibility of the plurality of solar cells, wherein staining is applied so that one or more of the plurality of refraction bands extends from the exterior surface of the PV laminate stack to the surface of the glass layer, wherein adjacent refraction bands are positionally spaced less than 100 microns from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.