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US 2018/0323333 A1Published application
Shingled solar cell module
AssigneeSunPower Corporation
InventorsRatson MORAD, Gilad ALMOGY, Itai SUEZ, Jean HUMMEL, Nathan BECKETT, Yafu LIN, John GANNON, Michael J. STARKEY, Robert STUART, Tamir LANCE, Dan MAYDAN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells conductively bonded to each other in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency.
Claims29
An apparatus comprising:
- a series connected string of N rectangular silicon solar cells having on average a breakdown voltage Vc and having on average an open circuit voltage Voc, arranged in line with long sides of adjacent solar cells overlapping and conductively bonded to each other with an electrically and thermally conductive adhesive to form a first super cell, wherein
- the product (N−1)(Vc) is greater than Vc, and
- no single solar cell or group of <N solar cells in the string of solar cells is individually electrically and directly connected in parallel with a bypass diode.
The apparatus of claim 22, Vc is greater than about 10 volts.
The apparatus of claim 22, Vc is less than about 35 volts.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for spreading heat generated by a hotspot condition of one or more rectangular silicon solar cells of a series connected string of N rectangular silicon solar cells having on average a breakdown voltage Vc and having on average an open circuit voltage Voc, arranged in line with long sides of adjacent solar cells overlapping and conductively bonded to each other with an electrically and thermally conductive adhesive to form a first super cell, such that heat from the one or more rectangular silicon solar cells having the hotspot condition is spread to one or more other rectangular silicon solar cells of the first super cell to prevent irreversible damage to the apparatus from the hotspot condition, wherein
- the product (N−1)(Voc) is greater than Vc, and
- no single solar cell or group of <N solar cells in the string of solar cells is individually electrically and directly connected in parallel with a bypass diode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.