Integrated flexible solar cell material and method of production

An energy producing gore for an airship comprising:

• (a) a layer of flexible solar cells deposited on a flexible polymer layer having a plurality of terminals extending through said flexible polymer layer, said flexible polymer layer forming the outer surface of an airship gore;
• (b) a flexible substrate forming the inner surface of said airship gore;
• (c) a non-conductive adhesive layer bonding said flexible substrate to said outer surface;
• (d) a first electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the back side of said layer of flexible solar cells and the back side of said flexible substrate wherein said plurality of terminals are simultaneously connected to said first electrically conductive conduit during the bonding of said flexible polymer layer to said flexible substrate;
• and
• (e) a second electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate said flexible substrate and said layer of flexible solar cells.

A high altitude flexible covering for converting solar energy to electrical energy comprising:

• (a) a flexible solar cell layer deposited on a polymer film;
• (b) a flexible substrate layer;
• (c) an electrically non-conductive flexible polymer adhesive bonding said flexible solar cell layer to said flexible substrate layer;
• (d) a first electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the back side of said flexible solar cell layer and the back side of said flexible substrate layer and connected to said flexible solar cell layer;
• (e) a plurality of first terminals extending through said polymer film connected to said first electrically conductive conduit;
• (f) a second electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the back side of said flexible solar cell layer and the back side of said flexible substrate layer and connected to said flexible solar cell layer;
• and
• (g) a plurality of second terminals extending through said polymer film connected to said second electrically conductive conduit.

An energy producing flexible covering comprising:

• (a) a flexible solar cell deposited on a flexible polymer substrate forming an outer layer;
• (b) a flexible substrate;
• (c) a non-conductive adhesive bonding said outer layer to said flexible substrate;
• (d) a first electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate said flexible solar cell and said flexible substrate and connected to said flexible solar cell;
• (e) a second electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the back side of said outer layer and the back side of said flexible substrate;
• and
• (f) a plurality of terminals extending through said flexible polymer substrate connected to said second electrically conductive conduit wherein the connection of said plurality of terminals to said second electrically conductive conduit are made when said outer layer is bonded to said flexible substrate with said non-conductive adhesive.

A vehicle having a flexible energy producing covering comprising:

• (a) a flexible polymer layer;
• (b) a layer of flexible solar cells deposited on said flexible polymer layer;
• (c) a plurality of terminals extending through said flexible polymer layer;
• (d) a flexible substrate;
• (e) a non-conductive flexible layer bonding said flexible substrate to said flexible polymer layer;
• (f) a first electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the bottom surface of said flexible substrate and the bottom surface of said flexible polymer layer wherein said plurality of terminals extending through said flexible layer are connected to said first electrically conductive conduit as said flexible polymer layer is bonded to said flexible substrate;
• and
• (g) a second electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the bottom surface of said flexible substrate and the bottom surface of said flexible polymer layer.

A flexible energy producing covering comprising:

• (a) a flexible solar cell layer deposited on a flexible polymer film in an orientation conforming to the desired electrical properties of the covering;
• (b) a flexible substrate layer;
• (c) a non-conductive layer bonding said flexible solar cell layer to said flexible substrate layer;
• (d) a first electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the bottom side of said flexible solar cell layer and the back side of said flexible substrate layer and connected to said flexible solar cell layer by solar cell terminals extending through said polymer film;
• and
• (e) a second electrically conductive conduit disposed intermediate the bottom side of said flexible solar cell layer and the back side of said flexible substrate layer and connected to said flexible solar cell layer by solar cell terminals extending through said polymer film.