Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric – Photoelectric – Cells
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-28
2002-05-07
Diamond, Alan (Department: 1753)
Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric
Photoelectric
Cells
C136S251000, C136S246000, C136S259000, C257S437000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06384318
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar battery module and, more specifically, to a solar battery module used for solar power generation.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, use of clean energy has attracting much attention, and use of solar batteries has been promoted. Further, along with mass production of solar batteries, manufacturing cost has been reduced. Conventionally, the solar battery has been dominantly used in the form of a solar electricity generation plant where a large number of solar batteries are arranged, or used for securing power supply at a remote location. Recently, it becomes more and more popular to install a solar battery module panel on a house roof or on an outer wall of a building in town, generate power thereby and use the power in the similar manner as the electricity supplied by the conventional electric power company.
Such a solar battery module panel has a plurality of photovoltaic elements resin-sealed between a surface cover glass and a back cover film. Conventionally, a transparent glass having mirror surface has been used as the surface cover glass, causing public nuisance caused by light. In order to solve this problem, use of a figured glass having a particular shape on its surface formed by pressing the glass has been proposed. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-74552 discloses a method for forming unevenness or roughness on the light entering surface of a glass substrate.
As a structure enabling significant cost reduction of the solar battery module, a solar battery module formed on a substrate has been proposed, which is obtained by successively forming a transparent electrode layer, a semiconductor layer and a back electrode layer from the light entering side in this order, on a transparent insulating substrate having the same size as the surface cover glass. This structure is characterized in that sealing resin to be filled between interconnections of photovoltaic elements and between the elements and the cover glass is unnecessary, and that energy loss caused by light absorption by the surface cover glass and degradation in property caused by yellowing of resin are not experienced.
FIG. 11
is a cross section representing a schematic structure of an example of the conventional solar battery module.
Referring to
FIG. 11
, the solar battery module includes a transparent insulating substrate
1
, a transparent electrode layer
2
formed on a surface different from a light entering surface of transparent substrate
1
, a photo semiconductor layer
3
formed on transparent electrode layer
2
, and a back electrode layer
4
formed on photo semiconductor layer
3
. A photo semiconductor element
5
formed by successive stacking of transparent electrode layer
2
, photo semiconductor layer
3
and back electrode layer
4
is divided into a plurality of areas, and the areas are electrically connected in series or in parallel with each other.
The solar battery module is sealed and protected by a filler resin
6
and a back cover film
7
, so as to protect photo semiconductor element
5
. Further, the solar batteriesealed in this manner has a frame
8
attached thereto.
The process steps for manufacturing the conventional solar battery module structured as described above includes the steps of film formation such as plasma CVD and sputtering, as well as the step of laser processing. In order to stably perform these process steps, the conventional solar battery module has the light entering surface of transparent insulating film
1
made flat.
It has been pointed out, however, that when the conventional solar battery module structured as described above is arranged on a roof or an outer wall of a building, sunlight may possibly be reflected and enter neighboring household dependent on the angle between the sun and the solar battery module, resulting in public nuisance.
In order to solve this problem, use of a figured glass, which scatters light, as the substrate surface has been proposed as described above. When such a glass is to be used, detailed study of the texture specification of the figured glass or special laser processing condition becomes necessary, resulting in increased cost. When unevenness is to be formed on the glass substrate itself as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-74552, glass processing involves high temperature or use of a highly reactive solution such as hydrofluoric acid, and therefore the unevenness cannot be formed after completion of the module. When the glass substrate itself is processed in advance before fabrication of the module, it becomes impossible to laser-cut the semiconductor layer or the electrode layer from the side of the glass substrate. Though blasting is possible as a method of forming unevenness on the glass substrate, blasting deteriorates glass strength.
In the conventional manufacturing of a solar battery module, glass substrates of different lots have different tones. Therefore, the completed solar battery module also has difference in tone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a solar battery module solving the above described problems, effectively preventing public nuisance caused by light reflection on the light entering side and having uniform tone.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a solar battery module is provided. The solar battery module includes a transparent insulating substrate having first and second surfaces, a first electrode layer formed on the first surface of the transparent insulating substrate, a photosemiconductor layer formed on the first electrode layer, a second electrode layer formed on the photosemiconductor layer, and an anti-glare film formed on the second surface, to which light enters, of the transparent insulating substrate.
The anti-glare film includes an organic material binder and organic particles, an organic material binder and inorganic material particles, an inorganic material binder and organic material particles, or an inorganic material binder and inorganic material particles.
Preferably, the organic material binder contains an acrylic resin, a fluororesin, or a mixed resin thereof. For example, the acrylic resin of said organic binder includes an acryl copolymer containing a hydrolyzable silyl, containing a group represented by the following molecule structure:
(in the formula, R
1
represents an alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R
2
represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and aralkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a hydrogen atom, and a represents 0, 1 to 2), and said fluororesin is a fluororesin containing a hydroxyl group.
Preferably, the organic material particles consist of an acrylic resin, a fluororesin, a polyethylene wax or a mixture of at least two of these.
Preferably, the inorganic particles consists of silica.
Preferably, the inorganic material binder is formed of silica or alkyl silicate.
Alkyl silicate may contain of ethyl silicate, butyl silicate, a mixture thereof.
Further, the inorganic material binder may be complexed with an organic material.
Preferably, a catalyst may be added to the binder.
Further, the catalyst may contain an organic tin compound.
Preferably, the diameter of the particles is 1 to 10 &mgr;m, and the mixing ratio between the binder and the particles is such that the weight of the particles is 1 to 10 when the weight of the binder is 100.
Further, preferably, a film formed of a surfactant is provided interposed between the transparent insulating substrate and the anti-glare film.
The anti-glare film may preferably has a rough surface.
A surface protection film formed on the anti-glare film may further be provided.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a solar battery module is provided. The solar battery module includes a transparent electrode, a semiconductor photoelectric conversion layer and a back electrode layer formed in order on a first main surface of a transparent insulating substrate having first and
Diamond Alan
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Kaneka Corporation
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