Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric – Photoelectric – Panel or array
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2002-04-30
Diamond, Alan (Department: 1753)
Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric
Photoelectric
Panel or array
C136S249000, C136S251000, C136S258000, C257S433000, C257S443000, C257S052000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06380478
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a solar cell module, particularly relates to a solar cell module capable of outputting a high voltage.
2. Description of Prior Art
A solar power generation system using a solar cell, which does not give harmful effect to the environment, has become popular as a domestic power system.
Crystalline semiconductor material such as single crystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon, amorphous semiconductor material such as amorphous silicon and amorphous silicon germanium, and compound semiconductor material such as GaAs and CdTe or the like have been used for composing a solar cell. Particularly, a solar cell using amorphous semiconductor material is free from restrictions on selection of a substrate and output design, and can be manufactured at a low cost.
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of a conventional solar cell module using an amorphous semiconductor.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the conventional solar cell module using an amorphous semiconductor includes a plurality of photovoltaic elements
2
mounted on a substrate
1
formed with translucent and insulative material such as glass and plastic. The plurality of photovoltaic elements
2
are cascade-connected with each other and output predetermined electric power. The photovoltaic element
2
comprises a first electrode
11
of conductive translucent material such as tin oxide (SnO
2
), indium tin oxide (ITO), and zinc oxide (ZnO), a photovoltaic conversion layer
12
of amorphous semiconductor having pin junction inside, and a second electrode
13
of highly reflective material such as Ag and Al or the like laminated in this order. The second electrode
13
is buried in a separating part between the adjacent photovoltaic conversion layers
12
and is contact with the first electrode
11
so that the adjacent photovoltaic elements
2
are electrically connected in series with each other.
A protective layer
3
covers a surface of the photovoltaic elements
2
for preventing a scratch or the like on the surface of the photovoltaic element
2
in the later process. The protective layer
3
is generally formed with epoxy resin. A rear surface member
4
of glass, plastic, steel or the like is adhered on the rear surface of the photovoltaic element
2
through an adhesive layer
5
of thermal plastic resin such as EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or the like. The adhesive layer
5
is formed with water-repellent material and prevents moisture from penetrating.
Electromotive force generated by the photovoltaic element
2
is taken out to the external through a lead wire (not shown) from the first and second electrodes of the photovoltaic element
2
arranged on both ends.
FIG. 2
is a schematic view illustrating a general structure of a domestic solar cell system using the above mentioned solar cell module. In
FIG. 2
, a plurality of solar cell modules
201
are arranged on a roof of a house and direct output from the plurality of the solar cell modules
201
is accumulated and is introduced into a connection box
202
. The direct output from the connection box
202
is converted into alternating output by an inverter
203
, and is supplied to a load in a house
205
through a distribution board
204
. When power supplied from the solar cell modules
201
runs short at night, electric power can be supplied to the load in a house
205
from the commercial power system
206
.
Alternating output from the inverter
203
is adjusted to be 100V because the load in a house
205
is for 100V. When considering about a loss in the inverter
203
and a lowered output from the solar cell modules
201
caused by cloud weather, an operating voltage of the solar cell modules
201
which is input to the inverter
203
is preferably about 200V in order to make alternating output of the inverter
203
100V.
Generally an operating voltage per single solar cell module using single crystalline silicon is approximately 50V. When four or five solar cell modules are connected in series and form a group, the operating voltage of approximately 200V is output from the group of solar cell modules and is input to the inverter
203
.
A solar cell module using amorphous semiconductor which is free from a restriction on output designs and outputs a higher voltage has been proposed. (JP, 6-60155, U)
A structure of the solar cell module is explained by referring to
FIGS. 3-5
.
FIG. 3
is a plan view of the solar cell module;
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view along A—A line of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a cross-sectional view along the B—B line of FIG.
3
. Elements having the same functions have the same numeral references indicated in FIG.
1
.
The photovoltaic element
2
is formed on the substrate
1
which is formed with translucent material such as glass and plastic or the like and has an insulating surface. The photovoltaic element
2
comprises a first electrode
11
of translucent material such as SnO
2
, ITO, or ZnO, a photovoltaic conversion layer
12
of amorphous semiconductor having pin junction, and a second electrode
13
of highly reflective metal material such as Ag and Al or the like laminated in this order.
A first electrode separating part
21
formed by exposing the insulating surface of the substrate
1
separates the adjacent first electrodes
11
. A photovoltaic conversion layer separating part
22
formed by exposing a surface of the first electrode
11
separates the adjacent photovoltaic conversion layers
12
. A second electrode separating part
23
formed by exposing a surface of the photovoltaic conversion layer
12
separates the adjacent second electrodes
13
. The second electrode
13
is buried in the photovoltaic conversion layer separating part
22
so as to make contact with the first electrode
11
, thus the adjacent photovoltaic elements
2
,
2
are electrically connected in series with each other.
The solar cell module, as shown in
FIG. 3
, includes a first group of integrated elements
30
comprising a plurality of photovoltaic elements
2
electrically connected in series with each other, and a second group of integrated elements
40
comprising a plurality of photovoltaic elements
2
electrically connected in series with each other. A groove
8
is formed around the first and second groups of integrated elements
30
,
40
, for preventing leak through the first electrode, the photovoltaic conversion layer, and the second electrode attached to a side surface of the substrate
1
when forming them. The groove
8
is formed by removing the first electrode
11
, the photovoltaic conversion layer
12
, and the second electrode
13
, and exposing the insulating surface of the substrate
1
.
The first group of integrated elements
30
and the second group of integrated elements
40
are arranged in parallel by interposing a separating part
50
. The separating part
50
is formed by removing the first electrode
11
, the photovoltaic conversion layer
12
, and the second electrode
13
, and exposing the insulating surface of the substrate
1
so that the separating part
50
electrically separates the first group of integrated elements
30
and the second group of integrated elements
40
. Directions of series connections in the first group of integrated elements
30
and the second group of integrated elements
40
are opposite in FIG.
3
. In the first group of integrated elements
30
, the negative is on the right side of the figure and the positive is on the left side of the figure. In the second group of integrated elements
40
, the negative is on the left side, and the positive is on the right side.
The first and second groups of integrated elements
30
,
40
are electrically connected in series by a connecting wire
6
. Electric output is taken out to the external from a pair of positive and negative output terminals
7
arranged on one side of the substrate
1
. The connecting wire
6
is formed with, for example, solder plating copper foil. The connecting wire
6
is connected to the first electrode
11
a
positione
Hashimoto Haruhisa
Maruyama Eiji
Miyahara Shinichi
Nakagawa Makoto
Nakatani Shihomi
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Diamond Alan
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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