United Solar Systems Corporation

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Sovonics Solar Systems

Avtar Singh

Prem Nath

Kermit Jones

Masatsugu Izu

Herbert C Ovshinsky

Timothy D Laarman

Steve Heckeroth

A photovoltaic building material comprises a substrate having one or more photovoltaic generating devices encapsulated thereupon. The substrate includes a body of contact adhesive material, preferably protected by a release layer. The material is readily installed onto a roof, wall or other portion of a building structure by use of the adhesive. The material can also be used for the custom fabrication of power generating modules, and such modules and methods for their manufacture are disclosed herein.

Self-adhesive photovoltaic module

A photovoltaic building material comprises a substrate having one or more photovoltaic generating devices encapsulated thereupon. The substrate includes a body of contact adhesive material, preferably protected by a release layer. The material is readily installed onto a roof, wall or other portion of a building structure by use of the adhesive.

A photovoltaic roofing system includes a plurality of roofing panels each having a photovoltaic device thereupon and each including an electrical connector engageable with a connector on another panel. The panels includes upstanding flanges and a batten and seam roof construction may be readily configured by interconnecting the panels, fastening them to the roof and covering adjoining flanges with the battens.

Photovoltaic roof system

A photovoltaic window assembly suitable for use in building and vehicular applications. The window assembly includes an optically-transmissive substrate having one or more photovoltaic devices disposed thereon. A decorative template having cut-outs coextensive with each of the photovoltaic devices is disposed on the substrate such that the photovoltaic devices extend through the cut-outs. A window opening is also formed in the decorative template for transmission of light. An encapsulating layer is formed on the substrate, solar cells and decorative template to protect the solar cells and assembly from environmental damage and deterioration.

Photovoltaic window assembly

An improved method for severing a large area semiconductor device, including a substrate having a base electrode region thereupon, semiconductor body and top electrode into smaller area devices includes the steps of supporting the semiconductor device from the top electrode side thereof and applying a cutting force to the substrate side of the semiconductor device so as to cut the device without establishing short circuit contact between the substrate electrode and the top electrode thereof. Also included is a large area semiconductor device having a protective layer affixed to the top electrode surface thereof. The large area device is readily adapted for severing into smaller area photovoltaic devices by the method disclosed herein.

Method of severing a semiconductor device

An improved large area photovoltaic device includes a plurality of electrically interconnected smaller area cells. The smaller area cells each have a laterally disposed bus bar and are disposed in overlapping relationships so that the bus bar of a given cell is beneath the substrate of the adjacent overlapping cell. In this manner the surface of the resulting large area device available for photovoltaic power generation is maximized. Also disclosed herein are methods for the manufacture of the improved device.

Growing community of inventors

Oak Park, MI, United States of America

Avtar Singh