Tesla, Inc.

Solarcity Corporation

Xilinx, Inc.

Bobby Yang

Jiunn Benjamin Heng

Pablo Gonzalez

Peter P Nguyen

Zheng Xu

Jianming Fu

Piotr Zajac

Christoph Georg Erben

Kaleb A Klauber

Seth M Winger

Stephen M Trimberger

Charles Bernardo Almy

Brian Edward Atchley

Christopher H Kingsley

Peter J Rive

Reto Stamm

Alex Christopher Mayer

Zhigang Xie

Nicholas G J De Vries

Anand J Reddy

Bhavananda R Nadimpally

Andreas Meisel

Scott Tripp

Mykola O Pashkevych

Jennifer L Wang

One embodiment described herein provides a photovoltaic roof module. The roof module can include at least a first photovoltaic roof tile, a second photovoltaic roof tile positioned adjacent to the first photovoltaic roof tile, and a spacer coupled to and positioned between the first and second photovoltaic roof tiles. The spacer is configured to facilitate a semi-rigid joint between the first and second photovoltaic roof tiles.

Inter-tile support for solar roof tiles

One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof tile module. The photovoltaic roof tile module can include a photovoltaic roof tile module. The photovoltaic roof tile module can include at least: a first photovoltaic roof tile and a second photovoltaic roof tile positioned adjacent to each other, and a spacer coupled to and positioned between the first and second photovoltaic roof tiles. A respective photovoltaic roof tile can include front and back glass covers, and multiple cascaded strings encapsulated between the front and back glass covers. A respective cascaded string can include a plurality of photovoltaic structures electrically coupled to each other in series, and the multiple cascaded strings can be electrically coupled to each other in parallel. The first and second photovoltaic roof tiles can be electrically coupled to each other in parallel.

Solar roof tile module

One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof module. The photovoltaic roof module can include a plurality of photovoltaic roof tiles positioned side by side. A respective solar roof tile comprises a plurality of photovoltaic structures positioned between a front cover and a back cover, and the photovoltaic structures are electrically coupled to each other in series. The photovoltaic roof tiles are electrically coupled to each other in parallel.

Parallel-connected solar roof tile modules

One embodiment provides a solar roof tile module. The module includes a plurality of solar roof tiles positioned side by side and one or more tile spacers. The tiles are electrically and mechanically coupled to each other. A tile spacer is positioned between two adjacent solar roof tiles, thereby preventing water leakage. A solar roof tile can include a front cover, a back cover, and a plurality of photovoltaic strips positioned between the front and back covers. Each photovoltaic strip includes a first edge busbar located on an edge of a first surface and a second edge busbar located on an opposite edge of a second surface, and the photovoltaic strips are arranged in such a way that the first edge busbar of a photovoltaic strip overlaps with a second edge busbar of an adjacent photovoltaic strip, thereby forming a serial connection among the photovoltaic strips.

Packaging for solar roof tiles

A cleaving system and method are described. The system can include a holding apparatus to retain a photovoltaic structure at a center section of a cleaving platform. The system can further include a contact apparatus to make contact with the photovoltaic structure and separate it into a plurality of strips. During operation, the system can activate an actuator to move the contact apparatus against the photovoltaic structure, thereby separating the photovoltaic structure into strips.

Photovoltaic structure cleaving system

One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof module. The photovoltaic roof module can include a plurality photovoltaic roof tiles. A respective photovoltaic roof tile can include a glass front cover, a back cover that includes glass of photovoltaic backsheet, and a plurality of photovoltaic structures encapsulated between the glass front cover and the back cover by an encapsulant. The photovoltaic roof tile can be configured to function as a roof tile when placed on a rooftop of a building, thereby protecting the building from weather elements.

System and method for packaging photovoltaic roof tiles

One embodiment can provide a non-flat photovoltaic roof tile. The non-flat photovoltaic roof tile can include a transparent front cover, a back cover, and a plurality of Si-based photovoltaic structures. The transparent front cover can include a first side and a second side, with the first side comprising at least one non-flat portion and the second side comprising a plurality of flat facets. The flat facets are arranged to follow the contour of the at least one non-flat portion. A respective Si-based photovoltaic structure is positioned between a flat facet of the transparent front cover and the back cover.

Non-flat solar roof tiles

A targeted-annealing system can automatically cure a conductive paste that may bind cascaded strips of a string. The targeted-annealing system can include a first heat-treating bar that may be heated to a first curing temperature, and can include a second heat-treating bar that may be heated to a second curing temperature. During operation, a controller of the targeted-annealing system can activate one or more actuators to conform the first heat-treating bar to a top surface of two cascaded strips, and conform the second heat-treating bar to a bottom surface of two cascaded strips. The first and second heat-treating bars may be aligned along an overlap portion between the two cascaded strips, and can heat the overlap portion to 160 degrees Celsius.

Systems and methods for targeted annealing of photovoltaic structures

A string-forming system is described. The string-forming system may include at least a first cell-lifting mechanism and a second cell-lifting mechanism that can automatically arrange a set of strips of a photovoltaic structure into a cascaded formation. During operation, a controller can cause the first cell-lifting mechanism to lift a first strip from a first platform, and can cause the second cell-lifting mechanism to lift, from the first platform, a second strip that may follow the first strip on the first platform. The controller may then activate a first shifting actuator of the first cell-lifting mechanism or a second shifting actuator of the second cell-lifting mechanism to place a leading edge of the second strip above a trailing edge of the first strip.

Systems and methods for cascading photovoltaic structures

One embodiment of the present invention provides a solar module. The solar module includes a front-side cover, a back-side cover, and a plurality of solar cells situated between the front- and back-side covers. A respective solar cell includes a multi-layer semiconductor structure, a front-side electrode situated above the multi-layer semiconductor structure, and a back-side electrode situated below the multi-layer semiconductor structure. Each of the front-side and the back-side electrodes comprises a metal grid. A respective metal grid comprises a plurality of finger lines and a single busbar coupled to the finger lines. The single busbar is configured to collect current from the finger lines.

Module fabrication of solar cells with low resistivity electrodes

One embodiment of the present invention provides a solar panel. The solar panel includes a plurality of subsets of solar cells. The solar cells in a subset are coupled in series, and the subsets of solar cells are coupled in parallel. The number of solar cells in a respective subset is sufficiently large such that the output voltage of the solar panel is substantially the same as an output voltage of a conventional solar panel with all of its substantially square shaped solar cells coupled in series.

High efficiency solar panel

A method for constructing a photovoltaic (PV) substrate. A moving frame can be lowered towards a stack of back sheets and a back sheet of the stack of back sheets may be secured to the moving frame. The back sheet can be transferred from the moving frame to a vacuum table. An adhesive can be dispensed to the back sheet using an adhesive dispenser. At least one string may be placed onto the adhesive applied to the back sheet. The vacuum table can be rotated, and the back sheet can be released from the vacuum table onto a glass sheet.

Systems and method for precision automated placement of backsheet on PV modules

One embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for dispensing conductive paste on photovoltaic structures during manufacturing of a solar panel. The apparatus includes a cartridge for holding the conductive paste, a jet-dispensing module coupled to the cartridge, and a robotic arm coupled to the jet-dispensing module. The jet-dispensing module is configured to dispense a predetermined amount of the conductive paste on busbars of a respective photovoltaic structure in a non-contact manner, and the robotic arm is configured to adjust a position of the jet-dispensing module, thereby facilitating alignments between the jet-dispensing module and the busbars of the photovoltaic structure.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos Hills, CA, United States of America

Bobby Yang