Suncore Photovoltaics Incorporated

Emcore Solar Power, Inc.

James Foresi

John Nagyvary

Peter Allen Zawadzki

Lei Yang

Gary D Hering

Mikhail Kats

Philip E Blumenfeld

Sunil Vaid

Damien Buie

Steve Seel

A solar cell receiver for use in a concentrating solar system which concentrates the solar energy onto a solar cell for converting solar energy to electricity. The solar cell receiver may include a solar cell mounted on a support and with one or more III-V compound semiconductor layers. An optical element may be positioned over the solar cell and have an optical channel with an inlet that faces away from the solar cell and an outlet that faces towards the solar cell. A frame may be positioned over the support and extend around the solar cell with the frame having an inner side that extends above the support and faces towards the optical element. An encapsulant may be positioned over the support and contained between the optical element and the frame. The encapsulant may have enlarged heights at contact points with the optical element and the frame and a reduced height between the contact points away from the optical element and the frame. The solar cell receiver may be used in a solar cell module.

Concentrated photovoltaic system modules using III-V semiconductor solar cells

A solar cell receiver subassembly for use in a concentrating solar system which concentrates the solar energy onto a solar cell by a factor of 1000 or more for converting solar energy to electricity, including an optical element defining an optical channel, a solar cell receiver having a support; a solar cell mounted on the support adjacent to the optical element and in the optical path of the optical channel, the solar cell comprising one or more III-V compound semiconductor layers and capable of generating in excess of 20 watts of peak DC power; a diode mounted on the support and coupled in parallel with the solar cell; and first and second electrical contacts mounted on the support and coupled in parallel with the solar cell and the diode; and an encapsulant covering the support, the solar cell, the diode, and at least a portion of the exterior sides of the optical element.

Encapsulated concentrated photovoltaic system subassembly for III-V semiconductor solar cells

A solar cell module to convert light to electricity. The module may include a housing with a first side and an opposing spaced-apart second side. A plurality of lenses may be positioned on the first side of the housing, and a plurality of solar cell receivers may be positioned on the second side of the housing. Each of the plurality of solar cell receivers may include a III-V compound semiconductor multifunction solar cell. Each may also include a bypass diode coupled with the solar cell. At least one optical element may be positioned above the solar cell to guide the light from one of the lenses onto the solar cell. Each of said solar cell receivers may be disposed in an optical path of one of the lenses. The lens and the at least one optical element may concentrate the light onto the respective solar cell by a factor of 1000 or more to generate in excess of 25 watts of peak power.

Solar cell receiver subassemblies for use in a concentrating solar system that concentrates the solar energy onto a solar cell for converting solar energy to electricity. The subassemblies may include an optical element defining an optical channel and forming an optical path. The subassemblies may also include a solar cell receiver comprising a support and a solar cell mounted on the support adjacent to the optical element and in the optical path of the optical channel. The solar cell may include one or more III-V compound semiconductor layers and may be capable of generating in excess of 20 watts of peak DC power. The subassemblies may also include a heat shield mounted over and peripherally adjacent to exterior sides of the optical element to cover and block concentrated light from reaching a surface of the support adjacent to the solar cell.

Solar cell receiver subassembly with a heat shield for use in a concentrating solar system

A method of manufacturing a solar cell receiver includes providing an insulative substrate having a metallized surface with a first conductive region separated from a second conductive region. The first conductive region forms a first terminal of the solar cell receiver and the second conductive region forms a second terminal of the solar cell receiver. The metallized surface has receptacles positioned around attachment regions with each attachment region corresponding to a different portion of the metallized surface. The method further includes positioning a material within the receptacles, placing a solar cell on the first conductive region and on a first one of the attachment regions, placing a second component on a second one of the attachment regions, placing a third component on a third one of the attachment regions and attaching the solar cell, the second component, and the third component to the metallized surface.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

James Foresi