Sunpower Corporation

Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

Total Marketing Services

Lee J Gorny

Gabriela Elena Bunea

Benjamin I Hsia

Pei Hsuan Lu

David Aaron R Barkhouse

George Nadim Mseis

Thierry Nguyen

Lewis C Abra

David C Okawa

Jonathan Ehlmann

John Paul Kapla

Gary Alan Rossi

Kyle Donald Feldmann

Cuong Manh Ta

Matthew Deschambeault

Kyle Donald Feldman

One embodiment is a photovoltaic (PV) module including a frame to receive a perimeter of a backside of a photovoltaic (PV) laminate. The cross rail assembly may include: a conductive frame to receive a perimeter of a backside of a photovoltaic (PV) laminate; one or more conductive cross rail members provide structural rigidity to the conductive frame; and one or more pairs of couplers coupled to the conductive frame, wherein: at least one coupler comprises a grounding coupler having a first keyed section to insert into an opening in the conductive frame and a second keyed section to mate with an end of a conductive cross rail member of the one or more conductive cross rail members to ground the conductive cross rail member to the frame; or at least one coupler of at least one of the one or more pairs includes a length to define a cabling channel.

Photovoltaic module with a cross rail assembly

Local metallization of semiconductor substrates using a laser beam, and the resulting structures, e.g., micro-electronic devices, semiconductor substrates and/or solar cells, are described. For example, a solar cell includes a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor regions disposed in or above the substrate. A plurality of conductive contact structures is electrically connected to the plurality of semiconductor regions. Each conductive contact structure includes a locally deposited metal portion disposed in contact with a corresponding a semiconductor region.

Local metallization for semiconductor substrates using a laser beam

A photovoltaic panel having a photovoltaic module supported by a distributed support frame is described. The distributed support frame may include a support member extending over a back surface of the photovoltaic module. For example, one or more support members may extend laterally from a support hub mounted on the back surface. The distributed support frame may reduce a span length of the photovoltaic module between support locations, and thus, may reduce a likelihood that a module laminate will crack under a design load.

Photovoltaic panel having a distributed support frame

Photovoltaic module systems are provided. These systems can comprise multiple photovoltaic laminates connected with one or more mechanical coupling pairs that extend beyond perimeter edges of individual photovoltaic laminates. The mechanical coupling pairs can be connected to ends of support members positioned beneath the photovoltaic laminates. During assembly, an additional photovoltaic laminate may be added to connected photovoltaic laminates that are previously connected and lie along a shared plane of reference via pairs of mechanical couplings.

Photovoltaic module having bi-directional couplings

Frames and processes of manufacture using single-wall frame sections coupled to other single-wall frame sections or double-wall frame sections using a connecting key are provided. The connecting key can be metallic, polymer, ceramic, a laminate, and combinations thereof.

Single-walled connecting key framesets

A photovoltaic module having an external electrical connector is described. For example, the photovoltaic module may include a plug receptacle mounted on a module laminate, and a contact may extend from a photovoltaic cell within the module laminate into a plug channel of the plug receptacle. The plug receptacle may receive a mating electrical connector, e.g., an electrical plug, of off-panel electronics. Accordingly, the contact may be removably connected to the mating electrical connector, and the photovoltaic cell may be placed in electrical connection with the off-panel electronics.

Photovoltaic module having an external electrical connector

A photovoltaic (PV) module having bi-directional couplings is described. The bi-directional couplings include a first coupling mounted on a support frame under a first edge of the PV module and a second coupling mounted on the support frame under a second edge of the PV module. The PV module can be a keystone module and the bi-directional couplings of the keystone module can connect to respective couplings of several adjacent PV modules. The bi-directional couplings can form male-to-female connections with the respective couplings to quickly combine the PV modules into a PV module assembly. The PV module assembly includes the bi-directionally connected PV modules supporting each other in both an x-direction and a y-direction.

Connectors, systems with connectors and processes with connectors are described. These include how connectors can actively hold external portions of two frames or other components together during transport and before final installation, as well as, how the connectors can be repositionable on the frame or other component so as to provide a mechanical connection in one position and not to provide a mechanical connection when moved into a second position. The connectors can also function to provide spacing or alignment or both between frames or other components grouped together using the connectors.

Integrated external connectors

A solar device system includes one or more solar devices shingled into an array of solar devices. Each solar device includes one or more current generation cells configured to generate electric current, a plurality of current buses, and a control circuit configured to distribute the generated electric current to the plurality of current buses, and route the generated electric current to an adjacent solar device. Additionally, the solar device system includes an array collector electrically connected to the one or more solar devices, the array collector being configured to collect the generated electrical current from the one or more solar devices and direct the generated electrical current to an inverter or a power grid.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Lee J Gorny