Interconnection for photovoltaic device array

Abstract

An interconnection system for interconnecting a plurality of photovoltaic devices. The photovoltaic devices each have a first and a second side and the interconnect system is located on the second side of the photovoltaic devices. A sheet of dielectric material and a sheet of electrically conductive material are bonded together and positioned so that the dielectric material is next to the photovoltaic devices. A plurality of patterns are formed in the sheet of electrically conductive material. The patterns each have angled tabs punched therein so that the angled tabs are punched through both the electrically conductive material and the dielectric material. When a photovoltaic device is positioned within a group of angled tabs, the angled tabs can be brought into contact with electrical contacts on the first side of the photovoltaic device. The group of angled tabs are electrically common to a part of the pattern which has an extended portion which extends beneath an adjacent photovoltaic device. Some of the dielectric material is removed from the extended portion so that this portion then makes contact with the second side of an adjacent photovoltaic device. The patterns can be formed in predetermined configurations to provide series or series-parallel interconnections for photovoltaic devices within an array of photovoltaic devices. The interconnect system, in turn, provides for substantially all possible series, parallel, or series-parallel interconnections of a plurality of arrays.