EP3342038A1 - Solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, and system for a solar panel with such an arrangement - Google Patents

Solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, and system for a solar panel with such an arrangement

Info

Publication number
EP3342038A1
EP3342038A1 EP16839700.8A EP16839700A EP3342038A1 EP 3342038 A1 EP3342038 A1 EP 3342038A1 EP 16839700 A EP16839700 A EP 16839700A EP 3342038 A1 EP3342038 A1 EP 3342038A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
solar panel
front glass
light source
panel according
solar
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP16839700.8A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP3342038A4 (en
Inventor
Juhan LUNDBERG
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Solibro Res AB
Solibro Research AB
Original Assignee
Solibro Res AB
Solibro Research AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Solibro Res AB, Solibro Research AB filed Critical Solibro Res AB
Publication of EP3342038A1 publication Critical patent/EP3342038A1/en
Publication of EP3342038A4 publication Critical patent/EP3342038A4/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
    • H02S40/00—Components or accessories in combination with PV modules, not provided for in groups H02S10/00 - H02S30/00
    • H02S40/20—Optical components
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S9/00—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply
    • F21S9/02—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply the power supply being a battery or accumulator
    • F21S9/03—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply the power supply being a battery or accumulator rechargeable by exposure to light
    • F21S9/037—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply the power supply being a battery or accumulator rechargeable by exposure to light the solar unit and the lighting unit being located within or on the same housing
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
    • G02B6/0033—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
    • G02B6/0035—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
    • G02B6/004—Scattering dots or dot-like elements, e.g. microbeads, scattering particles, nanoparticles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
    • G02B6/0033—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
    • G02B6/0058—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide
    • G02B6/006—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/02—Details
    • H01L31/0236—Special surface textures
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/02—Details
    • H01L31/0236—Special surface textures
    • H01L31/02366—Special surface textures of the substrate or of a layer on the substrate, e.g. textured ITO/glass substrate or superstrate, textured polymer layer on glass substrate
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • H01L31/048—Encapsulation of modules
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
    • H02S30/00—Structural details of PV modules other than those related to light conversion
    • H02S30/10—Frame structures
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V33/00—Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
    • F21V33/006—General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
    • F21Y2103/00—Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
    • F21Y2103/10—Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
    • F21Y2105/00—Planar light sources
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
    • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
    • F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, and to an illumination system comprising a solar panel.
  • Solar panels are becoming an increasingly important power source and are commonly found in urban areas, often on roofs but sometimes also on walls of buildings (commonly known as BIPV, or Building Integrated Photovoltaics). In some cases, entire buildings can be covered in solar panels, making them an important part of the visual impression the building gives.
  • buildings are also used to display information such as signs indicating company names and logos and also to display commercial messages in the form of advertisement, thereby limiting the wall space where solar panels can be placed.
  • the solar panels themselves can of course be illuminated, sometimes by colored light to create a specific visual effect, but if advertisement or company logos or any other non-transparent elements were placed in front of the solar panels the efficiency of the solar panels would decrease dramatically due to a shadowing effect.
  • the object of the present invention is to eliminate or at least to minimize the problems described above. This is achieved through a solar panel according to the independent claim 1.
  • the solar panel can be used to display an image to a viewer.
  • the portion can be of a form corresponding to any graphic element, such as a company logo, a text or an image, and the solar panel can thus act as a sign, information display, advertisement or similar.
  • the efficiency of the solar panel is lessened only marginally even if the properties of the portion of the front glass can influence the amount of absorbed light of the solar panel, compared with other panels not having said portion.
  • the portion of the front glass has a rugged surface.
  • the portion can cause a sharp refraction of light out of the front glass, thereby allowing the portion to be clearly visible and display a pattern.
  • the rugged surface of the portion of the front glass is made by etching. Thereby, even a complicated pattern can be created on the surface of the front glass with high precision.
  • the rugged surface of the portion of the front glass is made by abrasive blasting. Thereby, the pattern can be created without requiring the front glass to be loosened from the solar panel itself, i.e. after assembly.
  • the portion of the front glass has a refractive index that differs from at least one other portion of the front glass.
  • the portion arranged to redirect light can be created in an interior of the front glass and can thus be protected from exposure to wear and tear caused by rain, snow, ice or dirt on the surface of the panel.
  • placing the portion in the front glass will not cause dirt and particle collection, as is sometimes the case when the portion is located on the surface of the front glass and that might cause shadowing of the solar panel and lower conversion efficiency.
  • the light source is a plurality of LEDs that are arranged in a frame that runs along at least one side or edge of the solar panel.
  • the arrangement further comprises a control unit for controlling power generated by the solar panel and power supply to the light source and energy storage means arranged to receive and store energy from the solar panel and also arranged to power the light source.
  • the solar panel can be arranged to power the light source, by means of the storage means, so that the solar panel can function independent of external power supplies.
  • the invention can be used with all types of solar panels that have a front glass, such as CIGS, CdT, aSi, etc.
  • Fig. 1 shows a side view of a solar panel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 2a shows a cross-sectional view from the side of one embodiment of the solar panel of the solar panel according to Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 2b shows a cross-sectional view from the side of another embodiment of the solar panel of the solar panel according to Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a part of the solar panel of Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 4 shows an illumination system with a solar panel according to the invention.
  • Fig. 1 discloses a side view of an solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, with a solar panel 10 having a substrate 11, solar cells 12 grown on said substrate 11 and a translucent front glass 13 covering the solar cells 12 to protect them from dirt or damage while at the same time allowing sunlight to pass through to the solar cells 12.
  • the translucent front glass 13 has a surface 14.
  • a light source 20 Adjacent to the translucent front glass 13 is a light source 20, in this preferred embodiment in the form of a plurality of LEDs, arranged to emit light into the translucent front glass 13 in a direction with an angle to a normal N of the front glass 13.
  • the light source 20 is arranged to emit light into the front glass 13 in a direction essentially perpendicular to the normal N.
  • the light source 20 is mounted in a frame 30 that holds the light source 20 in this position in relation to the solar panel 10 and also prevents light from emitting in a direction parallel to the normal N.
  • the frame 30 allows for a mounting of the solar panel 10 on a surface but it is to be noted that this can be achieved through other types of mounting devices and that the frame itself is not necessary for the solar panel 1.
  • the LEDs are in one embodiment mounted in the frame 30, but could also be mounted directly on the edge of the front glass 13 itself and secured by a profile holding them against the glass or by an adhesive, for example.
  • Fig. 2a shows the solar panel 10 in a cross-sectional view from the side, with the substrate 11, the solar cells 12 and the translucent front glass 13. Between the solar cells 12 and the translucent front glass 13, an adhesive layer 16 may be provided to hold the front glass 13 in place on the solar cells. Also provided in the translucent front glass 13 is a portion 15 that is arranged to redirect at least a portion of the light from the light source in a direction at an angle of less than 90° to the normal N, i.e. out of the front glass in Fig. 2a and 2b.
  • redirect is used herein to indicate all phenomena that serve to alter the propagation direction of light, most notably reflecting and scattering.
  • the portion 15 thus has changed light propagation properties, compared with the rest of the front glass 13, and is in one embodiment shown by Fig. 2a located on the surface 14. It can be in the form of a rugged portion or rugged surface, i.e. a portion having a significantly higher surface roughness compared to the rest of the surface 14.
  • surface roughness parameter Ra of the portion 15 is 1000-2500 nm or more, and the surface roughness parameter Ra of the surface 14 is 5.0 nm.
  • the portion 15 can be made by sand blasting or etching a part of the surface 14, for instance.
  • Fig. 2b discloses another embodiment, where the portion 15 of the translucent front glass 13 is a portion having a different refractive index than the rest of the front glass 13.
  • the portion 15 can have a refractive index of 1,5-1,6, whereas the rest of the front glass has a refractive index of 1,46 if sodalime glass is used.
  • the portion 15 is in an interior of the front glass 13 and thus not located on a surface of the front glass 13, or at least not only on a surface.
  • the portion 15 of the translucent front glass may be arranged on the opposite side of the front glass 13 from the embodiment shown in Fig. 2a, i.e. the portion 15 may be on a lower side facing the solar cells 12. This is advantageous in protecting the portion 15 from dirt or damage, and if an adhesive layer 16 is arranged between the front glass 13 and the solar cells 12, that adhesive layer 16 may fit onto the portion 15 in such a way that the portion 15 is hidden from view to a person watching the solar panel 1 when the light source 20 is not lit. Upon lighting the light source 20, however, the portion 15 will become visible and create the desired pattern or image as described above. Fig.
  • FIG. 3 shows a part of the solar panel 1 in more detail, with a corner of the solar panel 10 having the light source 20 in the form of arrays of LEDs that are mounted along the sides of the translucent front glass 13. It is especially advantageous to provide LED arrays along at least two sides of the solar panel 10, and even more advantageous to provide LED arrays along all four sides of the solar panel 10.
  • the LED arrays 20 are held by frames 30 that serve to support the light source 20, and the LEDs are provided with covers 21 that direct the light into the translucent front glass 13.
  • the portion 15 is preferably formed into a pattern that corresponds to an image, a logo or a text, for instance.
  • the effect of this is to render the portion 15 of the front glass 13 highly visible to an observer, meaning the image, logo or text can be seen from a distance. If the light from the light source is colored, the pattern of the portion 15 will be visible in this color, thus creating an additional visual effect.
  • LEDs other types of light sources can also be used, such as neon lights for instance, or other types of light that are suitable for mounting on a solar panel.
  • the pattern can alternatively be of a simpler shape, such as a rectangle or a circle, for instance, creating a pattern that is easily visible over large distances and can contribute to creating a larger pattern over an entire building where a plurality of solar panels each display a section of the pattern. Alternatively, the pattern can of course extend over the entire front glass 13 and thus display the shape of the solar panel itself.
  • the portion 15 is treated to have the properties mentioned above, for instance by sand blasting or etching, this surprisingly does not significantly lower the efficiency of the solar cells 12 present underneath. Rather, the decrease in efficiency, even if the entire surface 14 of the front glass 13 is treated to create a rugged surface, is less than 2 percentage units, sometimes even less than 1 percentage unit. Thus, for a solar panel with an efficiency of about 15%, the same panel adapted for use with this invention has been shown to have an efficiency of 14.4% during experiments. Thereby, contrary to what has generally been assumed within the field of solar panels and solar cells, it is possible to use solar panels as part of an solar panel in accordance with that described herein and still achieve acceptable or even high efficiency of the solar panels. This renders it possible to use a space such as the wall of a skyscraper, for instance, both to generate power and to provide an area for advertisement or decoration to achieve an aesthetically pleasing impression.
  • the visual effect created by illuminating the portion 15 of the translucent front glass 13 by the light source 20 is further increased by providing a plurality of LEDs on at least two sides of the solar panel 1.
  • the light redirected in a direction at an angle of less than 90° to the normal N has an increased intensity rendering it visible from a greater distance and allowing the pattern formed by the portion 15 to show also smaller details.
  • Fig. 4 shows schematically a system with the solar panel 10 connected to a junction box 120 with a central processing unit having integrated intelligence that controls the operation of the light source 20.
  • the junction box 120 is controlled through a power cable from an inverter 110 that is generally connected to a plurality of junction boxes controlling light sources for a plurality of solar panels.
  • the inverter is in turn controlled by a control unit 100 and is also connected to an electric grid 200 from which electric energy is fed to power the inverter, control unit, junction boxes and light sources.
  • the inverter is set to switch the light of the light sources 20 on and off and to thereby control the display on the solar panel 10.
  • the solar module 10 generates energy during the day and this energy is transmitted via the inverter 110 to the grid 200.
  • the same cables and connections are used both for delivering energy to the grid 200 from the solar panel 10 and for receiving energy from the grid 200 for the light sources 20.
  • the system may also include storage means operatively connected to the solar panel 10 for receiving and storing energy generated by the solar panel 10 and for using this energy to power the light source 20.
  • the operation of the storage means is in this embodiment controlled by the junction box 120 for each solar panel 10 or by the control unit 100 for the system as a whole.
  • the storage means can either be located at each solar panel 10 and serve to power only one panel 10, or be located in connection with the inverter 110 and serve to receive electrical energy from and feed energy to a plurality of solar panels 10.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to a solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, comprising -a substrate (11), a plurality of solar cells (12) on said substrate (11) and a translucent front glass (13), -a light source (20) arranged to emit light into the translucent front glass (13) in a direction with an angle to a normal (N) of the front glass (13), wherein at least a portion (15) of said front glass (13) being arranged to redirect at least a portion (15) of the light from the light source (20) in a direction with an angle of less than 90° to the normal (N) of the front glass (13). The invention also relates to an illumination system comprising a solar panel (10).

Description

SOLAR PANEL WITH INTEGRATED ILLUM INATION ARRANGEMENT, AND SYSTEM FOR A SOLAR PANEL WITH SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, and to an illumination system comprising a solar panel.
BACKGROUND ART
Solar panels are becoming an increasingly important power source and are commonly found in urban areas, often on roofs but sometimes also on walls of buildings (commonly known as BIPV, or Building Integrated Photovoltaics). In some cases, entire buildings can be covered in solar panels, making them an important part of the visual impression the building gives.
In many cities, buildings are also used to display information such as signs indicating company names and logos and also to display commercial messages in the form of advertisement, thereby limiting the wall space where solar panels can be placed. The solar panels themselves can of course be illuminated, sometimes by colored light to create a specific visual effect, but if advertisement or company logos or any other non-transparent elements were placed in front of the solar panels the efficiency of the solar panels would decrease dramatically due to a shadowing effect.
Thus, at present the advantages of using solar panels to generate power in urban areas must be balanced against the advantages of using available space for other purposes such as advertisement. It would be highly advantageous if both these benefits could be achieved simultaneously. However, placing additional solar panel in front of a solar panel may further decrease the amount of light that reaches the panel and thus lower the efficiency of the solar panel.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to eliminate or at least to minimize the problems described above. This is achieved through a solar panel according to the independent claim 1. Thus, by allowing a portion of the front glass of the solar panel to redirect light at an angle to the surface of the front glass, i.e. parallel to a normal of the front glass, the solar panel can be used to display an image to a viewer. The portion can be of a form corresponding to any graphic element, such as a company logo, a text or an image, and the solar panel can thus act as a sign, information display, advertisement or similar. At the same time, the efficiency of the solar panel is lessened only marginally even if the properties of the portion of the front glass can influence the amount of absorbed light of the solar panel, compared with other panels not having said portion.
According to an aspect of the invention, the portion of the front glass has a rugged surface. Thereby, in contrast to the general smooth surface of the front glass, the portion can cause a sharp refraction of light out of the front glass, thereby allowing the portion to be clearly visible and display a pattern.
According to another aspect of the invention, the rugged surface of the portion of the front glass is made by etching. Thereby, even a complicated pattern can be created on the surface of the front glass with high precision. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the rugged surface of the portion of the front glass is made by abrasive blasting. Thereby, the pattern can be created without requiring the front glass to be loosened from the solar panel itself, i.e. after assembly.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the portion of the front glass has a refractive index that differs from at least one other portion of the front glass. Thereby, the portion arranged to redirect light can be created in an interior of the front glass and can thus be protected from exposure to wear and tear caused by rain, snow, ice or dirt on the surface of the panel. Furthermore, placing the portion in the front glass will not cause dirt and particle collection, as is sometimes the case when the portion is located on the surface of the front glass and that might cause shadowing of the solar panel and lower conversion efficiency.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the light source is a plurality of LEDs that are arranged in a frame that runs along at least one side or edge of the solar panel. Thereby, a convenient and cost effective illumination of the solar panel and the redirecting portion can be created.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the arrangement further comprises a control unit for controlling power generated by the solar panel and power supply to the light source and energy storage means arranged to receive and store energy from the solar panel and also arranged to power the light source. Thereby, the solar panel can be arranged to power the light source, by means of the storage means, so that the solar panel can function independent of external power supplies.
The invention can be used with all types of solar panels that have a front glass, such as CIGS, CdT, aSi, etc.
Many additional benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent in view of the detailed description below.
DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 shows a side view of a solar panel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2a shows a cross-sectional view from the side of one embodiment of the solar panel of the solar panel according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 2b shows a cross-sectional view from the side of another embodiment of the solar panel of the solar panel according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a part of the solar panel of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 4 shows an illumination system with a solar panel according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Fig. 1 discloses a side view of an solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, with a solar panel 10 having a substrate 11, solar cells 12 grown on said substrate 11 and a translucent front glass 13 covering the solar cells 12 to protect them from dirt or damage while at the same time allowing sunlight to pass through to the solar cells 12. The translucent front glass 13 has a surface 14.
Adjacent to the translucent front glass 13 is a light source 20, in this preferred embodiment in the form of a plurality of LEDs, arranged to emit light into the translucent front glass 13 in a direction with an angle to a normal N of the front glass 13. In the preferred embodiment, the light source 20 is arranged to emit light into the front glass 13 in a direction essentially perpendicular to the normal N. The light source 20 is mounted in a frame 30 that holds the light source 20 in this position in relation to the solar panel 10 and also prevents light from emitting in a direction parallel to the normal N. Furthermore, the frame 30 allows for a mounting of the solar panel 10 on a surface but it is to be noted that this can be achieved through other types of mounting devices and that the frame itself is not necessary for the solar panel 1. The LEDs are in one embodiment mounted in the frame 30, but could also be mounted directly on the edge of the front glass 13 itself and secured by a profile holding them against the glass or by an adhesive, for example.
Fig. 2a shows the solar panel 10 in a cross-sectional view from the side, with the substrate 11, the solar cells 12 and the translucent front glass 13. Between the solar cells 12 and the translucent front glass 13, an adhesive layer 16 may be provided to hold the front glass 13 in place on the solar cells. Also provided in the translucent front glass 13 is a portion 15 that is arranged to redirect at least a portion of the light from the light source in a direction at an angle of less than 90° to the normal N, i.e. out of the front glass in Fig. 2a and 2b. The term redirect is used herein to indicate all phenomena that serve to alter the propagation direction of light, most notably reflecting and scattering.
The portion 15 thus has changed light propagation properties, compared with the rest of the front glass 13, and is in one embodiment shown by Fig. 2a located on the surface 14. It can be in the form of a rugged portion or rugged surface, i.e. a portion having a significantly higher surface roughness compared to the rest of the surface 14. Preferably, surface roughness parameter Ra of the portion 15 is 1000-2500 nm or more, and the surface roughness parameter Ra of the surface 14 is 5.0 nm. The portion 15 can be made by sand blasting or etching a part of the surface 14, for instance.
The surface roughness Ra is an arithmetic average and defined as Ra = | , where y, is a
vertical distance from a mean line to the ith data point.
Fig. 2b discloses another embodiment, where the portion 15 of the translucent front glass 13 is a portion having a different refractive index than the rest of the front glass 13. For instance, the portion 15 can have a refractive index of 1,5-1,6, whereas the rest of the front glass has a refractive index of 1,46 if sodalime glass is used. In this embodiment, the portion 15 is in an interior of the front glass 13 and thus not located on a surface of the front glass 13, or at least not only on a surface.
In yet another embodiment, the portion 15 of the translucent front glass may be arranged on the opposite side of the front glass 13 from the embodiment shown in Fig. 2a, i.e. the portion 15 may be on a lower side facing the solar cells 12. This is advantageous in protecting the portion 15 from dirt or damage, and if an adhesive layer 16 is arranged between the front glass 13 and the solar cells 12, that adhesive layer 16 may fit onto the portion 15 in such a way that the portion 15 is hidden from view to a person watching the solar panel 1 when the light source 20 is not lit. Upon lighting the light source 20, however, the portion 15 will become visible and create the desired pattern or image as described above. Fig. 3 shows a part of the solar panel 1 in more detail, with a corner of the solar panel 10 having the light source 20 in the form of arrays of LEDs that are mounted along the sides of the translucent front glass 13. It is especially advantageous to provide LED arrays along at least two sides of the solar panel 10, and even more advantageous to provide LED arrays along all four sides of the solar panel 10. The LED arrays 20 are held by frames 30 that serve to support the light source 20, and the LEDs are provided with covers 21 that direct the light into the translucent front glass 13.
The operation of the solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement 1 according to the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the Figures.
The light source 20, preferably in the form of at least one LED, more preferably in the form of at least one LED array, is arranged to emit light into the translucent front glass 13 in a direction
perpendicular to a normal of the front glass 13, i.e. parallel to the surface 14. A portion of this light will propagate through the front glass 13 towards the portion 15, that can for instance be in the form of a rugged surface or a portion having a different refractive index than the rest of the front glass 13. Thanks to the different properties of this portion 15 of the front glass 13, the portion of light is redirected out of the front glass 13 and at least some of the light is redirected in a direction at an angle of less than 90° to the normal N, i.e. perpendicular to the surface 14. The portion 15 is preferably formed into a pattern that corresponds to an image, a logo or a text, for instance. The effect of this is to render the portion 15 of the front glass 13 highly visible to an observer, meaning the image, logo or text can be seen from a distance. If the light from the light source is colored, the pattern of the portion 15 will be visible in this color, thus creating an additional visual effect. As an alternative to LEDs, other types of light sources can also be used, such as neon lights for instance, or other types of light that are suitable for mounting on a solar panel. The pattern can alternatively be of a simpler shape, such as a rectangle or a circle, for instance, creating a pattern that is easily visible over large distances and can contribute to creating a larger pattern over an entire building where a plurality of solar panels each display a section of the pattern. Alternatively, the pattern can of course extend over the entire front glass 13 and thus display the shape of the solar panel itself.
Even though the portion 15 is treated to have the properties mentioned above, for instance by sand blasting or etching, this surprisingly does not significantly lower the efficiency of the solar cells 12 present underneath. Rather, the decrease in efficiency, even if the entire surface 14 of the front glass 13 is treated to create a rugged surface, is less than 2 percentage units, sometimes even less than 1 percentage unit. Thus, for a solar panel with an efficiency of about 15%, the same panel adapted for use with this invention has been shown to have an efficiency of 14.4% during experiments. Thereby, contrary to what has generally been assumed within the field of solar panels and solar cells, it is possible to use solar panels as part of an solar panel in accordance with that described herein and still achieve acceptable or even high efficiency of the solar panels. This renders it possible to use a space such as the wall of a skyscraper, for instance, both to generate power and to provide an area for advertisement or decoration to achieve an aesthetically pleasing impression.
The visual effect created by illuminating the portion 15 of the translucent front glass 13 by the light source 20 is further increased by providing a plurality of LEDs on at least two sides of the solar panel 1. Thereby, the light redirected in a direction at an angle of less than 90° to the normal N has an increased intensity rendering it visible from a greater distance and allowing the pattern formed by the portion 15 to show also smaller details.
Fig. 4 shows schematically a system with the solar panel 10 connected to a junction box 120 with a central processing unit having integrated intelligence that controls the operation of the light source 20. The junction box 120 is controlled through a power cable from an inverter 110 that is generally connected to a plurality of junction boxes controlling light sources for a plurality of solar panels. The inverter is in turn controlled by a control unit 100 and is also connected to an electric grid 200 from which electric energy is fed to power the inverter, control unit, junction boxes and light sources. Thus, the inverter is set to switch the light of the light sources 20 on and off and to thereby control the display on the solar panel 10. Furthermore, the solar module 10 generates energy during the day and this energy is transmitted via the inverter 110 to the grid 200. Thus, the same cables and connections are used both for delivering energy to the grid 200 from the solar panel 10 and for receiving energy from the grid 200 for the light sources 20.
In one embodiment, the system may also include storage means operatively connected to the solar panel 10 for receiving and storing energy generated by the solar panel 10 and for using this energy to power the light source 20. The operation of the storage means is in this embodiment controlled by the junction box 120 for each solar panel 10 or by the control unit 100 for the system as a whole. The storage means can either be located at each solar panel 10 and serve to power only one panel 10, or be located in connection with the inverter 110 and serve to receive electrical energy from and feed energy to a plurality of solar panels 10.
The invention is not to be seen as limited by the embodiments described herein, but can be varied within the scope of the appended claims, as will be readily understood by the person skilled in the art.

Claims

1. Solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, comprising
a solar panel (10) having a substrate (11), a plurality of solar cells (12) on said substrate (11) and a translucent front glass (13),
a light source (20) arranged to emit light into the translucent front glass (13) in a direction with an angle to a normal (N) of the front glass (13),
characterized in at least a portion (15) of said front glass (13) being arranged to redirect at least a portion of the light from the light source (20) in a direction with an angle of less than 90° to the normal (N) of the front glass (13).
2. Solar panel according to claim 1, wherein the portion (15) of the front glass (13) has a rugged surface.
3. Solar panel according to claim 2, wherein the rugged surface of the portion (15) of the front glass (13) is made by etching.
4. Solar panel according to claim 2, wherein the rugged surface of the portion (15) of the front glass (13) is made by abrasive blasting.
5. Solar panel according to claim 1, wherein the portion (15) of the front glass (13) has a
refractive index that differs from at least one other portion of the front glass.
6. Solar panel according to any of the previous, wherein the light source (20) is a plurality of LEDs that are arranged in a frame (30) that runs along at least one side of the solar panel (10).
7. Solar panel according to any of the previous claims, wherein the arrangement further
comprises a control unit (100) for controlling power generated by the solar panel (10) and power supply to the light source (20).
8. Solar panel according to any of the previous claims, wherein the arrangement further
comprises energy storage means arranged to receive and store energy from the solar panel (10) and is also arranged to power the light source (20).
9. Solar panel according to any previous claim, wherein the light source (20) is arranged to emit light into the translucent front glass (13) in a direction perpendicular to a normal (N) of the front glass (13).
10. Solar panel according to any previous claim, wherein the portion (15) of the front glass (13) is in the form of a pattern.
11. Solar panel according to any previous claim, wherein the portion (15) of the front glass (13) is on a surface of the front glass (13) facing the solar cells (12).
12. Solar panel according to any of the claims 5-10, wherein the portion (15) is in an interior of the front glass (13).
13. Illumination system for a solar panel, comprising at least one solar panel (10) according to any of the claims 1-11.
EP16839700.8A 2015-08-25 2016-08-23 Solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, and system for a solar panel with such an arrangement Pending EP3342038A4 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE1551097A SE539132C2 (en) 2015-08-25 2015-08-25 Solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, and system for a solar panel with such an arrangement
PCT/SE2016/050784 WO2017034457A1 (en) 2015-08-25 2016-08-23 Solar panel with integrated illumination arrangement, and system for a solar panel with such an arrangement

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EP3342038A1 true EP3342038A1 (en) 2018-07-04
EP3342038A4 EP3342038A4 (en) 2019-02-27

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WO2019149043A1 (en) * 2018-01-30 2019-08-08 Saint-Gobain Glass France Photovoltaic module comprising glass cover having local structure with improved haze and preparation method therefor

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ATE281629T1 (en) * 2000-12-22 2004-11-15 Thomas Emde SANDWICH-TYPE PLATE ELEMENT
KR100680654B1 (en) * 2006-08-07 2007-02-08 해성쏠라(주) Solar module
KR100922772B1 (en) * 2007-08-22 2009-10-21 솔라캡인피니티 유한회사 Solar Luminescent Tile
JP5662489B2 (en) * 2010-03-16 2015-01-28 コーニンクレッカ フィリップス エヌ ヴェ Photovoltaic device with switchable light / reflection
KR101225980B1 (en) * 2010-12-06 2013-01-24 엘지전자 주식회사 Light-emitting device
JP2014132601A (en) * 2011-04-20 2014-07-17 Sharp Corp Solar cell module and photovoltaic generation device
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SE1551097A1 (en) 2017-02-26
SE539132C2 (en) 2017-04-11
WO2017034457A1 (en) 2017-03-02
CN108028624A (en) 2018-05-11
EP3342038A4 (en) 2019-02-27

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