GB2593119A - Lightweight encapsulated composite photovoltaic panel - Google Patents
Lightweight encapsulated composite photovoltaic panel Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2593119A GB2593119A GB1902352.2A GB201902352A GB2593119A GB 2593119 A GB2593119 A GB 2593119A GB 201902352 A GB201902352 A GB 201902352A GB 2593119 A GB2593119 A GB 2593119A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- optionally
- support element
- entirely
- panel
- elements
- 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.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 title claims description 4
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000005538 encapsulation Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000005498 polishing Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 claims 3
- 230000001627 detrimental effect Effects 0.000 claims 2
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 claims 2
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000005728 strengthening Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 9
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 8
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000009429 electrical wiring Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000383 hazardous chemical Substances 0.000 description 3
- 231100000206 health hazard Toxicity 0.000 description 3
- 206010011906 Death Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 239000011152 fibreglass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 231100001261 hazardous Toxicity 0.000 description 2
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004064 recycling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000013585 weight reducing agent Substances 0.000 description 2
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 208000027418 Wounds and injury Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 239000004760 aramid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003235 aromatic polyamide Polymers 0.000 description 1
- -1 but not limited to Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052799 carbon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008030 elimination Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000003379 elimination reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005265 energy consumption Methods 0.000 description 1
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000704 physical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- 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
- H01L31/02002—Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the device in operations
- H01L31/02005—Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the device in operations for device characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
- H01L31/02008—Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the device in operations for device characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells or solar cell modules
- H01L31/02013—Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the device in operations for device characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells or solar cell modules comprising output lead wires elements
-
- 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
- H01L31/0481—Encapsulation of modules characterised by the composition of the encapsulation material
-
- 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
- H01L31/049—Protective back sheets
-
- 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
- H01L31/05—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells
- H01L31/0504—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
- H01L31/0512—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module made of a particular material or composition of materials
-
- 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
Abstract
A photovoltaic, or solar panel comprising photovoltaic cells (a), electrically conductive metal wiring (b) coated with electrically conductive resin (c) where it protrudes from the panel, a support element (d) and a non-electrically conductive resin part (e) that totally encapsulates the photovoltaic cells, the metal wiring and the support element.
Description
LIGHTWEIGHT ENCAPSULATED
COMPOSITE PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL
TECHNICAL HELD
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is related to photovoltaic electricity generation
BACKGROUND
Conventional conunercial photovoltaic panels are usually comprised of solar cells encapsulated in a protective medium, with a backing material on the underside of die solar cells, such as, but not limited to, EVA, PET, or fibreglass, and the electrical wiring necessaw. Such a composition then receives a glass panel on the side facing the light source, fastened by a metal frame around the panel itself, thus becoming an assembly, while the electrical wiring necessary for the specific use of the panel is presented through cables originating in a junction box, inside of which the panel's wiring is connected to a wiring harness, which, in turn, is to be connected to a given electrical circuit to make use of the electricity generated.
This conventional approach results in an elevated final weight of the assembled panel that varies from 10kg to 15kg per square meter, while also requiring the installation of a substructure component to which the panels can be fastened or attached to, increasing the overall weight of the system, while requiring that die structure on which the panels are mounted to be appropriately sturdy to support the necessary weight. The labour required to install these conventional panels is intensive, with associated risks due to die weight of each component and the presence of glass elements, which can shatter and create a hazard for persomtel involved, especially when such installations take place at elevated heights, such as roofs and building facades. An increase in pollution is equally expected from the vehicles transporting the added weight of all components involved. This approach also limits the manufacturing to the format of plain panels, with no possibility of curves or conformity to non-flat. surfaces.
At the same tine, flexible solar panels commercially available as of 2017 also require a backing material present between solar cells and the underside of the panel, in addition of a support material, such as, but not limited to, fiberglass, EVA, PET Or other suitable materials, which also increase the weight of the final assembled panel, and by not having a structural component, do not present elevated structural strength. This approach also does not allow for a completely flat surface, since it is necessary to incorporate a junction box for the wiring on the surface of the panel, nor does it allow for solar panels to be manufactured in more complex shapes such as the external surfaces of vehicles. The weight of such panels varies from 2.5kg to 5kg per square meter.
Both aforementioned approaches result in labour intensive and potentially eiwiromnental damaging waste when products manufactured in these manners reach the end of their useful life, and must be dismantled, handled and sorted to different disposal methods.
The use of resin elements in conjunction with fibres and/or other materials is referred to as "composite" materials, which is a characteristic of this invention.
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
Conventional photovoltaic panels, as described above, are heavy and fragile, and require both labour-material-intensive methods for fabrication, transport, installation and disposal, while presenting health risks for the persons involved in the manufacturing and installation chains, as well as risk of damage to t he panels. Neither conventional nor polymer-backing flexible panels address environmental risks associated with manufacturing and/or end-of-life product disposal, and neither allow their shapes to conform to non-flat surfaces.
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
The inventor has ascertained with fully functional prototypes that a resin-encapsulated photovoltaic panel satisfies the requirements for a more environmentally and labour friendly approach to photovoltaic renewable electricity generation, while also reducing handling and installation risks due to the absence of a heavy and hazardous components such as glass and metal. Such weight reduction provides a reduction in the encumberment of the persons pedal-tiling installation or maintenance tasks and at the same time allows more complex shapes to be obtained for solar panels.
DESCRIPTION
The invention hereby described results in a final assembled milt that is chemically and physically inert, especially with regards to end-of-life disposal. The elimination of the necessity for disassembly, separation, handling or special disposal of the individual components or elements greatly reduces the environmental impact of the entire lifecycle of the product.
The type of support material is determined by the final application of the assembly, according to the physical properties required as for structural rigidity-or form factor, and will also determine die final weight per square meter of the assembly, included but not limited to carbon fibre, aramid, glass fibre, natural fibres, and any mixed composition of such fibres. This invention, when applied to the production of commercial photovoltaic panels results in a final weight per square meter between 0.4kg and 1.0kg per square meter, which is between 3% to 10% of the weight of conventional glass and metal panels, and between 16% and 40% that of flexible panels. This invention also allows for use in technical applications with enhanced structural characteristics ranging from 0.8kg and 2.0kg per square meter or more, according to necessity.
The wiring necessmy to make use of the electricity generated is also completely encapsulated, albeit in an electrically conductive resin, which renders it comtectible to external electrical circuits without requiring or allowing access to the internal components of the assembly, reducing the risk of damage by environmental degradation.
Normal wear of the encapsulating resin can be counteracted, repaired or refurbished by reapplying a new layer of resin ancllor polishing the existing external surface.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
When compared to conventional glass and metal 10 frame solar panels, the aforementioned weight reduction of die invention greatly reduces the environmental impact caused by shipping and transport pollution of products by allowing a larger number of panels to be transported in the same space and weight of conventional 15 panels, both of the individual elements necessary for fabrication and the final assembled panels.
The reduced weight also allows the reduction of health hazards for manufacturing workers, handlers and most notably for installers, who usually work in 20 inherently hazardous environments where most solar panels are installed, such as rooftops or structures at heights from which a fall may result in serious injury.
The physically and chemically inert encapsulation reduces environmental damage risks when discarding the 25 panels by requiring no special handling, no dismantling or disassembly iu order to separate glass, metal and solar cells, which can be considered as a cured resin waste wherever disposal or recycling legislation allows it.
The electrical wiring is also encapailated completely 30 in the panel, preventing metals from coming into contact with the environment, and where recycling regulations permit, allows for discarding alongside other inert materials.
The panel allows for simplified installation that 35 requires no underlying physical structure to support the panels, further reducing waste, labour, transport pollution throughout the entire chain, from production to installation including both energy consumption and health hazards associated with fabricating and installing 40 such structures.
The resin encapsulation by its own nature does not shatter or break as glass, reducing exposure to health hazards associated with installation, economical loss from mishandling or accidents, and environmental 45 hazards from possible improper handling of residues.
The production of the panels does not produce any waste metals or glass, which are components found only in conventional solar panels.
Claims (1)
- Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of natural fibres.Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of buoyant materials.Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of gases.Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of thermal insulating materials. Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of acoustic insulating materials. Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of radiation insulating materials. Optionally, the (0) support element may he entirely OT partially composed of surfaces of existing structures, equipments or vehicles.Optionally, the electric circuit resulting from (A) solar cells and (B) wiring may be established in parallel to increase performance and reduce the detrimental effects of shading.Optionally, the electric circuit resulting from (A) solar cells and (B) wiring may include a diode between individual cells or groups of cells to increase performance and reduce the detrimental effects of shading.Optionally, the panel may be entirely or partially foldable.Optionally, the panel may be entirely or partially flexible.CLAIMS1. The present invention is called LIGHTWEIGHT ENCAPSULATED COMPOSITE PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL 2.The present invention is a photovoltaic panel that generates an electric current when exposed to a light source.3. The panel from claim 2 is comprised of the following elements, examples of which can be found in Figures 1 and 2: (A) photovoltaic cells, (B) electrically conductive metal wiring, (C) an electrically conductive resin encapsulating the portions of (B) wiring where it protrudes from the main area of the panel to allow for a connection to an external electric circuit, (D) a specified support element, and (E) a non-electrically-conductive resin component for the complete encapsulation of all previous elements in with the exception of aforementioned (C) portion.4. The (D) specified support element is composed of a single material or a combination of materials determined by the mechanical requirements of the intended use or application of the panel.5. The (B) wiring is connected to the (A) solar cells as required to create an electric circuit.6. The elements from claim 3 arc fully encapsulated in both (C) and (E) elements as described in claim 3.7. The assembly from claim 6 is allowed to cure and harden as required, resulting in a homogeneous structure. 30 8. The assembly from claim 7 is the final assembled panel which is chemically and physically inert.9. After the cure and hardening from claim 7 take place, the (D) support element in conjunction with ithe (E) resin are a structural element which physically supports all 35 other elements.10. The internal elements of the finished assembly from claims 7 and 8 are protected from environmental degradation by the aforementioned encapsulation within (C) and (E) elements. 40 11. The assembly from claims 7 and 7, and its internal elements, are thus isolated from contact and/or contamination from or towards the environment.12. The resin encapsulation from claims 3, 6, 7 and 8, may be subject to being refurbished and/or repaired by 45 means of polishing the existing external layer sutface of the resin and/or applying a new coating of resin where required.13. The weight of the final assembly, not including optional additional reinforcements, is between 400g and 50 1000g per square meter.Optionally, the (C) and (E) encapsulating resins may be resistant to UV radiation to decrease degradation from environmental factors. 55 Optionally, the panel may include eyelets, clips, straps, magnetic or mechanical fastening elements to facilitate installation and/or use.Optionally, the panel may be subject to heat treatments to increase resistance to degradation. 60 Optionally, the entire assembly may receive structural strengthening and/or reinforcing elements to increase mechanical performance.Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of glass fibre. 65 Optionally, the (D) support element may be entirely or partially composed of caibon fibre.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1902352.2A GB2593119A (en) | 2019-02-21 | 2019-02-21 | Lightweight encapsulated composite photovoltaic panel |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1902352.2A GB2593119A (en) | 2019-02-21 | 2019-02-21 | Lightweight encapsulated composite photovoltaic panel |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB201902352D0 GB201902352D0 (en) | 2019-04-10 |
| GB2593119A true GB2593119A (en) | 2021-09-22 |
Family
ID=65998818
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1902352.2A Withdrawn GB2593119A (en) | 2019-02-21 | 2019-02-21 | Lightweight encapsulated composite photovoltaic panel |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2593119A (en) |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0836233A2 (en) * | 1996-10-08 | 1998-04-15 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Solar cell module |
| US20100006141A1 (en) * | 2008-07-10 | 2010-01-14 | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. | Photoelectric conversion device and manufacturing method of photoelectric conversion device |
| JP2016181683A (en) * | 2015-03-23 | 2016-10-13 | エスアイアイ・セミコンダクタ株式会社 | Optical sensor device and manufacturing method thereof |
-
2019
- 2019-02-21 GB GB1902352.2A patent/GB2593119A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0836233A2 (en) * | 1996-10-08 | 1998-04-15 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Solar cell module |
| US20100006141A1 (en) * | 2008-07-10 | 2010-01-14 | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. | Photoelectric conversion device and manufacturing method of photoelectric conversion device |
| JP2016181683A (en) * | 2015-03-23 | 2016-10-13 | エスアイアイ・セミコンダクタ株式会社 | Optical sensor device and manufacturing method thereof |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB201902352D0 (en) | 2019-04-10 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |