JP2002276090A - Solar battery dummy module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin film solar battery dummy module having the similar appearance to peripheral thin film solar battery modules, easy to be worked, and having excellent durability. SOLUTION: This solar battery dummy module is formed by coating one surface of a solar battery dummy structure with a reflection preventing film. The reflection preventing film is formed by fixing the inorganic material, especially, silica fine particles.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar cell dummy module, and more particularly, to a solar cell dummy module having the same appearance as a solar cell module but not being used for power generation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a plurality of thin-film solar cell modules for residential use are often placed separately on a roof or used also as a roof material. In the case of a separate installation type, an array of modules is installed on a roof, which detracts from aesthetics. In addition, when the solar cell module is used also as a roofing material, the solar cell module is laid instead of the roofing material. Had ordinary Japanese tiles, slate tiles, glass tiles, etc. Further, in order to improve the aesthetic appearance, a glass roof material having the same shape as the solar cell module, a roof material having the same color as the solar cell module, and the like have been used.

[0003] However, even with the above-mentioned glass or painted in the same color, the color and texture are different from those of the thin-film solar cell module due to the adjustment and reflection of the sun's rays. Was not excellent. Therefore, a thin-film solar cell dummy module that is almost identical in appearance to the thin-film solar cell module but is not used for power generation is required.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-217471 discloses that a dummy panel is provided in an empty area where a solar cell module is not provided. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-131440 discloses that a specially shaped roof uses an auxiliary panel having a planar irregular shape, and all or a part of the auxiliary panel is a dummy panel. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-12911 discloses that a dummy cell is provided in a blank portion of a triangular solar cell module where there is no rectangular solar cell.

[0005] To solve these problems of the conventional solar cell dummy module, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-323 is disclosed.
No. 739 discloses a dummy module. This dummy module has the same structure as that used for power generation, is a short-circuited connection of a pair of current extraction electrodes, and has exactly the same appearance as the power generation module. The same aesthetic can be obtained over the entire roof.

On the other hand, an antiglare film or an antireflection film for preventing reflection may be provided on a surface of a glass substrate of a solar cell module on which light is incident, in order to effectively use the incident light. Conventionally, there has been known an example in which a dummy module is similarly provided with an anti-glare film in order to make the appearance common. However, since this anti-glare film is made of a thick resin film, it is difficult to cut from the anti-glare film side in the final cutting step, and when cut from the surface opposite to the anti-glare film, burrs are generated. There was a problem. Therefore, the anti-glare film must be formed after cutting, and in such a case, it takes time to form the anti-glare film.

[0007]

As described above, the conventional solar cell dummy module on which the anti-glare film is formed has a problem that cutting is difficult, burrs are generated, and it takes time to form the anti-glare film. However, a solar cell dummy module that has solved such a problem has not been found yet.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems,
Although it is not used for power generation, it has the same appearance as the surrounding thin-film solar cell module, so it has a unified and excellent appearance as a whole, and can be easily processed into a desired shape for power generation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a thin-film solar cell dummy module having excellent durability.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a solar cell dummy module comprising a solar cell dummy structure having an anti-reflection film adhered to one surface of the solar cell dummy structure. The film provides a solar cell dummy module, wherein the solar cell dummy module is made of an inorganic material.

In the solar cell dummy module according to the present invention, the antireflection film may be formed by fixing fine silica particles to one surface of the solar cell dummy structure.
The fixation of the silica fine particles to one surface of the solar cell dummy structure can be performed using, for example, silica produced by hydrolysis of silicon alkoxide by a sol-gel method as a binder.

That is, when a coating solution containing silica fine particles, silicon alkoxide and an acid catalyst or a base catalyst in a solvent is stirred, the silicon alkoxide is hydrolyzed to form a sol, which is applied to a glass substrate, dried and dehydrated. After gelling and firing, silica produced by hydrolysis of silicon alkoxide serves as a binder, and silica fine particles are firmly fixed. Since all organic components are eliminated by baking, the obtained antireflection film is composed of only an inorganic material.

In the present invention, as the solar cell dummy structure on which the antireflection film is formed, a structure in which a coating film having a color similar to a photoelectric conversion layer is formed on the other surface of a glass substrate,
A structure in which a transparent electrode and a coating exhibiting a photoelectric conversion layer-like color are formed on the other surface of the glass substrate, or a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back surface electrode layer are laminated on the other surface of the glass substrate. Thus, a power generation solar cell structure in which a pair of terminal electrodes is short-circuited can be used.

That is, the dummy module must be disposed adjacent to the power generation module and have the same appearance as the power generation module. However, even if the same anti-reflection film is used, the anti-reflection film is formed. Since the dummy structure can be seen through the anti-reflection film, the structure must be recognized as having the same color and texture when viewed through the anti-reflection film.

[0014] One example of such a structure is a photoelectric conversion layer-like color, that is, a reddish brown to black color that silicon exhibits, directly or through a transparent electrode layer on the other surface of a glass substrate. This is a structure on which a coating film coated with the paint is formed. Another example is a structure having the same configuration as the power generation module, that is, a power generation solar cell structure in which a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer are sequentially laminated on the other surface of the glass substrate. In this case, a pair of terminal electrodes is short-circuited in order to extinguish the power generated by the power generation.

According to the solar cell dummy module of the present invention configured as described above, the appearance, that is, the color, texture, and the like are the same as those of the solar cell module for power generation that is arranged adjacently. When used as, it is possible to obtain a uniform, unified, excellent appearance over the entire roof.

Further, since the solar cell dummy module of the present invention is formed with an antireflection film made of an inorganic material, it is easy to cut, and no burrs are generated during cutting.

Further, the solar cell dummy module of the present invention utilizes various types such as a glass substrate for a power generation module, a nonstandard product of a glass substrate with an antireflection film, and a nonstandard product of a solar cell module for power generation. You can get
Thereby, it is possible to increase the manufacturing margin.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a thin-film solar cell dummy module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1
In the first embodiment, an antireflection film 2
Is formed, and a coating film 3 is provided on the back surface side to form a thin-film solar cell dummy module.

As the glass substrate 1, it is preferable to use the same glass substrate used for a normal solar cell module for power generation. For example, a glass substrate used for a normal solar cell module for power generation, but a non-standard product not suitable for power generation can also be used.

The antireflection film 2 is formed by fixing silica fine particles on the surface of the glass substrate 1 using a sol-gel method. The formation process is as follows. First, silica fine particles, silicon alkoxide, and a catalyst are suspended in a solvent to form a coating solution. As the solvent, ethanol, ethyl cellosolve, propanol, ethylene glycol and the like can be used. If necessary, add water for hydrolysis.

The average particle size of the silica fine particles is 5 to 20 nm.
The degree is preferred. Examples of the silicon alkoxide include tetraethoxysilane, tetramethoxysilane, and the like.

The silicon alkoxide in the coating solution is hydrolyzed to generate silica, which plays a role as a binder for fixing the silica fine particles on the surface of the glass substrate 1. The catalyst is a catalyst for hydrolyzing silicon alkoxide, and may be an acid catalyst such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, or a base catalyst.
In order to cause the hydrolysis reaction to occur at a high rate and to suppress by-products due to the condensation reaction, it is preferable to use an acid catalyst.

The ratio (weight ratio) of the silica fine particles to the silicon alkoxide in the coating solution is determined by the desired amount of the silica fine particles on the surface of the final antireflection film 2, for example,
%, It is preferably about 9: 1 to 7: 3.

The coating solution prepared as described above is
When stirring at a certain temperature, for example, 20 ° C, the silicon alcohol
The oxide hydrolyzes and sols. In this state the coating solution
Is applied to the surface of the glass substrate 1 by a coater. Application
The amount of solution applied is such that the final thickness of the antireflection film 2 is 0.0
For example, 1 × 10 5 to be about 5 to 0.25 μm.
^-5~ 5 × 10^-5g / cm²The degree is preferred.

Next, the coating film applied on the surface of the glass substrate 1 is dried at a predetermined temperature, for example, 150 ° C. This drying dehydrates the coating film and causes gelation.

The gelled coating film is finally baked, and as a result, an antireflection film 2 is formed, in which the silica fine particles are firmly fixed to the surface of the glass substrate 1 by the binder silica. The firing conditions vary depending on the specifications of the glass substrate, the composition of the coating solution, the conditions for solification and gelation, and the like, but are generally performed in air at 400 to 500 ° C. for 3 minutes or more.

On the surface of the antireflection film 2 thus obtained, the shape of the silica fine particles was exposed in a region of 80% or more. Since a large number of silica fine particles are exposed in a wide range as described above, the antireflection film 2 can obtain an excellent antireflection effect.

Thereafter, the glass substrate 1 having the anti-reflection film 2 is cut into a desired shape to be arranged at a necessary place as a roof material, for example. In this cutting step,
Since the anti-reflection film 2 is entirely formed of an inorganic substance, it can be easily cut from the anti-reflection film 2 side,
In addition, burrs do not occur due to cutting.

Finally, the back surface of the glass substrate 1 is coated to form a coating film 3, whereby the solar cell dummy module is completed. This coating is performed using a red-brown to black paint that resembles the color of silicon constituting the photoelectric conversion layer in order to obtain the appearance of the solar cell module for power generation.

In the above example, the anti-reflection film 2 was formed on the surface of the glass substrate 1 prepared for the dummy module, and the coating film 3 was formed on the back surface. A coating film 3 may be formed on the back surface of a non-standard product having the prevention film 2 formed thereon.

FIG. 2 shows a modification of the thin-film solar cell dummy module shown in FIG. 1, in which an antireflection film 2 is formed on the surface of a glass substrate 1 and a transparent electrode layer 4 and a coating film 5 are formed on the back surface. Things.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a thin-film solar cell dummy module according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
In the embodiment, the antireflection film 12 is formed on the incident side surface of the glass substrate 11 as in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the transparent electrode layer 1 is formed on the back side of the glass substrate 11 in the same manner as in the solar cell module for power generation.
3 is different from the first embodiment in that the photoelectric conversion layer 14 and the back electrode layer 15 are stacked.

The laminate formed on the back surface of such a glass substrate 11 is divided into a plurality of cells by scribe lines (not shown), and the plurality of cells are electrically connected in series to extract a current. Is provided in the same manner as in the solar cell module for power generation.

However, in the solar cell dummy module according to the present embodiment, the current is not extracted from the pair of extraction electrodes, and the pair of electrodes is short-circuited by the short-circuit line. As a result, the generated power disappears due to the short circuit.

In the solar cell dummy module according to the present embodiment, the formation process of the anti-reflection film itself is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted. Can be performed. That is, an antireflection film may be formed on the surface of a glass substrate on which no thin film is formed, or an antireflection film may be formed on the surface of a glass substrate on which a transparent electrode is formed on the back surface. Anti-reflection on the surface of the glass substrate in which the structure of the solar cell for power generation is entirely formed, that is, the transparent electrode layer, the photoelectric conversion layer, and the back electrode layer are laminated on the back side of the glass substrate A film may be formed. In the present invention, since the antireflection film is made of an inorganic substance, it can withstand a heat process, and therefore can be formed at any stage.

The solar cell dummy module according to the present embodiment has exactly the same structure as the power generation solar cell module except that the pair of extraction electrodes is short-circuited when the same anti-reflection film is formed. Therefore, its appearance, that is, its color and texture are almost the same as those of the solar cell module for power generation, and therefore, it can be suitably used as a roof material excellent in uniform beauty.

The effect of easy cutting and no burr can be obtained as in the first embodiment. Since the solar cell dummy module according to the present embodiment has substantially the same structure as the power generation solar cell module, a nonstandard product manufactured as the power generation solar cell module can be used.

Hereinafter, various examples and comparative examples of the present invention will be described.

Example 1 having a transmittance of 89% or more at 400 to 1000 nm,
A 4 mm thick float glass (high transmittance glass) substrate (size: 125 × 125 mm) was prepared.

Next, a coating solution having the following composition was prepared.

Silica fine particles (colloidal silica, average particle size: 100 nm) 19.0% by weight Tetraethoxysilane 4.5% by weight Water 57.5% by weight Solvent (ethyl cellosolve) 18.0% by weight Acid catalyst (concentrated hydrochloric acid) 1.0% by weight The coating solution having the above composition was sufficiently stirred at 20 ° C., and then applied to one surface of a glass substrate using a coater. Thereafter, the coating film was dried at 150 ° C. and baked at 400 ° C. for 30 minutes to form an antireflection film made of silica on a glass substrate. The obtained antireflection film had a surface coverage of silica fine particles of 87%.

Next, the glass substrate on which the antireflection film was formed was cut into a desired shape from the antireflection film side. Cutting was easy and no burrs were formed.

Finally, a reddish brown paint was applied to the other surface of the glass substrate. The application of the reddish-brown paint was performed so as to show the same color as the silicon layer in the power generation module. In this way, a solar cell dummy module having an anti-reflection film formed by strongly attaching silica fine particles to the glass substrate surface by the sol-gel method was obtained.

On the other hand, an antireflection film was formed on the glass substrate surface of a general superstrate type thin film solar cell module in the same manner as described above. When the appearances of the super straight type thin-film solar cell module and the above-described solar cell dummy module were visually evaluated, there was almost no difference between the two.

Example 2 Having a transmittance of 89% or more at 400 to 1000 nm,
A 4 mm thick float glass (high transmittance glass) substrate (size: 125 × 125 mm) was prepared. Then
On one surface of this glass substrate, 9
A SnO ₂ film having a thickness of 00 nm was formed.

Next, a coating solution having the following composition was prepared.

Silica fine particles (colloidal silica, average particle size: 100 nm) 19.2% by weight Tetraethoxysilane 4.8% by weight Water 55.0% by weight Solvent (ethyl cellosolve) 20.0% by weight Acid catalyst (concentrated hydrochloric acid) 1.0% by weight The coating solution having the above composition was sufficiently stirred at 20 ° C., and then applied to the other surface of the glass substrate using a coater. After that, the coating film was dried at 150 ° C. and baked at 400 ° C. for 30 minutes to form an antireflection film made of silica on a glass substrate. The obtained antireflection film had a silica fine particle surface coverage of 85%.

Next, the glass substrate on which the antireflection film was formed was cut into a desired shape from the antireflection film side. Cutting was easy and no burrs were formed.

Finally, the SnO ₂ formed on the glass substrate
A reddish brown paint was applied to the film surface. The application of the red-brown paint was performed so as to show the same color as the silicon layer in the power generation module. In this manner, a solar cell dummy module having an anti-reflection film formed by strongly attaching silica fine particles to the glass substrate surface by the sol-gel method was obtained.

On the other hand, an antireflection film was formed on the glass substrate surface of a general hybrid type thin film solar cell module in the same manner as described above. When the external appearance of this hybrid thin-film solar cell module and the above-mentioned solar cell dummy module were visually evaluated, there was almost no difference between the two.

Example 3 having a transmittance of at least 89% at 400 to 1000 nm,
A 4 mm thick float glass (high transmittance glass) substrate (size: 125 × 125 mm) was prepared. Then
On one surface of this glass substrate, 9
A SnO ₂ film having a thickness of 00 nm was formed, and a scribe line was formed in the SnO ₂ film with a laser.

Next, a coating solution having the following composition was prepared.

Silica fine particles (colloidal silica, average particle size: 100 nm) 19.0% by weight Tetraethoxysilane 4.5% by weight Water 57.5% by weight Solvent (ethyl cellosolve) 18.0% by weight Acid catalyst (concentrated hydrochloric acid) 1.0% by weight The coating solution having the above composition was sufficiently stirred at 20 ° C., and then applied to the other surface of the glass substrate using a coater. After that, the coating film was dried at 150 ° C. and baked at 400 ° C. for 30 minutes to form an antireflection film made of silica on a glass substrate. The obtained antireflection film had a surface coverage of silica fine particles of 83%.

Next, the glass substrate on which the antireflection film was formed was cut into a desired shape from the antireflection film side. Cutting was easy and no burrs were formed.

[0056] SnO Finally, formed on the glass substrate ₂
A reddish brown paint was applied to the film surface. The application of the reddish-brown paint was performed so as to show the same color as the silicon layer in the power generation module. In this way, a solar cell dummy module having an anti-reflection film formed by strongly attaching silica fine particles to the glass substrate surface by the sol-gel method was obtained.

On the other hand, an antireflection film was formed on the glass substrate surface of a general super straight film solar cell module in the same manner as described above. When the appearances of the super straight type thin-film solar cell module and the above-described solar cell dummy module were visually evaluated, there was almost no difference between the two.

Example 4 Instead of a glass substrate, a structure in which a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer were laminated on the back side of a glass substrate was used. An anti-reflection film was formed in the same manner as described above. The surface coverage of the silica particles in the obtained antireflection film was 83%.

Next, the structure on which the antireflection film is formed is
It was cut into a desired shape from the back electrode side. Cutting was easy and no burrs were formed. In this way,
A solar cell dummy module having an antireflection film formed by firmly attaching silica fine particles to the surface of a glass substrate by a sol-gel method was obtained.

On the other hand, an antireflection film was formed on the glass substrate surface of a general superstrate type thin film solar cell module in the same manner as described above. When the appearances of the super straight type thin-film solar cell module and the above-described solar cell dummy module were visually evaluated, there was almost no difference between the two.

Comparative Example An antiglare film having a thickness of about 30 μm made of a fluorine-based resin was formed on the surface of a glass substrate by a spray method instead of an antireflection film. When the glass substrate on which the anti-glare film was formed was cut from the anti-glare film side, the cutting was very difficult. Further, when cut from the back surface side, burrs caused by the antiglare film occurred.

[0062]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, since the appearance, that is, the color and texture are the same as those of the solar cell module for power generation arranged adjacently, for example, as a roof material When used, a solar cell dummy module having a uniform, uniform, and excellent appearance over the entire roof can be obtained.

In the solar cell dummy module of the present invention, since the antireflection film formed on the surface is made of an inorganic material, the solar cell dummy module can be easily cut, and burrs do not occur at the time of cutting.

Further, the solar cell dummy module of the present invention utilizes various types such as a glass substrate for a power generation module, a nonstandard product of a glass substrate with an antireflection film, and a nonstandard product of a solar cell module for power generation. You can get
Thereby, a manufacturing margin can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a solar cell dummy module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a modification of the solar cell dummy module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a solar cell dummy module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,11 ... Glass substrate 2,12 ... Anti-reflection film 3,5 ... Coating film 4,13 ... Transparent electrode layer 14 ... Photoelectric conversion layer 15 ... Back surface electrode layer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A solar cell dummy module comprising an anti-reflection film applied to one surface of a solar cell dummy structure, wherein the anti-reflection film is made of an inorganic material. module. 2. The solar cell dummy module according to claim 1, wherein the antireflection film is formed by fixing silica fine particles to one surface of the solar cell dummy structure. 3. The solar cell dummy structure is a structure in which a coating film having a color similar to a photoelectric conversion layer is formed on the other surface of a glass substrate, or a transparent electrode layer is formed on the other surface of the glass substrate. The solar cell dummy module according to claim 1 or 2, which is a power generation solar cell structure in which a pair of terminal electrodes is short-circuited, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer and the back electrode layer are laminated.