JP2022145072A - solar array - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a solar array in which a plurality of solar cell modules are connected in a partially overlapped state, and in which reduction in output due to shielding of scattered light is suppressed.SOLUTION: In a solar array with a plurality of solar modules installed on an inclined plane, the plurality of solar modules respectively include a plurality of series-connected solar cells; adjacent solar cell modules from among the plurality of solar cell modules are arranged with their principal surfaces facing upward and partially overlapping each other; and at least a part of the end face of the lower end of an upper solar cell module 3 among the adjacent solar cell modules serves as a reflecting portion 300 that reflects light toward the main surface of a lower solar cell module 4 among the adjacent solar cell modules.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a solar cell array installed on an inclined surface and having a plurality of solar cell modules connected in a partially overlapping state.

Conventionally, solar cell arrays having various structures have been proposed. As such a solar cell array, there is a solar energy system including a plurality of rows of modules arranged with a gap between each other and rows of reflectors respectively arranged between adjacent module rows (Patent Document 1). Each module row is configured by arranging a plurality of PV modules. Each reflector row is configured by arranging a plurality of reflectors, each of which reflects light toward the PV module.

Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2012-518909

By the way, when this solar cell array is installed on an inclined surface that is inclined in the row direction, and the adjacent PV modules in the module row are arranged so as to partially overlap each other, the upper PV module and the lower PV module among the adjacent PV modules are arranged to partially overlap each other. A step is generated between the PV module located at the . In such a solar cell array, when the cells included in the module row are connected in series, the amount of light received by the cell closest to the step in the lower PV module (the cell with the most scattered light shielded) decreases. As a result, the cell acts as a resistance in this module, and there is a risk that the amount of power generated by the cells other than the cell in this module will be reduced, making it impossible to secure the desired output.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell array in which a plurality of solar cell modules are partially overlapped and connected, and which suppresses a decrease in output due to shielding of scattered light. do.

A solar cell array of the present invention is a solar cell array installed on an inclined surface and comprising a plurality of solar cell modules, each of the plurality of solar cell modules comprising a plurality of series-connected solar cells, Adjacent solar cell modules among the plurality of solar cell modules are arranged with their main surfaces facing upward and partially overlapped with each other, and are positioned above the adjacent solar cell modules. The solar cell array of the solar cell array, wherein at least part of the side surface of the lower end of the solar cell module serves as a reflecting portion that reflects light toward the main surface of the solar cell module positioned below among the adjacent solar cell modules.

According to such a configuration, the light reflected by the side surface of the lower end of the solar cell module positioned above is incident on the main surface of the solar cell module positioned below, so that the light is blocked by the solar cell module positioned above. By compensating for the scattered light, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the output of the solar cell array.

Further, in the solar cell array, the reflecting portion may be the entire side surface of the lower end of the solar cell module positioned above.

According to such a configuration, since the entire side surface of the lower end of the solar cell module positioned above reflects light to the main surface of the solar cell module positioned below, it is possible to further suppress the decrease in the output of the solar cell array. can be done.

Further, in the solar cell array, even if the infrared reflectance of the reflecting portion of the above solar cell module is higher than the visible light reflectance of the reflecting portion of the above solar cell module, good.

According to this configuration, the side surfaces of the lower ends of the solar cell modules located above reflect visible light and more infrared light, thereby suppressing light pollution caused around the installation location of the solar cell array. At the same time, it is possible to suppress a decrease in output.

Further, in the solar cell array,
The reflectance of the reflecting portion of the solar cell module positioned above may be 10% or more.

According to this configuration, the reflectance of the reflective portion of the upper solar cell module is higher than the reflectance (for example, about 4.5%) of the end face of a general solar cell module, so that the solar cell array A decrease in output can be further suppressed.

Further, in the solar cell array, the average reflectance of light having a wavelength of 380 nm or more and less than 780 nm at the reflecting portion of the solar cell module positioned above and the wavelength of 780 nm or more and 1100 nm at the reflecting portion of the solar cell module positioned above The greater of the average reflectances of less than 10% of light may be 10% or more.

According to this configuration, the reflectance of the reflective portion of the upper solar cell module is higher than the reflectance (for example, about 4.5%) of the end face of a general solar cell module, so that the solar cell array A decrease in output can be further suppressed.

Further, in the solar cell array, each of the plurality of solar cells may be elongated in a strip shape in a direction along the upper end side surface and the lower end side surface of each of the plurality of solar cell modules.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to effectively deal with a solar cell array including solar cells having a shape that is likely to be affected by the shielding of scattered light.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a solar cell array in which a plurality of solar cell modules are connected in a partially overlapping state, and which suppresses a decrease in output due to shielding of scattered light. can do.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a solar cell array according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the solar cell array. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the solar cell array.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

The solar cell array 1 is installed on an inclined surface. For example, the solar cell array 1 is installed on the roof of a building such as a private house with the main surface (light receiving surface) facing upward. The solar cell array 1 also includes a plurality of solar cell modules 2 as shown in FIG.

Each of the plurality of solar battery modules 2 includes a plurality of series-connected solar battery cells 20 . Adjacent solar cell modules 2 among the plurality of solar cell modules 2 are arranged such that their main surfaces 21 face the sunlight incident direction and are partially overlapped with each other. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, at least a portion of the lower end side surface 30 of the upper solar cell module 2 among the adjacent solar cell modules 2 is located below the adjacent solar cell modules 2. The reflecting portion 300 reflects light toward the main surface 41 of the solar cell module 4 .

According to the solar cell array 1 described above, the light reflected by the side surfaces 30 of the lower ends of the solar cell modules 3 located above enters the main surfaces 41 of the solar cell modules 4 located below. By compensating for the scattered light that is blocked by the solar cell module 3 , a decrease in the output of the solar cell array 1 can be suppressed.

It should be noted that the decrease in the output of the solar cell array 1 caused by arranging the solar cell modules 2 in a partially overlapped state is unlikely to occur under direct sunlight, which is abundant in fine weather. This adjusts the positional relationship between the sun and an inclined surface such as a roof on which the solar cell array 1 is installed when installing the solar cell module 2 (specifically, most of the time during the daytime, the front surface of the roof is This is because the solar cell array 1 is installed on the south roof (in the case of the northern hemisphere) so that the sun is positioned on the side of the roof, thereby making it difficult for sunlight to be blocked by the steps of the solar cell modules 2 . On the other hand, such a decrease in the output of the solar cell array 1 is likely to occur with a large amount of scattered light, such as during cloudy weather. This is because scattered light falls uniformly from the sky, so the component that falls from the front side (south side in the case of the northern hemisphere) of a sloped surface such as a roof is received without being blocked by the steps, but the sloped surface such as a roof This is because the component falling from the back side (the north side in the case of the northern hemisphere) is blocked by the steps. Unlike the case of direct light, scattered light does not fall in a specific direction. Therefore, it is difficult to improve the decrease in output by adjusting the positional relationship between the solar cell module 2 and the inclined surface such as the roof. . In addition, the ratio of the amount of scattered solar radiation to the annual amount of solar radiation is about 50%. In this solar cell array 1 , by forming the reflecting portion 300 , some of the approximately 50% can contribute to suppressing a decrease in the output of the solar cell array 1 .

For example, both surfaces of the solar cell module 2 are sealed with a glass material, but the front surface may be sealed with a glass material and the back surface may be sealed with a resin film.

In this solar cell array 1, the overlapping dimension (overlapping dimension in the adjacent direction) of adjacent solar cell modules 2 is, for example, less than 25 mm. Moreover, the thickness of the solar cell module 2 is, for example, 30 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

In the solar cell array 1 of this embodiment, the entire side surface 30 at the lower end of the solar cell module 3 positioned above is the reflecting portion 300 . As a result, the entire side surface 30 of the lower end of the solar cell module 3 located above reflects light onto the main surface 41 of the solar cell module 4 located below, thereby further suppressing a decrease in the output of the solar cell array 1. can do. A part of the side surface 30 at the lower end of the solar cell module 3 positioned above may be the reflecting portion 300 .

The infrared light reflectance of the reflecting portion 300 of the solar cell module 3 positioned above is, for example, higher than the visible light reflectance of the reflecting portion 300 of the solar cell module 3 positioned above. In this way, the side surfaces 30 at the lower ends of the solar cell modules 3 positioned above reflect visible light and more infrared light, causing light pollution ( For example, it is possible to suppress a decrease in output while suppressing the glare that is given to nearby residents.

Specifically, the reflectance of the reflecting portion 300 of the solar cell module 3 positioned above is 10% or more. More specifically, the average reflectance of light with a wavelength of 380 nm or more and less than 780 nm in the reflecting portion 300 of the solar cell module 3 located above, and the wavelength of 780 nm or more and less than 1100 nm in the reflecting portion 300 of the solar cell module 3 located above is 10% or more. As described above, since the reflectance of the reflecting portion 300 of the upper solar cell module 3 is higher than the reflectance of the end surface of a general solar cell module (for example, about 4.5%), the solar cell array 1 can further suppress the decrease in the output of the

The reflectance of the reflecting portion 300 of the side surface 30 of the lower end of the solar cell module 3 located above is higher than the reflectance of the side surface 32 of the upper end of the solar cell module 3 located above. In addition, the reflecting portion 300 is not formed on the side surface 32 of the upper end of the solar cell module 3 positioned above. The reflectance of the upper end side surface 32 of the solar cell module 3 positioned above is, for example, about 4.5%. In addition, the reflecting portion 300 may be formed on the side surface 32 of the upper end of the solar cell module 3 positioned above.

In the solar cell array 1 of the present embodiment, each of the plurality of solar cells 20 is elongated in the direction along the upper end side 32 and the lower end side 30 of each of the plurality of solar cell modules 2 . In this way, the solar cell array 1 including the solar cells 20 having a shape that is likely to be affected by the shielding of scattered light can be effectively dealt with. Among the plurality of photovoltaic cells 20, the photovoltaic cells 20 arranged in the adjacent direction of the photovoltaic module 2 are, for example, single-ring connected. Note that the shape of the solar battery cell 20 may be a shape other than an elongated rectangular shape, such as a square shape, for example.

The method for manufacturing the solar cell module 2 used in the above solar cell array 1 (the solar cell array 1 installed on an inclined surface and including a plurality of solar cell modules 2) includes a reflecting portion forming step.

Each of the plurality of solar battery modules 2 includes a plurality of series-connected solar battery cells 20, and the adjacent solar battery modules 2 among the plurality of solar battery modules 2 have their main surfaces facing upward and partially connected to each other. It is arranged in a state where it overlaps with the The reflective portion forming step includes coating, plating, vapor deposition, and applying a reflective material that reflects light on at least a portion of the side surface 30 of the lower end of the upper solar cell module 3 among the adjacent solar cell modules 2 . and immersion to form the reflecting portion 300 that reflects light toward the main surface 41 of the lower solar cell module 4 among the adjacent solar cell modules 2 . The reflective material is, for example, a metal such as copper.

By applying, plating, vapor-depositing, or immersing the reflective material to the side surfaces 30 of the lower ends of the solar cell modules 3 positioned above, the solar cell modules 2 used in the solar cell array 1 with reduced output reduction can be obtained. It can be easily formed.

It should be noted that the solar cell array of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and of course various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the configuration of one embodiment can be added to the configuration of another embodiment, and part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, some of the configurations of certain embodiments can be deleted.

In the solar cell array 1 of the above embodiment, the reflecting portion 300 of the lower end side surface 30 of the upper solar cell module 3 is formed by applying a reflecting material. may be formed by That is, in the reflective portion forming step, a reflective material that reflects light is attached to at least a part of the side surface 30 of the lower end of the solar cell module 3 positioned above the adjacent solar cell modules 2 so that the solar cell module 3 is positioned downward. It may be a step of forming a reflecting portion 300 that reflects light toward the main surface 41 of the solar cell module 4 . The reflector is, for example, metal foil such as copper foil. By attaching a reflective material that reflects light to the side surface 30 of the lower end of the solar cell module 3 positioned above in this way, the solar cell module 2 used in the solar cell array 1 that suppresses a decrease in output can be used as a solar cell. It can be easily formed even after assembly of the module 2 . The entire member forming the frame of solar cell module 2, including side surface 30 at the lower end, may be formed of a reflective material with high reflectance.

Moreover, the reflecting portion 300 on the side surface 30 of the lower end of the solar cell module 3 positioned above may be formed by mechanical processing such as polishing or chemical processing such as etching.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Solar cell array 2... Solar cell module 3... Upper solar cell module 4... Lower solar cell module 20... Solar cell 21... Main surface 30... Lower end surface 32 ... end surface of the upper end, 41 ... main surface, 300 ... reflection part

Claims (6)

A solar array installed on an inclined surface and comprising a plurality of solar modules,
each of the plurality of solar modules includes a plurality of series-connected solar cells;
Adjacent solar cell modules among the plurality of solar cell modules are arranged with their main surfaces facing upward and partially overlapping each other,
At least part of the side surface of the lower end of the upper solar cell module among the adjacent solar cell modules reflects light toward the main surface of the lower solar cell module among the adjacent solar cell modules. A solar cell array that serves as a reflector. 2. The solar cell array according to claim 1, wherein the entire side surface of the lower end of said upper solar cell module is said reflecting portion. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting portion of the solar cell module positioned above has a higher infrared reflectance than the visible light reflectance of the reflecting portion of the solar cell module positioned above. solar array. 2. The solar cell array according to claim 1, wherein the reflectance of the reflecting portion of said upper solar cell module is 10% or more. The average reflectance of light with a wavelength of 380 nm or more and less than 780 nm at the reflecting portion of the solar cell module positioned above, and the average reflectance of light with a wavelength of 780 nm or more and less than 1100 nm at the reflecting portion of the solar cell module positioned above 5. The solar cell array according to claim 4, wherein the larger one is 10% or more. The plurality of solar cells according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a strip shape elongated in a direction along the upper end side surface and the lower end side surface of each of the plurality of solar cell modules. solar array.

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