US2012222725A1PendingUtilityA1

Flexible building-integrated photovoltaic structure

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Assignee: ALBRIGHT SCOTPriority: Aug 31, 2010Filed: Aug 31, 2011Published: Sep 6, 2012
Est. expiryAug 31, 2030(~4.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Scot AlbrightJeffrey S. BrittEric KantoUrs SchoopDarren Verebelyi
H10F 19/80B32B 2457/12Y02A30/60Y10T156/1034B32B 2307/7242Y10T29/49117Y02E10/50H02S 20/23B32B 38/0012B32B 2331/04H02S 20/26B32B 37/187Y02B10/10B32B 37/18
61
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Claims

Abstract

Improved BIPV materials configured to meet various long-term requirements including, among others, a high degree of water resistance, physical durability, electrical durability, and an ability to withstand variations in temperature and other environmental conditions. In some embodiments, the disclosed BIPV materials include modules wherein two or more layers of the module are configured to be joined together during lamination to protect edge portions of the top sheet and/or back sheet of the module, such as in the vicinity of any multi-layer vapor barrier structure(s) of the module.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A photovoltaic module, comprising:
 a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells, each cell including a semiconductor absorber layer and a substrate upon which the absorber layer is supported;   a first encapsulant layer underlying the cells;   a protective back sheet underlying the first encapsulant layer;   a multi-layer vapor barrier structure including a vapor barrier layer overlying the cells;   a second encapsulant layer disposed between the vapor barrier layer and the cells; and   a third encapsulant layer overlying the vapor barrier layer;   wherein the third encapsulant layer is configured to join with at least one of the first and second encapsulant layers to cover and protect edge portions of the vapor barrier structure.   
     
     
         2 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the first encapsulant layer is a thermoplastic layer, and the second encapsulant layer is a thermoset layer. 
     
     
         3 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the first encapsulant layer and the second encapsulant layer are each thermoplastic layers. 
     
     
         4 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the first encapsulant layer and the second encapsulant layer are each thermoset layers. 
     
     
         5 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the third encapsulant layer and at least one of the first and second encapsulant layers each extend beyond the edge portions of the vapor barrier structure and are joined together during a lamination process. 
     
     
         6 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the first encapsulant layer is configured to have linear dimensions smaller than corresponding linear dimensions of the vapor barrier structure prior to a lamination process, and to have linear dimensions greater than corresponding linear dimensions of the vapor barrier structure subsequent to a lamination process. 
     
     
         7 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the second encapsulant layer is configured to have linear dimensions smaller than corresponding linear dimensions of the vapor barrier structure prior to a lamination process, and to have linear dimensions greater than corresponding linear dimensions of the vapor barrier structure subsequent to a lamination process. 
     
     
         8 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second encapsulant layers are each configured to have linear dimensions smaller than corresponding linear dimensions of the vapor barrier structure prior to a lamination process, and to have linear dimensions greater than corresponding linear dimensions of the vapor barrier structure subsequent to a lamination process. 
     
     
         9 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the third encapsulant layer is a portion of a top sheet structure of the module, and wherein the third encapsulant layer is joined to the second encapsulant layer during a lamination process. 
     
     
         10 . A photovoltaic module, comprising:
 a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells, each cell including a semiconductor absorber layer and a substrate upon which the absorber layer is supported;   a first encapsulant layer underlying the cells;   a protective back sheet underlying the first encapsulant layer;   a multi-layer vapor barrier structure including a vapor barrier layer overlying the cells;   a second encapsulant layer disposed between the vapor barrier layer and the cells; and   a third encapsulant layer overlying the vapor barrier layer;   wherein the encapsulant layers are configured so that subsequent to lamination of the module, a cross sectional area of the first and second encapsulant layers near edge portions of the module is substantially reduced compared to a cross sectional area of the first and second encapsulant layers in an interior portion of the module.   
     
     
         11 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first and second encapsulant layers is configured to have linear dimensions smaller than corresponding linear dimensions of the vapor barrier structure prior to lamination of the module, to minimize the cross sectional area between the vapor barrier structure and the back sheet near the edge portions of the module subsequent to lamination of the module. 
     
     
         12 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first and second encapsulant layers is configured to have linear dimensions smaller than corresponding linear dimensions of the back sheet prior to lamination of the module, to minimize the cross sectional area between the vapor barrier structure and the back sheet near the edge portions of the module subsequent to lamination of the module. 
     
     
         13 . A photovoltaic module, comprising:
 a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells, each cell including a semiconductor absorber layer and a substrate upon which the absorber layer is supported;   a first encapsulant layer underlying the cells;   a protective back sheet underlying the first encapsulant layer;   a multi-layer vapor barrier structure including a vapor barrier layer overlying the cells;   a second encapsulant layer disposed between the vapor barrier layer and the cells; and   a third encapsulant layer overlying the vapor barrier layer;   wherein at least one of the first, second and third encapsulant layers is configured to be joined with a fourth layer of the module to cover and protect edge portions of at least one of the vapor barrier structure and the back sheet.   
     
     
         14 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 13 , wherein the fourth layer of the module is the back sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 13 , wherein the fourth layer of the module is a layer of adhesive disposed at a perimeter portion of the module. 
     
     
         16 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 13 , wherein the fourth layer of the module is a fourth encapsulant layer. 
     
     
         17 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the encapsulant layers extends beyond the edge portions of the vapor barrier structure and is joined with the fourth layer of the module during a lamination process. 
     
     
         18 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 13 , wherein the fourth layer is an adhesive layer configured to attach the module to a building surface. 
     
     
         19 . A photovoltaic module, comprising:
 a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells, each cell including a semiconductor absorber layer and a substrate upon which the absorber layer is supported;   a multi-layer vapor barrier structure including a vapor barrier overlying the cells;   a first protective layer overlying the vapor barrier; and   a second protective layer underlying the vapor barrier;   wherein at least one of the first protective layer and the second protective layer is configured to cover and protect edge portions of the vapor barrier structure after a lamination process.   
     
     
         20 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 19 , wherein the first protective layer is a portion of the vapor barrier structure. 
     
     
         21 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 19 , wherein the second protective layer is a portion of the vapor barrier structure. 
     
     
         22 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 19 , wherein the second protective layer is an adhesive layer configured to join the module to a building surface.

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