Solar panel with optical light enhancement device

Abstract

A double layered superimposed and parallel solar panels having an optical system comprising cylindrical rods and convex lenses at either end of said rods. Said optical rods are centrally longitudinally and transversely inserted in the upper panel through slits where sunlight rays pass and diffract through said rods and widely diffuse over the entire surface of the lower solar panel. A plurality of optical rods may be used thereby increasing the light transmission to the lower solar panel. The present invention significantly reduces the surface needed to install conventional residential as well as commercial solar panels.

1 . A modular photovoltaic assembly for converting solar light into electrical current comprising:
 an upper photovoltaic panel, said upper photovoltaic panel having one or more longitudinal slots and/or one or more transverse slots within and extending through the upper photovoltaic panel;   a lower photovoltaic panel superimposed in parallel to said upper photovoltaic panel; and   an optical cylindrical rod lens disposed within at least one of each of said one or more longitudinal slots and/or the one or more transverse slots, and wherein at least a part of the lens extends above a top surface of the upper photovoltaic panel.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said optical cylindrical rod lens is made from glass, composite or plastic. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said optical cylindrical rod lenses comprise one or more optical cylindrical rod lens portions, 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the said upper photovoltaic panel comprises at least two longitudinal slots and/or at least two transverse slots. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the optical cylindrical rod lenses have a slanted end in a form of a convex lens for gathering incident light from different directions and transmitting it to said lower photovoltaic panel. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the optical cylindrical rod lenses have a flat slanted surface on at least one end. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said lower photovoltaic panel is curved. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one longitudinal slot extends across the entire upper photovoltaic panel. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transverse slot extends across the entire upper photovoltaic panel. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the optical cylindrical rod lens disposed within the at least one longitudinal slot extends along the entire length of the upper photovoltaic panel. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the optical cylindrical rod lens disposed within the at least one transverse slot extends along the entire length of the upper photovoltaic panel. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one longitudinal slot has a tapered cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transverse slot has a tapered cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the part of the lens which extends above a top surface of the upper photovoltaic panel is convex. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the part of the lens which extends below a bottom surface of the upper photovoltaic panel is convex. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper photovoltaic panel has one or more longitudinal slots and one or more transverse slots