Abstract: Mechanisms for deploying a solar array include an elongated deployment member routed along a first panel, along an extension, and at least partially along a second panel. The elongated deployment member is configured to, upon retraction of the elongated deployment member by a deployment motor, move the extension into an extended position and rotate the second panel about a hub located at a distal end of the extension. Solar array assemblies include such a mechanism. Methods of deploying a solar array include retracting an elongated deployment member to rotate an extension into an extended position and further retracting the elongated deployment member to rotate a panel coupled to the extension approximately 360° about a hub of the extension.

Abstract: A multijunction solar cell having at least four solar subcells includes a first solar subcell having a first band gap. A first graded interlayer adjacent to the first solar subcell and has a second band gap greater than the first band gap and that is constant at 1.5 eV throughout the thickness of the first graded interlayer. A second solar subcell is adjacent to the first graded interlayer and has a third band gap smaller than the first band gap of the first solar subcell. The second solar subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the first solar subcell. A second graded interlayer is adjacent to the second solar subcell and has a fourth band gap greater than the third band gap of the second solar subcell and that is constant at 1.1 eV throughout the thickness of the second graded interlayer. A third solar subcell is adjacent to the second graded interlayer and has a fifth band gap smaller than the third band gap of the second solar subcell.

Abstract: A composition including a graft copolymer, having: a linear trunk including at least one non-aromatic vinyl polymer or an unsaturated polyolefin; and at least two grafts attached to said trunk via a chemical bond, each graft having a conjugated polymer, characterized in that said composition further includes: fullerenes and a conjugated polymer; or carbon and/or graphene nanotubes. Also, a photovoltaic module incorporating such a composition, and to the use of said composition for the same purposes. Finally, methods for synthesizing the molecules forming all or part of the composition.

Abstract: A solar cell module includes a solar cell panel which includes multiple solar cells, a bus bar being disposed at a side of the solar cell panel, an external interconnection cable including a bypass diode, and connected to the bus bar, and a case including an inner space for accommodating the solar cell panel and the external interconnection cable.

Abstract: A multiple-junction photoelectric device includes sequentially, a substrate, a first conducting layer, at least two elementary photoelectric devices, at least one of the elementary photoelectric devices being made of microcrystalline silicon, and a second conducting layer. The first conducting layer has a surface facing the microcrystalline silicon elementary photoelectric device such that the surface: has a lateral feature size bigger than 100 nm, and a root-element-square roughness bigger than 40 nm, includes inclined elementary surfaces such that ?50 is greater than 20°, where ?50 is the angle for which 50% of the elementary surfaces of the surface of the first conducting layer have an inclination equal to or less than this angle, and includes valleys formed between two elementary surfaces and having a radius of curvature smaller than 100 nm.

Abstract: The following description relates to a method of low temperature sintering a catalyst layer that formed on one side of a counter electrode using a laser. It is possible to prepare a counter electrode for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on a flexible substrate easily because the method can be applied to a conducting substrate made of plastic materials as well as a conducting glass substrate.

Abstract: Benzodithiophene-containing polymers, as well as related photovoltaic cells, articles, systems, and methods, are disclosed.

Abstract: A thermal stress of electrode members (121 to 123) due to an operation temperature may be relaxed by thermal stress relaxation layers (141 to 144), and thus peeling of the electrode members (121 to 123) due to thermal stress at the operation temperature may be prevented in a satisfactory manner. Furthermore, diffusion of a constituent component of the thermoelectric conversion members (111 and 112) due to the operation temperature and the like may be prevented by diffusion prevention layers (151 to 154), and thus durability and stability of the thermoelectric conversion module (100) may be improved.

Abstract: The present invention improves the reliability of back contact solar cell modules that are electrically connected by means of wiring material. A solar cell module (1) is provided with a plurality of solar cells (10), and wiring material (11). Each solar cell (10) has a p-side electrode (15) and an n-side electrode (14) arranged on a single main surface (20a). Among adjacent solar cells (10), the wiring material (11) electrically connects the p-side electrode (15) of one solar cell (10) to the n-side electrode (14) of another solar cell (10). The surface layers of the p-side electrode (15) and the n-side electrode (14) include plating layers (16c, 17c) which have at least one power supply point (18, 19). The wiring material (11) is bonded to the plating layers such that the wiring material overlaps a portion of the power supply points (18, 19) of each solar cell (10), and does not overlap another portion of the power supply points (18, 19).

Abstract: Photovoltaic devices such as solar cells, hybrid solar cell-batteries, and other such devices may include an active layer disposed between two electrodes, the active layer having perovskite material and other material such as mesoporous material, interfacial layers, thin-coat interfacial layers, and combinations thereof. The perovskite material may be photoactive. The perovskite material may be disposed between two or more other materials in the photovoltaic device. Inclusion of these materials in various arrangements within an active layer of a photovoltaic device may improve device performance. Other materials may be included to further improve device performance, such as, for example: additional perovskites, and additional interfacial layers.

Abstract: Systems and methods are herein disclosed for efficiently allowing current to bypass a group of solar cells having one or more malfunctioning or shaded solar cells without overwhelming a bypass diode. This can be done using a switch (e.g., a MOSFET) connected in parallel with the bypass diode. By turning the switch on and off, a majority of the bypass current can be routed through the switch, which is configured to handle larger currents than the bypass diode is designed for, leaving only a minority of the current to pass through the bypass diode.

Abstract: A transparent conductive structure useful in the fabrication of electrical, electronic, and optoelectronic devices is provided by a mesh-like metallic structure in the form of a thin film having a plurality of apertures, e.g. one having an average size of 250 nm to 425 nm as measured in the largest dimension and an average nearest-neighbor spacing of 300 nm to 450 nm. In another aspect, the metallic thin film has plural sublayers of different metals, and may have apertures up to 2 ?m in size and an average nearest-neighbor spacing of up to 2.5 ?m. The metallic thin film may be 20 to 200 nm thick, and may be formed on a flexible or rigid substrate or on a device itself. The structure exhibits a transparency enhanced over a value determined simply by the fraction of the area of the metallic film occupied by the apertures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photovoltaic power generation apparatus comprising a light-collecting device which collects light to solar cell modules regardless of the migration path of the sun. Photovoltaic power generation involves enabling solar energy to be absorbed into solar cell modules and generating electricity from the solar energy. The photovoltaic power generation apparatus of the present invention comprises: said light-collecting device, which eliminates the need for tracking and moving along with the sun; a small number of solar cell modules which track and move along with the sun; and a device for moving the modules, wherein the photovoltaic power generation apparatus of the present invention generates electricity by means of the light-collecting device, the solar cell modules, and the device for moving the modules, thus significantly reducing the cost of installing and operating photovoltaic power generation facilities.

Abstract: An perovskite solar cell including a substrate; a first electrode provided on the substrate; an electron transport layer, including an electron transporting compound, provided on the first electrode; a perovskite compound layer, including a perovskite compound, provided on the electron transport layer; a hole transport layer, including a hole transport compound, provided on the perovskite compound layer; and a second electrode provided on the hole transport layer. The perovskite compound can be expressed by the general formula X?Y?M?, where X is a halogen atom, Y is an alkylamine compound, M includes a mixture of lead and antimony, and a ratio of ?:?:? is 3:1:1.

Abstract: A thermogenerator including at least one thermoelement and two phase-change materials having different phase-change temperatures, the at least one thermoelement having two opposite main faces, and each of the faces is covered by one of the phase-change materials, such that the thermoelement is subject only to a temperature gradient imposed by the two phase-change materials, during a phase of heating or cooling.

Abstract: The invention relates to high efficiency solar collection devices having a matte surface, a low refractive index surface, or both, that increases solar radiation transmission into the device. The matte surface is on a thermoplastic and may be provided in many ways, such as by a matting agent, by the use of a matte chill roll, embossing, or other techniques. The matte and/or low refractive index surface may be a coating, film (single or multi-layer) or sheet (single or multi-layer). The invention is especially useful in both rigid and flexible photovoltaic modules.

Abstract: A solar cell according to an embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor substrate; an emitter layer formed at the semiconductor substrate, wherein the emitter layer includes a first portion of a first resistance and a second portion of a second resistance higher than the first resistance, wherein the first portion includes a first dopant and a second dopant having the same conductive type and the second portion including the second dopant; a passivation layer formed on the emitter layer, wherein the passivation layer includes the first dopant; and an electrode electrically connected to the first portion through the passivation layer.

Abstract: A composite particle including a core member including a rare earth ion which shows an upconversion effect and a retaining material which retains the rare earth ion, and a semiconductor member covering a part or all of the surface of the core member, wherein the retaining material includes a semiconductor material having a band gap greater than energy difference necessary for a second step excitation in the rare earth ion to occur, or an insulating material, and the semiconductor member includes a semiconductor material having a band gap smaller than the energy difference between a first excited state and a ground state of the rare earth ion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing titanium dioxide paste for dye sensitized solar cell, and more specifically a method for preparing titanium dioxide paste fir dye sensitized solar cell, which is curable at a low temperature and is able to form a uniform coating layer and exhibits relatively high energy conversion efficiency. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing low temperature curable paste which requires no separate dye adsorption process or can improve energy conversion efficiency by adding dye or metal precursor in advance.

Abstract: A Fresnel lens comprising a substantially polygonal focusing portion adapted to focus solar radiation to a area having the same geometry as the focusing portion of the lens. Also a solar module comprising the Fresnel collecting lens and a substantially polygonal photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell is mounted at distance from the Fresnel collecting lens so that the size of the area substantially matches the size of the photovoltaic cell. Also a solar panel having multiple modules within a glazed building envelope system. The solar panel also includes an actuating mechanism within the glazed window envelope system. The actuating mechanism is operatively connected to the plurality of solar modules and is adapted to move the solar modules to track the sun.