Abstract: A cylindrical battery includes: an outer can in the shape of a bottomed cylinder; a sealing body which closes one end of the outer can; an electrode body disposed inside the outer can; and an insulating resin component disposed between the outer can and the sealing body. The sealing body includes a metal component which is connected to a positive electrode lead that leads out from the electrode body. The metal component has an easily broken portion radially inward of the connecting portion of the metal component and the positive electrode lead, and is crimp-secured by means of the outer can, with the resin component interposed therebetween. The resin component is crimp-secured by means of the metal component, on the radially inner side of the metal component relative to the easily broken portion.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material is constituted by lithium transition metal-containing composite oxide particles having a layered rock salt type crystal structure and are composed of secondary particles each formed of an aggregation of primary particles. The secondary particles have a d50 of 3.0 to 7.0 ?m, a BET specific surface area of 1.8 to 5.5 m2/g, a pore peak diameter of 0.01 to 0.30 ?m, and a log differential pore volume [dV/d(log D)] of 0.2 to 0.6 ml/g within a range of the pore peak diameter. In each of a plurality of primary particles having a primary particle size of 0.1 to 1.0 ?m, a coefficient of variation of the concentration of an additive element M is 1.5 or less.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery disclosed herein includes a non-aqueous electrolyte and a stacked electrode body including a cell unit, the cell unit including a first electrode, a first separator, a second electrode, and a second separator. The first electrode has a first active material layer. The second electrode has a second active material layer. The first active material layer has a facing region facing the second active material layer at the central part thereof, and has a non-facing region not facing the second active material layer at the outer periphery thereof. The non-facing regions at a pair of opposite ends of the first active material layer each have a through hole. The first separator and the second separator are folded toward the second electrode side outside the non-facing region having a through hole. The first separator and the second separator are joined in a through hole.

Abstract: Provided are a thermoelectric material, and a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module, each including the thermoelectric material. The thermoelectric material, according to some embodiments includes an n-doped metal halide compound having a zero-dimensional (0D) electronic system. The thermoelectric material has a significantly low electrical thermal conductivity and improved electron conductivity and thus may enhance thermoelectrical performance.

Abstract: A solar cell design includes fabricating one or more gridlines for extracting photo-current on a front surface of the solar cell, wherein each of the gridlines is a metal grid and a cap layer, and at least a portion of the metal grid is deposited on the cap layer; and controlling an alignment of the metal grid relative to the cap layer, and a width of the cap layer relative to a width of the metal grid, so that a minimum cap edge offset distance value is about 1 ?m or more. The alignment of the metal grid relative to the cap layer and the width of the cap layer relative to the width of the metal grid are controlled at areas on the front surface of the solar cell opposite where welding occurs on a back-side of the solar cell. The alignments and widths of the metal grid relative to the cap layer are controlled by a photomask.

Abstract: A bipolar solar cell includes a backside junction formed by a silicon substrate and a first doped layer of a first dopant type on the backside of the solar cell. A second doped layer of a second dopant type makes an electrical connection to the substrate from the front side of the solar cell. A first metal contact of a first electrical polarity electrically connects to the first doped layer on the backside of the solar cell, and a second metal contact of a second electrical polarity electrically connects to the second doped layer on the front side of the solar cell. An external electrical circuit may be electrically connected to the first and second metal contacts to be powered by the solar cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a self-ballasted, pre-engineered modular platform for deployable solar installations including one or more photovoltaic modules, one or more tables to support the photovoltaic modules, one or more reflectors, and a base configured to support the one or more reflectors at a first position proximate a ground surface, and to support the one or more tables at an elevated relative to the one or more reflectors. In some examples, multiple modular platforms may be connected to provide a single electrical output. In some examples, the modular platform is assembled onsite for generating electricity with bifacial photovoltaic modules.

Abstract: Approaches for the foil-based metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the substrate. A conductive contact structure is disposed above the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The conductive contact structure includes a plurality of metal seed material regions providing a metal seed material region disposed on each of the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. A metal foil is disposed on the plurality of metal seed material regions, the metal foil having anodized portions isolating metal regions of the metal foil corresponding to the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions.

Abstract: A system for providing a solar harvesting building envelope is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of solar harvesting apparatus configured to be installed as or on a building envelope in a manner like that of traditional shingles or siding. The apparatus includes a frame having a photovoltaic end wall, and reflective base and side walls. A translucent, wedge-shaped body layer is positioned on the frame. A luminescent species film is positioned at and substantially parallel to a base of the wedge-shaped body layer, such that the luminescent species film is positioned at an angle relative to the photovoltaic end wall. Light incident on the wedge-shaped body layer is concentrated towards the photovoltaic end wall, such as through absorption and re-emission along with scattering by the luminescent species film and internal reflection by the wedge-shaped body layer and the reflective base and side walls of the frame.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescent device having an anode, a cathode, and a light emitting layer between the anode and the cathode, in which the light emitting layer contains a first organic compound, a second organic compound, and a third organic compound that satisfy the following expression (A), the second organic compound is a delayed fluorescent material, and the third organic compound is a light emitting material, is capable of enhancing the light emission efficiency. ES1(A), ES1(B) and ES1(C) represent a lowest, singlet excitation energy level of the first, second and third organic compound, respectively.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a dye sensitized solar cell has a counter-electrode including carbon-titania nanocomposite thin films made by forming a carbon-based ink; forming a titania (TiO2) solution; blade-coating a mechanical mixture of the carbon-based ink and the titania solution onto a substrate; and annealing the blade-coated substrate at a first temperature for a first period of time to obtain the carbon-based titania nanocomposite thin films. In certain embodiments, the carbon-based titania nanocomposite thin films may include solvent-exfoliated graphene titania (SEG-TiO2) nanocomposite thin films, or single walled carbon nanotube titania (SWCNT-TiO2) nanocomposite thin films.

Abstract: A method for annealing an absorber layer is disclosed, the method including contacting a surface of the absorber layer with an annealing material provided as a gel. The annealing material comprises cadmium chloride and a thickening agent. A viscosity of the gel of the annealing material is greater than or equal to 5 millipascal seconds.

Abstract: A solar cell module includes first and second solar cells each including a plurality of first and second electrodes formed on a back surface of a semiconductor substrate, a first conductive line connected to the first electrodes, and a second conductive line connected to the second electrodes, and an interconnector connecting the first conductive line of the first solar cell to the second conductive line of the second solar cell. At least one of an area of an overlap portion, an area of a connection portion, a connection position, and a connection shape between the interconnector and the first conductive line of the first solar cell is different from at least one of an area of an overlap portion, an area of a connection portion, a connection position, and a connection shape between the interconnector and the second conductive line of the second solar cell.

Abstract: The thermoelectric module includes a first thermoelectric element including a first thermoelectric conversion layer and a first electrolyte layer stacked each other along a stacked direction, a second thermoelectric element stacking the first thermoelectric element in the stacked direction and including a second thermoelectric conversion layer and a second electrolyte layer stacked each other along the stacked direction, a first current collector located on a side of one edge in the stacked direction, a second current collector located on a side of another edge in the stacked direction, and an electron transmission layer located between the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element in the stacked direction.

Abstract: Metal electrodes, more specifically lithium-containing anodes, high performance electrochemical devices, such as secondary batteries, including the aforementioned lithium-containing electrodes, and methods for fabricating the same are provided. In one or more embodiments, an anode electrode structure is provided and includes a current collector comprising copper, a lithium metal film formed on the current collector, a copper film formed on the lithium metal film, and a protective film formed on the copper film. The protective film is a lithium-ion conducting film can include lithium-ion conducting ceramic, a lithium-ion conducting glass, or ion conducting liquid crystal.

Abstract: A rotatable solar tower with an airfoil structure is described. Solar panels are stacked vertically to create the skin of an airfoil. By installing the airfoil vertically so that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the ground and allowing the airfoil to rotate freely 360 degrees into the wind, the horizontal forces on the airfoil from the wind are significantly reduced compared to a round cylinder with the same diameter. This allows the airfoil structure to be lightweight in design while spanning several hundred feet in height and producing several hundred kilowatts of electrical power on a small footprint of land. The solar panels may have 3-axes of rotation, i.e., rotation of the tower about the base, horizontal extension of the solar frame assemblies and vertical extension of the solar panels. Wind turbines may also be provided in or on the tower.

Abstract: Proposed is a corner piece for palletization of solar cell panels, wherein the corner piece prevents stacked solar cell panels from colliding with each other, keeps the stacked solar cell panels from being shaken or impacted, and enables a solar cell panel having a frame fabricated with two types of sides having different widths to be interlocked. The corner piece includes: a right-angled corner part covering two right-angled sides of a frame of a solar cell panel, a support piece supporting the frame thereon; a pressing piece extending inward from the right-angled corner part so as to press the frame, and having a first locking protrusion; a fixing protrusion part protruding upward from the top of the right-angled corner part; and a concave hole formed in the lower surface of the right-angled corner part so as to receive the fixing protrusion part of another corner piece for combination.

Abstract: A solar cell can include a built-in bypass diode. In one embodiment, the solar cell can include an active region disposed in or above a first portion of a substrate and a bypass diode disposed in or above a second portion of the substrate. The first and second portions of the substrate can be physically separated with a groove. A metallization structure can couple the active region to the bypass diode.

Abstract: Devices and methods for cleaning an array of solar panels in side-by-side relation employ one or more elongated flexible elements, preferably implemented as translucent strips (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), anchored at their ends relative to the array of solar panels (12). Each strip spans two or more solar panels, and is wind-displaceable so as to contribute to cleaning of at least two of the solar panels (12).

Abstract: A photovoltaic module has at least one solar cell, wherein the solar cell is enclosed by an encapsulation apparatus, and an electrolysis unit for dehumidifying the interior of the encapsulation apparatus. The electrolysis unit has a cathode, an anode, and an ion conductor connecting the cathode and the anode. The electrolysis unit is designed to cleave water in hydrogen and oxygen. A method for dehumidifying a photovoltaic module is accomplished by the electrolysis unit.