Abstract: A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in an overlapping shingled manner and conductively bonded to each other in their overlapping regions to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module.

Abstract: A device that includes a region comprising a heat generating device, and an energy harvesting device coupled to the region comprising the heat generating device. The energy harvesting device includes a first thermal conductive layer, a thermoelectric generator (TEG) coupled to the first thermal conductive layer, and a second thermal conductive layer coupled the thermoelectric generator (TEG) such that the thermoelectric generator (TEG) is between the first thermal conductive layer and the second thermal conductive layer. In some implementations, the energy harvesting device includes an insulation layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a firing furnace for firing an electrode of a solar cell element, which is provided with: a transfer member, which transfers a substrate having a conductive paste applied thereto; a heating section, which heats the substrate and fires the conductive paste; and a cooling section, which cools the heated substrate. The furnace is also provided with a heating means for heating the transfer member. Specifically, at the time of firing the electrode paste using the wire-type firing furnace, since a wire is fired at a temperature substantially equivalent to the ambient temperature of the heating section, deterioration of yield due to having the electrode damaged by a deposited material of the metal component of the conductive paste is suppressed, said deposited material being deposited on the wire, and the wire-type firing furnace can be continuously used.

Abstract: An alloy is provided that consists essentially of (TixTayVzAcNb1-x-y-z-c)(Fe1-dMnd)a(Sb1-eSne)b, wherein 0.06?x?0.24, 0.01?y?0.06, 0/08?z?0.4, 0.9?(a, b)?1.1, 0?c?0.05, 0?d?0.05 and 0?e?0.1 and A is one or more of the elements in the group consisting of Zr, Hf, Sc, Y, La, and up to 5 atom % impurities.

Abstract: A battery, having polyvalent aluminum metal as the electrochemically active anode material and also including a solid ionically conducting polymer material.

Abstract: A solar canopy has a solar panel assembly including a first solar panel coupled to a second solar panel and oriented non-parallel with respect to the second solar panel. A solar panel assembly support structure is coupled to the solar panel assembly. One or more components of the support structure are manufactured by cold rolling. The solar panel assembly has an effective solar-panel-assembly wind loading less than a sum of a first-solar-panel effective wind loading and a second-solar-panel effective wind loading determined individually. An actual load applied by the solar panel assembly to a solar-panel-assembly support structure coupled thereto when the solar panel assembly is subject to a wind loading is less than a design load for the solar panel assembly subject to the wind loading based on a sum of a first-solar-panel net pressure and a second-solar-panel net pressure determined independently.

Abstract: The invention relates to cooling element (5) having a fastening device (16) for upgrading any standard, commercially available photovoltaic module (1) for increasing the efficiency of the photovoltaic module (1). According to the invention, it comprises a heat insulation mat (6) having an upper surface (7), in which pipe channels (8) aligned parallel with each other are created, wherein the borders of the pipe channels (8) and the upper surface (7) of the heat insulation mat (6) are constructed with heat conduction plates (9), preferably aluminium plates. It further comprises a pipe (10) that is routed in loops (11) in all of the pipe channels (8) constructed with the heat conduction plates (9). The invention also relates to a method for attaching a cooling element (5) according to the invention to a photovoltaic module (1).

Abstract: Provided is a binder composition for lithium ion secondary battery electrode-use that reduces internal resistance of a lithium ion secondary battery while also providing the lithium ion secondary battery with excellent life characteristics. The binder composition contains a copolymer X and a solvent. The copolymer X is obtained from a monomer composition X that contains at least 20.0 mass % and no greater than 75.0 mass % of an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid compound (A) composed of either or both of an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid salt, and at least 20.0 mass % and no greater than 75.0 mass % of a copolymerizable compound (B) that has an ethylenically unsaturated bond and a solubility of at least 7 g in 100 g of water at 20° C. The copolymer X has a degree of swelling in electrolysis solution of less than 120 mass %.

Abstract: A solar cell is provided with: a semiconductor substrate having a light-receiving surface and a non-light-receiving surface; a PN junction section formed on the semiconductor substrate; a passivation layer formed on the light-receiving surface and/or the non-light-receiving surface; and power extraction electrodes formed on the light-receiving surface and the non-light-receiving surface. The solar cell is characterized in that the passivation layer includes an aluminum oxide film having a thickness of 40 nm or less. As a result of forming a aluminum oxide film having a predetermined thickness on the surface of the substrate, it is possible to achieve excellent passivation performance and excellent electrical contact between silicon and the electrode by merely firing the conductive paste, which is conventional technology. Furthermore, an annealing step, which has been necessary to achieve the passivation effects of the aluminum oxide film in the past, can be eliminated, thus dramatically reducing costs.

Abstract: A solar cell is provided with: a semiconductor substrate having a light-receiving surface and a non-light-receiving surface; a PN junction section formed on the semiconductor substrate; a passivation layer formed on the light-receiving surface and/or the non-light-receiving surface; and power extraction electrodes formed on the light-receiving surface and the non-light-receiving surface. The solar cell is characterized in that the passivation layer includes an aluminum oxide film having a thickness of 40 nm or less. As a result of forming a aluminum oxide film having a predetermined thickness on the surface of the substrate, it is possible to achieve excellent passivation performance and excellent electrical contact between silicon and the electrode by merely firing the conductive paste, which is conventional technology. Furthermore, an annealing step, which has been necessary to achieve the passivation effects of the aluminum oxide film in the past, can be eliminated, thus dramatically reducing costs.

Abstract: A bifacial solar cell includes a silicon substrate; an emitter layer; a plurality of first electrodes locally on the emitter layer; a first aluminum oxide layer on the emitter layer; a first silicon oxide layer between the first aluminum oxide layer and the emitter layer; a first anti-reflection layer on the first aluminum oxide layer; a back surface field layer on the silicon substrate; a second aluminum oxide layer on the silicon substrate; a second silicon oxide layer between the second aluminum oxide layer and the silicon substrate; a second anti-reflection layer on the second aluminum oxide layer; and a plurality of second electrodes respectively on the back surface field layers through the second anti-reflection layer, the second aluminum oxide layer and the second silicon oxide layer.

Abstract: An apparatus and system for flexibly mounting a power module to a photovoltaic (PV) module. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a plurality of distributed mounting points adapted to be adhered to a face of the PV module for mechanically coupling the power module to the PV module, wherein the plurality of distributed mounting points flexibly retain the power module such that the PV module is able to flex without subjecting the power module to stress from flexure of the PV module.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device (100) can include an absorber layer (160). The absorber layer (160) can be doped p-type with a Group V dopant and can have a carrier concentration of the Group V dopant greater than 4×1015 cm?3. The absorber layer (160) can include oxygen in a central region of the absorber layer (160). The absorber layer (160) can include an alkali metal in the central region of the absorber layer (160). Methods for carrier activation can include exposing an absorber layer (160) to an annealing compound in a reducing environment (220). The annealing compound (224) can include cadmium chloride and an alkali metal chloride.

Abstract: Disclosed in the present invention is a secondary battery having a safety vent integrally formed with a side wall part of a case thereof whereby the secondary battery is improved in safety and has the effect of reducing manufacturing cost and simplifying process. As an example, disclosed is a secondary battery comprising: an electrode assembly; a case for receiving the electrode assembly; and a cap plate for covering an opened opening of the case, wherein the case includes two pairs of side wall parts, the side wall parts in each pair facing each other, and a bottom part perpendicular to the side wall parts, and a safety vent is integrally formed with an edge part of one region selected from the side wall parts and the bottom part.

Abstract: Provided is a method of fabricating a see-through thin film solar cell, the method including preparing a substrate including a molybdenum (Mo) layer on one surface, forming see-through patterns by selectively removing at least parts of the Mo layer, sequentially depositing a chalcogenide absorber layer, a buffer layer, and a transparent electrode layer on the substrate and the Mo layer including the see-through patterns, and forming a see-through array according to a shape of the see-through patterns by removing the chalcogenide absorber layer, the buffer layer, and the transparent electrode layer deposited on the see-through patterns, by irradiating a laser beam from under the substrate toward the transparent electrode layer.

Abstract: An InGaN solar photovoltaic device includes a base band, a light absorption layer, an n-type ZnO electron transport layer, and a p-type InN hole transport layer, the p-type InN hole transport layer is on a front side of the light absorption layer, and the base band and the n-type ZnO electron transport layer are on a back side of the light absorption layer, wherein the light absorption layer includes a p-type InxGa1-XN layer and an n-type InyGa1-yN layer which are superposed, where 0.2<x<0.4 and 0.2<y<0.4, and the p-type InxGa1-XN layer and the n-type InyGa1-yN layer are doped with Si and Mg. The InGaN solar photovoltaic device with a flexible multi-layer structure features high in energy conversion efficiency, low in cost, simple in manufacturing, and easy to implement, and thus has a broad prospect in application.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a photovoltaic cell, a method for manufacturing the photovoltaic cell, and a photovoltaic module. The photovoltaic cell includes a substrate, and an emitter and a first passivation structure that are located on a first surface of the substrate, where the emitter is located between the substrate and the first passivation structure; a first electrode, penetrating through the first passivation structure and being in contact with the emitter; and a first eutectic, located between the first electrode and the emitter, where the first eutectic includes a material of the first electrode and a material of the emitter, and a part of the first electrode penetrates through the first eutectic and is in contact with the emitter.

Abstract: A subsurface battery comprises an anodic fracture disposed within a subsurface stratum and a cathodic fracture disposed with the subsurface stratum. A first well electrode contacts the anodic fracture and a second well electrode contacts the cathodic fracture.

Abstract: An energy harvesting system for collecting energy from sources of thermal energy that exist in the environment and convert the energy to electricity. The system has N-P junctions mounted on the outer surface of a conduit, pipe or flue. A hot medium flows through the conduit, pipe or flue. The p-n junctions operate as thermoelectric power generators. Heat absorbed at the p-n junctions increases the kinetic energy of charge carriers causing migration of the charge carriers. This thermally-driven migration of charge carriers is used to drive an electrical current in an external circuit.

Abstract: A multi-junction solar cell module of an embodiment includes: a first solar cell module disposed on a light incident side and including a plurality of first solar cells and a first connection wiring electrically connecting the plurality of the first solar cells; a second solar cell module including a plurality of second solar cells and a second connection wiring electrically connecting the plurality of the second solar cells; and an adhesive layer between the first solar cell module and the second solar cell module.