Abstract: A portion of one conductor is bent to form a facing portion where two regions face each other, the facing portion and another conductor are inserted into a ring-shaped caulking member, and crimping is effected. This obviates the need for cutting a conductor in the work of coupling the conductor with a plurality of branch lines and the need for preliminarily threading the conductor through ring-shaped caulking members. Thus, it is feasible to improve reliability of electrical connection and to add a new branch line readily.

Abstract: The solar cell string of the present invention comprises a plurality of solar cells interconnected in series and/or parallel, one positive terminal, and one negative terminal, wherein at least a part of an electric line thereof is not housed in an insulating envelope, and the line is grounded at an electrical middle point between the positive and negative terminals or a point on the side of the negative terminal with respect to the electrical middle point, whereby an environmental resistant coating significantly responsible for a cost of a solar cell module and an insulating coating of a member for interconnecting solar cells in series and/or parallel can be simplified, and safety of an exposed electric line resulting from the simplification of the environmental resistant coating and the insulating coating can be improved.

Abstract: A solar-cell-installed structure is disclosed in which a solar cell at least part of active electric portions of which stands exposed to surroundings is fixed onto a support placed on the ground, and the support is in only spot or line contact with the ground so that any leakage current can be small and the power loss can be lessened.

Abstract: The present invention provides a coating material which resin-coats a light-receiving plane side of a photovoltaic element, and which can increase a conversion efficiency by effectively using light incident on the photovoltaic element and is excellent in weatherability since the coating material comprises a resin which is a polymer blend containing at least a first polymeric material, and a second polymeric material made by bonding a polymer component (A) and a polymer component (B), wherein the polymer component (A) includes a functional group with comparatively high compatibility with the first polymeric material, and a polymer component (B) includes a functional group with compatibility with the first polymeric material which is lower than the compatibility of the functional group of the polymer component (A), and wherein the polymer component (B) forms an aggregate.

Abstract: There are provided a restricted area including an area in which solar cell modules are installed, a preventer for preventing intrusion of an intruder into the restricted area, and a detector capable of detecting the intrusion of the intruder into the restricted area, and a predetermined electric shock preventer is activated by a signal outputted from the detector upon detection of the intruder to prevent the intruder from receiving an electric shock.

Abstract: A roof in which an upper-end engaging portion of a downstream roof panel is seam-jointed with a lower-end engaging portion of an upstream roof panel, wherein at least the lower-end engaging portion has flexural rigidity enough to disengage the seam joint.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion layer 13, a transparent electrode layer 14, an insulating layer 15, and a back electrode layer 16 are successively formed in this order on a conductive substrate 11 having a through-hole 17 formed therein, and the transparent electrode layer 14 and the back electrode layer 16 are electrically communicated with each other through the through-hole 17 so as to provide a photovoltaic element in which no grid is employed and improve the productivity and the production yield.

Abstract: The facing material of the present invention comprises fire resistive fibers and is formed by integrating a waterproofing layer which is the fire resistive fibers impregnated with a filler with a fire resistive layer which is the fire resistive fibers not impregnated with the filler, thereby providing a facing material of a roofing material and the like, realizing high productivity, high installability, waterproof performance, and a light weight, without a structural load on a building, having a high fire protective performance and a manufacturing method thereof, a construction and an installing method thereof, and a photovoltaic power-generating apparatus.

Abstract: A solar cell module comprises a photovoltaic device having a flexible substrate. The photovoltaic device has a strain at least partly in the planar direction of the flexible substrate, and the strain is set not more than a critical value at which the photovoltaic device cracks. The solar cell module may further comprise a strain holding means for holding the strain.

Abstract: In a solar roof member comprising a photovoltaic device encapsulated with an insulating material onto a reinforcing member, the reinforcing member has a joining portion at which an adjoining solar roof member is joined, and a curved portion which is so provided in the reinforcing member as to extend over at least part of the joining portion and through which a lead wire is led out. The solar roof member enables simple roofing without causing wiring mistakes.

Abstract: A solar cell module comprises a front surface member disposed on a front surface side of a photovoltaic element having at least a semiconductor photoactive layer on a flexible substrate, a back surface member disposed on a back surface side of the photovoltaic element, and a sealing material interposed therebetween. The flexible substrate of the photovoltaic element has a plurality of substantially parallel surface grooves on a surface thereof at the semiconductor photoactive layer side of the flexible substrate. At least one portion of the solar cell module is processed to deform in such a direction that strain generated in a substantially parallel direction to the surface grooves is applied to the photovoltaic element. In this way, a solar cell module can be subjected to deformation-processing that prevents, to the extent possible, cracks in the semiconductor photoactive layer of the photovoltaic elements; in other words, deformation-processing can be achieved without influencing electrical characteristics.

Abstract: In order to ensure long-term reliability when a photovoltaic element is bent or curved to be deformed: (1) In a method for manufacturing a solar cell module having a photovoltaic element encapsulated with a resin on a support member, the step is adopted which forms a bent portion in the photovoltaic element and in the support member, wherein the formation of the bent portion is performed while reducing a working pressure in the normal direction to a surface of the photovoltaic element; and (2) In a solar cell module comprising a photovoltaic element comprising at least one photoactive semiconductor layer on a flexible substrate, at least a part of the flexible substrate is subjected to tensile deformation in the direction parallel to a surface of the substrate with a strain less than a critical strain to lower the fill factor of the photovoltaic element, whereby the photovoltaic element is deformed.

Abstract: A process for producing a solar cell module comprising at least a photovoltaic element module is provided. The photovoltaic element module is formed by electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic elements with each other, after the individual photovoltaic elements are identified or classified into a plurality of groups which are different from each other in property and attribute. The photovoltaic element module is formed such that at least two kinds of photovoltaic elements having different property and attribute co-exist therein. A solar cell module having at least a photovoltaic element module comprising a plurality of photovoltaic elements electrically connected with each other is also provided; the plurality of photovoltaic elements comprises photovoltaic elements identified or classified into at least two kinds which are different in terms of property and attribute.

Abstract: In order to prevent damage to a surface of a solar cell module during production and in order to increase productivity, a colored, light-stansmissive, adhesive film is stuck on the light-receiving surface side of the solar cell module.

Abstract: A solar-cell module having a photovoltaic device, a reinforcing sheet for reinforcing the photovoltaic device and a covering material which seals the photovoltaic device on the reinforcing sheet is bent at a region between the border of the photovoltaic device and the outer edge of the reinforcing sheet, where the reinforcing sheet is covered with the covering material at the part extending from the border of the photovoltaic device up to the bent portion closest thereto, or the covering material is, at the margin thereof, made to have a thickness cross-sectionally smaller as it extends farther from the border of the photovoltaic device, provided that the reinforcing sheet is not covered at the outward margin thereof with the covering material. The covering material which covers the photovoltaic device of the solar-cell module is peel-resistant.

Abstract: In order to ensure long-term reliability when a photovoltaic element is bent or curved to be deformed: (1) In a method for manufacturing a solar cell module having a photovoltaic element encapsulated with a resin on a support member, the step is adopted which forms a bent portion in the photovoltaic element and in the support member, wherein the formation of the bent portion is performed while reducing a working pressure in the normal direction to a surface of the photovoltaic element; and (2) In a solar cell module comprising a photovoltaic element comprising at least one photoactive semiconductor layer on a flexible substrate, at least a part of the flexible substrate is subjected to tensile deformation in the direction parallel to a surface of the substrate with a strain less than a critical strain to lower the fill factor of the photovoltaic element, whereby the photovoltaic element is deformed.

Abstract: A roof unit is constructed in such an arrangement that a plurality of combination solar battery and roof panels, each having flanges at two opposite sides, are placed adjacent to each other with clearance on a joining/fixing member, the adjacent combination solar battery and roof panels are fixed to the joining/fixing member in the clearance by a removable fixture, and a removable cap is placed in an upper part of the clearance. This arrangement simplifies the work at a work site, decreases the construction cost, and decreases work errors. In addition, measurement or replacement of each module can be made even after mounting, thus providing a practical vertical-roofing roof excellent in maintainability and also in wind endurance.

Abstract: A roof in which an upper-end engaging portion of a downstream roof panel is seam-jointed with a lower-end engaging portion of an upstream roof panel, wherein at least the lower-end engaging portion has flexural rigidity enough to disengage the seam joint.

Abstract: A roof member includes a solar battery module in which a solar battery element is fixed on a backing, with two opposite sides of the backing of the solar battery module bent to form an eaves-side connecting portion and a ridge-side connecting portion, and wherein the ridge-side connecting portion is open on the front surface side of roof member, and electrical wiring is provided in the ridge-side connecting portion. A plurality of such roof members are horizontally connected with each other by a joint drip plate, and a joint cover and wires of the respective roof members are connected with each other in the ridge-side connection portion. The eaves-side connecting portion and the ridge-side connecting portion of the respective roof members are seam-jointed with each other, and wires of the respective roof members are connected with each other in the ridge-side connecting portion.

Abstract: In order to prevent damage to a surface of a solar cell module during production and in order to increase productivity, a colored, light-transmissive adhesive film is stuck on the light-receiving surface side of the solar cell module.