Patents by Inventor Gabriela Bunea

Gabriela Bunea has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11283394
    Abstract: A system including a solar module installed on a roof deck, including a superstrate layer, an encapsulant having an upper layer and a lower layer, and a photovoltaic layer intermediate the upper layer and the lower layer of the encapsulant. An upper surface of the superstrate layer includes an indentation pattern. The indentation pattern includes a mesh of indentations indented into the upper surface of the superstrate layer and a plurality of openings defined by the mesh of indentations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: GAF ENERGY LLC
    Inventors: Richard Perkins, Alex Sharenko, Thierry Nguyen, Gabriela Bunea, Anna Wojtowicz
  • Patent number: 11251744
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of photovoltaic shingles installed on a roof deck, each of the shingles having a first layer including a head lap portion, and a second layer including at least one solar cell. A first photovoltaic shingle overlays at least a part of the head lap portion of a second photovoltaic shingle. The system includes at least one wireway installed proximate to a first end of at least the first photovoltaic shingle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: GAF Energy LLC
    Inventors: Gabriela Bunea, Thierry Nguyen, Michael David Kuiper, Evan Michael Wray, Lewis Abra, Peter Clemente, Brian West
  • Publication number: 20210273599
    Abstract: A photovoltaic module having a superstrate layer, an encapsulant having an upper layer and a lower layer, the upper layer being juxtaposed with a lower surface of the superstrate layer, and a photovoltaic layer intermediate the upper layer and the lower layer of the encapsulant. A first portion of the upper layer of the encapsulant includes a first light scattering value as measured in accordance with an ASTM E430 standard, and a second portion of the upper layer of the encapsulant has a second light scattering value as measured in accordance with the ASTM E430 standard. The second light scattering value is greater than the first light scattering value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Richard Perkins, Alex Sharenko, Thierry Nguyen, Gabriela Bunea, Anna Wojtowicz
  • Publication number: 20210257961
    Abstract: A system including a solar module installed on a roof deck, including a superstrate layer, an encapsulant having an upper layer and a lower layer, and a photovoltaic layer intermediate the upper layer and the lower layer of the encapsulant. An upper surface of the superstrate layer includes an indentation pattern. The indentation pattern includes a mesh of indentations indented into the upper surface of the superstrate layer and a plurality of openings defined by the mesh of indentations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Richard Perkins, Alex Sharenko, Thierry Nguyen, Gabriela Bunea, Anna Wojtowicz
  • Publication number: 20210226576
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an integrated photovoltaic (PV) roofing shingle comprising a photovoltaic (PV) module and a roofing shingle. In some embodiments, the roofing shingle is bonded to the PV module. In some embodiments, a bond strength between the roofing shingle and the PV module is from 5 N/mm to 60 N/mm tested according to ASTM D1876. In some embodiments, the integrated PV roofing shingle has a mass per unit area of 0.5 lb per square foot to 5 lbs per square foot. Methods, systems, and kits including the integrated PV roofing shingle are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Nathan Peterson, Richard Perkins, Alex Sharenko, Gabriela Bunea
  • Publication number: 20200350454
    Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) cells that can be interconnected with improved interconnect joints to form PV cell strings and PV modules. The improved interconnect joints comprise at least two types of adhesive bonding regions to maximize both electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of interconnect joints coupling terminals of PV cells. The disclosed approaches to PV cell interconnection provide greater manufacturing rates and higher quality PV cell strings and PV modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Sunny Sethi, Michele Guide, Gabriela Bunea, Thierry Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20190157468
    Abstract: A bifacial solar cell module includes solar cells that are protected by front side packaging components and backside packaging components. The front side packaging components include a transparent top cover on a front portion of the solar cell module. The backside packaging components have a transparent portion that allows light coming from a back portion of the solar cell module to reach the solar cells, and a reflective portion that reflects light coming from the front portion of the solar cell module. The transparent and reflective portions may be integrated with a backsheet, e.g., by printing colored pigments on the backsheet. The reflective portion may also be on a reflective component that is separate from the backsheet. In that case, the reflective component may be placed over a clear backsheet before or after packaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Sung Dug KIM, Gabriela BUNEA
  • Patent number: 10243087
    Abstract: A bifacial solar cell module includes solar cells that are protected by front side packaging components and backside packaging components. The front side packaging components include a transparent top cover on a front portion of the solar cell module. The backside packaging components have a transparent portion that allows light coming from a back portion of the solar cell module to reach the solar cells, and a reflective portion that reflects light coming from the front portion of the solar cell module. The transparent and reflective portions may be integrated with a backsheet, e.g., by printing colored pigments on the backsheet. The reflective portion may also be on a reflective component that is separate from the backsheet. In that case, the reflective component may be placed over a clear backsheet before or after packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Sung Dug Kim, Gabriela Bunea
  • Publication number: 20180316302
    Abstract: This specification describes angled polymer solar modules, methods for producing angled polymer solar modules, and methods for installing angled polymer solar modules. In some examples, a method includes producing a flat polymer sheet including one or more photovoltaic cells. The method includes applying force to the flat polymer sheet to curve the flat polymer sheet in at least one region, forming an angled polymer sheet from the flat polymer sheet. The method includes mounting the angled polymer sheet on a roof deck such that the photovoltaic cells are angled with respect to the roof deck by virtue of the at least one region being curved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: David Okawa, Tamir Lance, Gabriela Bunea, Brian Wares, Zachary Judkins
  • Patent number: 10020412
    Abstract: Solar cells are packaged by placing the solar cells between sheets of encapsulants. The encapsulants are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the encapsulants and bond the encapsulants together to encapsulate the solar cells. The UV curing steps may be performed to bond one of the encapsulants to a transparent top cover and the solar cells, and to bond the other encapsulant to the solar cells and a backsheet. A protective package that includes the transparent top cover, encapsulated solar cells, and the backsheet is then optionally mounted on a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Gabriela Bunea
  • Publication number: 20180053860
    Abstract: A bifacial solar cell module includes solar cells that are protected by front side packaging components and backside packaging components. The front side packaging components include a transparent top cover on a front portion of the solar cell module. The backside packaging components have a transparent portion that allows light coming from a back portion of the solar cell module to reach the solar cells, and a reflective portion that reflects light coming from the front portion of the solar cell module. The transparent and reflective portions may be integrated with a backsheet, e.g., by printing colored pigments on the backsheet. The reflective portion may also be on a reflective component that is separate from the backsheet. In that case, the reflective component may be placed over a clear backsheet before or after packaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Sung Dug KIM, Gabriela BUNEA
  • Patent number: 9812590
    Abstract: A bifacial solar cell module includes solar cells that are protected by front side packaging components and backside packaging components. The front side packaging components include a transparent top cover on a front portion of the solar cell module. The backside packaging components have a transparent portion that allows light coming from a back portion of the solar cell module to reach the solar cells, and a reflective portion that reflects light coming from the front portion of the solar cell module. The transparent and reflective portions may be integrated with a backsheet, e.g., by printing colored pigments on the backsheet. The reflective portion may also be on a reflective component that is separate from the backsheet. In that case, the reflective component may be placed over a clear backsheet before or after packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Sung Dug Kim, Gabriela Bunea
  • Publication number: 20170271538
    Abstract: A solar cell module includes interconnected solar cells, a transparent cover over the front sides of the solar cells, and a backsheet on the backside of the solar cells. An encapsulant protectively packages the solar cells. The encapsulant and the transparent cover forms a top protection package that has a combined UV transmission curve and volume specific resistance that addresses polarization. The encapsulant has a relatively wide UV transmission curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gabriela BUNEA, Nicholas BOITNOTT
  • Publication number: 20170012152
    Abstract: Solar cells are packaged by placing the solar cells between sheets of encapsulants. The encapsulants are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the encapsulants and bond the encapsulants together to encapsulate the solar cells. The UV curing steps may be performed to bond one of the encapsulants to a transparent top cover and the solar cells, and to bond the other encapsulant to the solar cells and a backsheet. A protective package that includes the transparent top cover, encapsulated solar cells, and the backsheet is then optionally mounted on a frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Gabriela BUNEA
  • Patent number: 9466752
    Abstract: Solar cells are packaged by placing the solar cells between sheets of encapsulants. The encapsulants are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the encapsulants and bond the encapsulants together to encapsulate the solar cells. The UV curing steps may be performed to bond one of the encapsulants to a transparent top cover and the solar cells, and to bond the other encapsulant to the solar cells and a backsheet. A protective package that includes the transparent top cover, encapsulated solar cells, and the backsheet is then optionally mounted on a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Gabriela Bunea
  • Publication number: 20140322855
    Abstract: Solar cells are packaged by placing the solar cells between sheets of encapsulants. The encapsulants are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the encapsulants and bond the encapsulants together to encapsulate the solar cells. The UV curing steps may be performed to bond one of the encapsulants to a transparent top cover and the solar cells, and to bond the other encapsulant to the solar cells and a backsheet. A protective package that includes the transparent top cover, encapsulated solar cells, and the backsheet is then optionally mounted on a frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gabriela BUNEA
  • Patent number: 8796061
    Abstract: Solar cells are packaged by placing the solar cells between sheets of encapsulants. The encapsulants are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the encapsulants and bond the encapsulants together to encapsulate the solar cells. The UV curing steps may be performed to bond one of the encapsulants to a transparent top cover and the solar cells, and to bond the other encapsulant to the solar cells and a backsheet. A protective package that includes the transparent top cover, encapsulated solar cells, and the backsheet is then optionally mounted on a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Gabriela Bunea
  • Publication number: 20140179050
    Abstract: Solar cells are packaged by placing the solar cells between sheets of encapsulants. The encapsulants are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the encapsulants and bond the encapsulants together to encapsulate the solar cells. The UV curing steps may be performed to bond one of the encapsulants to a transparent top cover and the solar cells, and to bond the other encapsulant to the solar cells and a backsheet. A protective package that includes the transparent top cover, encapsulated solar cells, and the backsheet is then optionally mounted on a frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Inventor: Gabriela BUNEA
  • Publication number: 20110048505
    Abstract: A solar cell module includes interconnected solar cells, a transparent cover over the front sides of the solar cells, and a backsheet on the backside of the solar cells. An encapsulant protectively packages the solar cells. The encapsulant and the transparent cover forms a top protection package that has a combined UV transmission curve and volume specific resistance that addresses polarization. The encapsulant has a relatively wide UV transmission curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Gabriela Bunea, Nicholas Boitnott