Shingled solar cell panel employing hidden taps

US9947820B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SUNPOWER CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Ratson Morad · Palo Alto, US
• Gilad Almogy · Givatayim, IL
• Itai Suez · Santa Cruz, US
• Jean Hummel · Redwood City, US
• Nathan Beckett · Oakland, US
• Yafu Lin · San Jose, US
• Dan Maydan · Los Altos Hills, US
• John GANNON · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 31, 2015
• Grant date: Apr 17, 2018
• Expiry date: Mar 31, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/50

Abstract

A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency. Each super cell comprises a plurality of rectangular or substantially rectangular silicon solar cells arranged in line with long sides of adjacent silicon solar cells overlapping and conductively bonded directly to each other to electrically connect the silicon solar cells in series. A super cell may comprise a hidden tap contact pad located on a back surface of a solar cell located at an intermediate position along the super cell. In some variations the overlapping sides of adjacent silicon soar cells in a super cell are flexibly bonded to each other, and a flexible electrical interconnect is rigidly bonded to one of the solar cells.