Color solar cell, manufacturing method thereof and color solar cell module
By stacking zinc sulfide microspheres and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres on the surface of solar cells, the problems of energy loss and iridescence effect in colored solar cells were solved, and the stability and high-efficiency photoelectric conversion of colored solar cells were achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-14
AI Technical Summary
Existing colored solar cells suffer from high energy loss and iridescent effects, making it difficult to integrate them naturally with the building environment and limiting their application in the residential market.
By employing a layered structure of zinc sulfide microspheres and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres, visible light is selectively reflected using the difference in refractive index, forming a three-dimensional photonic material that ensures color consistency and reduces photoelectric conversion efficiency loss.
It achieves a balance between the stability and photoelectric conversion efficiency of colored solar cells, can present uniform color from different viewing angles, avoids the iridescent effect, and is suitable for long-term use in outdoor environments.
Smart Images
Figure CN121865754A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of solar cell technology, and more specifically, to a colored solar cell and its manufacturing method, and a colored solar cell module. Background Technology
[0002] Most existing photovoltaic (PV) modules are bluish-black, making them visually difficult to integrate naturally with the surrounding built environment. This not only affects the overall aesthetics of buildings but also limits the widespread application of PV modules in residential and consumer markets such as courtyards, balconies, and vehicle-mounted installations. Using multilayer dielectric thin films is the mainstream method for manufacturing high-efficiency colored PV devices. These films selectively reflect visible light through interfaces, and materials that absorb solar radiation and cause energy loss (such as organic colorants, inorganic pigments, and metallic plasma materials) are not suitable for manufacturing high-performance colored PV devices. These multilayer films can be directly deposited on the surface of silicon solar cells or used as an encapsulation layer for PV modules. However, this one-dimensional photonic structure suffers from the iridescent effect, which is not ideal for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) applications. Summary of the Invention
[0003] In order to solve or improve the technical problems of high energy loss and iridescent effect in colored solar cells, one objective of this application is to provide a colored solar cell.
[0004] Another objective of this application is to provide a colored solar cell module.
[0005] Another objective of this application is to provide a method for manufacturing a colored solar cell.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this application provides a colored solar cell, comprising: a solar cell substrate; a zinc sulfide microsphere layer disposed on the solar cell substrate, wherein the zinc sulfide microsphere layer has uniformly distributed zinc sulfide microspheres; and a polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer disposed on the zinc sulfide microsphere layer, wherein the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer has uniformly distributed polymethyl methacrylate microspheres.
[0007] This application aims to provide a colored solar cell, comprising a solar cell substrate, a zinc sulfide microsphere layer, and a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microsphere layer. The zinc sulfide microsphere layer is disposed on the solar cell substrate, and contains uniformly distributed zinc sulfide microspheres. The PMMA microsphere layer is disposed on the zinc sulfide microsphere layer, and contains uniformly distributed PMMA microspheres. There is a refractive index difference of approximately 0.9 between the zinc sulfide microspheres and the PMMA microspheres. This increased refractive index difference between the two dielectric stacked layers allows for selective reflection of visible light, producing different colors, while maintaining low photoelectric conversion efficiency loss. Unlike traditional one-dimensional photonic crystal multilayer films, the three-dimensional structure formed by the stacked zinc sulfide and PMMA microsphere layers in this application is an angle-independent photonic material. This means that the cell displays a essentially consistent color from different viewing angles, successfully solving the iridescent effect problem in existing technologies and enabling different non-iridescent structural color effects. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and zinc sulfide (ZMS) are stacked on a solar cell substrate to form an anti-reflection system. The fully expanded soft-shell PMMA microspheres possess certain interparticle interactions and adhesion forces, compensating for the instability and insufficient adhesion of the ZMS dielectric microspheres. During mixing and shearing, the PMMA microspheres can be induced to form a short-range ordered array, improving the adhesion and stability of the ZMS dielectric microspheres on the cell surface. By adjusting the size, mass ratio, and coating thickness of the PMMA and ZMS microspheres, solar cells of different colors can be achieved. These colored solar cells can then be encapsulated using conventional lamination processes to produce multi-colored solar cell modules with high stability.
[0008] In some technical solutions, the zinc sulfide microspheres are optionally selected from a variety of candidate zinc sulfide microspheres with different first diameters, and the polymethyl methacrylate microspheres are selected from a variety of candidate polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with different second diameters. Different combinations of the first diameter and the second diameter correspond to different colors of the colored solar cell.
[0009] In this technical solution, zinc sulfide microspheres are selected from a variety of candidate zinc sulfide microspheres with different first diameters, and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres are selected from a variety of candidate polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with different second diameters. Different combinations of the first and second diameters correspond to different colors in the colored solar cells. It can be understood that the structural color generated by the microsphere stacking structure has its reflection peak wavelength determined by the size, refractive index, and arrangement period of the microspheres. Given a fixed material, the microsphere diameter becomes crucial for color control. By selecting candidate zinc sulfide and candidate polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with different diameters, the reflection band of the photonic coating on visible light can be adjusted, achieving precise and programmable control of the visible light spectrum. Specifically, by controlling the mass ratio of the zinc sulfide microsphere layer to the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer and the coating thickness range of 5μm~15μm, reflection peaks appear at wavelengths λ=455nm, 515nm, and 615nm, respectively, within the blue, green, and red light wavelength ranges. Changing the microsphere size causes the reflection peaks to shift, thus exhibiting different color hues.
[0010] A second aspect of this application provides a color solar cell module, comprising: a front panel; a color solar cell according to any of the above technical solutions, disposed on one side of the front panel; a back panel, disposed on the side of the color solar cell away from the front panel; a first encapsulant film disposed between the front panel and the color solar cell; and a second encapsulant film disposed between the color solar cell and the back panel.
[0011] This application aims to provide a colored solar cell module, including a front panel, a first encapsulating film, a second encapsulating film, a backsheet, and a colored solar cell as described in any of the above technical solutions. The colored solar cell is disposed on one side of the front panel. The backsheet is disposed on the side of the colored solar cell away from the front panel. The first encapsulating film is disposed between the front panel and the colored solar cell. The second encapsulating film is disposed between the colored solar cell and the backsheet. Specifically, the front panel can be photovoltaic glass, and the first and second encapsulating films can be EVA films. The photovoltaic glass, EVA film, colored solar cell, EVA film, and backsheet are sequentially laid and stacked together, placed in a laminator, and laminated to finally form a colored solar cell module. The photovoltaic glass provides the colored solar cell module with a high light transmittance, high hardness, and impact resistance surface protection. The EVA film melts during the lamination process to form a transparent adhesive, firmly bonding the layers together and isolating moisture and oxygen to prevent corrosion and oxidation of the cells and coatings. The backsheet provides insulating, moisture-proof, and weather-resistant bottom layer protection. This structure ensures that the colored cells can operate stably for a long time in harsh outdoor environments. The photovoltaic glass and EVA film used for encapsulation have extremely high transmittance in the visible light band, thus presenting the bright structural color of the photonic coating without damage. This makes the color of the colored solar cell module uniform and saturated in appearance, without the grayness or iridescent effect of ordinary colored glass.
[0012] A third aspect of this application provides a method for manufacturing a colored solar cell, comprising: placing zinc sulfide microspheres into a first dispersant to form a first dispersion, and placing polymethyl methacrylate microspheres into a second dispersant to form a second dispersion; subjecting the first and second dispersions to ultrasonic dispersion treatment to obtain a zinc sulfide microsphere suspension and a polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension, respectively; coating the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension onto a solar cell substrate, and coating the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension onto the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension; and evaporating the first and second dispersions to obtain a colored solar cell.
[0013] This application aims to provide a method for manufacturing a colored solar cell. First, zinc sulfide microspheres are placed in a first dispersant to form a first dispersion, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres are placed in a second dispersant to form a second dispersion. Then, the first and second dispersions are subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment to obtain a zinc sulfide microsphere suspension and a PMMA microsphere suspension, respectively. The zinc sulfide microsphere suspension is coated onto a solar cell substrate, and the PMMA microsphere suspension is coated on top of the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension. Finally, the first and second dispersions are evaporated to obtain a colored solar cell. This step-by-step independent dispersion ensures the extreme uniformity and stability of the two microsphere suspensions. The sequential application method—coating the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension first and allowing it to stabilize before coating the PMMA microsphere suspension—facilitates the formation of a clear and stable double-layer stacked structure with the zinc sulfide microsphere layer at the bottom and the PMMA microsphere layer on top during evaporation, through interfacial forces and the self-assembly characteristics of the microspheres. Controlled solvent evaporation enables the densification and firm adhesion of microsphere coatings, resulting in uniform, high-precision zinc sulfide microspheres and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with low disorder.
[0014] In some technical solutions, optionally, the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%-15%, and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 5%-15%.
[0015] In this technical solution, the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%-15%, and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 5%-15%. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to be greater than or equal to 5%, a sufficient number of microspheres in the dispersion can be ensured. Too low a concentration will result in insufficient microspheres per unit area after coating, making it difficult to form a continuous, dense, and optically uniform coating; the color will appear thin, uneven, or even show the substrate. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to be less than or equal to 15%, excessively high microsphere concentrations can be prevented. Excessively high concentrations will cause a sharp increase in the viscosity of the dispersion, leading to difficulties in atomization during spraying or poor leveling during spin coating, easily causing microsphere aggregation and clumping, making it difficult to control the coating thickness, resulting in a rough surface, and severely affecting the optical uniformity and adhesion of the coating. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to 5%-15%, the coating thickness can be stably controlled within the optimal range of 5-15 μm, which is sufficient to form a sufficient photonic crystal structure and produce bright, saturated structural colors, without being too thick, thereby avoiding unnecessary loss of photoelectric efficiency due to excessive light blocking or the introduction of too much optical interface scattering.
[0016] In some technical solutions, optionally, the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%, and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 10%.
[0017] In this technical solution, the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%, and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 10%. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion to 5% and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to 10%, an optimal balance between photoelectric performance and visual effect is achieved, minimizing efficiency loss. Specifically, the coating prepared using the ratio of 5% zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and 10% polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion exhibits a photoelectric conversion efficiency loss of less than 0.8%. This indicates that the microsphere stack layer formed at this ratio, while producing vibrant structural colors, minimizes the light-blocking effect and parasitic absorption of incident light.
[0018] In some technical solutions, the first dispersion and the second dispersion may be subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment respectively, including: ultrasonic dispersion treatment of the first dispersion and the second dispersion for 2-3 hours at an ultrasonic power of 10kHz-20kHz.
[0019] In this technical solution, the first and second dispersions are subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment, specifically ultrasonic dispersion treatment at an ultrasonic power of 10kHz-20kHz for 2-3 hours each. Through optimized cavitation effects, the microspheres are fully deagglomerated and monodispersed. Sufficient dispersion time ensures thorough dispersion and long-term solution stability. Ultrasonic dispersion utilizes the strong shock waves and microjets generated by cavitation effects to break up particle agglomerates. A power range of 10kHz-20kHz generates sufficient cavitation energy to achieve thorough deagglomeration and monodisperse of the microspheres, avoiding excessively high power that could lead to overly intense cavitation, causing the microspheres to break or be damaged due to excessive mechanical force, or causing localized overheating of the solution, affecting dispersion stability or even causing solvent evaporation and changes in concentration. The 2-3 hour treatment time ensures sufficient energy transfer throughout the solution system, ensuring effective dispersion of microspheres in every area, without any dead zones.
[0020] In some technical solutions, zinc sulfide microsphere suspension is optionally coated onto a solar cell substrate, and polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension is coated onto zinc sulfide microsphere suspension, by one of the following two methods: ultrasonic atomization spraying; static spin coating.
[0021] In this technical solution, a zinc sulfide microsphere suspension is coated onto a solar cell substrate via ultrasonic atomization spraying or static spin coating, and a polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension is coated onto the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension. Ultrasonic atomization breaks the suspension into micron-sized, uniform droplets with an extremely narrow particle size distribution. These droplets are transported by a carrier gas and deposited onto the substrate, forming an extremely uniform, dense, and defect-free film, fundamentally ensuring uniform color, no spots, and no iridescence in the colored coating. The spraying process has relatively low requirements for substrate flatness and can effectively cover any fine textures or grid lines that may exist on the solar cell surface, making it suitable for large-scale, commercial cell coating with a fast production cycle. Static spin coating utilizes the powerful centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation to spread the liquid and remove excess droplets, forming an ultra-uniform film with nanometer-level thickness accuracy and sub-millimeter-level flatness across the entire substrate surface. This makes it possible to prepare samples with extremely high optical performance and reproducibility. Ultrasonic atomization spraying and static spin coating can handle different application scenarios and can precisely linearly control the coating thickness, thereby accurately regulating the color performance and photoelectric properties.
[0022] In some technical solutions, the first dispersant and the second dispersant may optionally be ethanol.
[0023] In this technical solution, the first and second dispersants can be ethanol. Ethanol's suitable volatility is key to achieving controllable and efficient drying and film formation. As a solvent, ethanol exhibits good wettability on polymethyl methacrylate microspheres and provides sufficient dispersing power for zinc sulfide microspheres. It effectively prevents microspheres from agglomerating and settling before storage and coating, ensuring the suspension maintains uniformity and stability within the required time window. Ethanol's low surface tension facilitates stronger and more uniform cavitation effects from ultrasound in the liquid, thereby more efficiently breaking up microsphere agglomerates and obtaining a suspension with better monodispersity.
[0024] Additional aspects and advantages of the technical solutions of this application will become apparent in the following description or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a color solar cell according to an embodiment of this application is shown;
[0026] Figure 2 A partial structural schematic diagram of a color solar cell according to an embodiment of this application is shown;
[0027] Figure 3 A partial structural schematic diagram of a color solar cell according to another embodiment of this application is shown;
[0028] Figure 4 One of the step flow diagrams of a method for manufacturing a color solar cell according to an embodiment of this application is shown;
[0029] Figure 5 A second schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color solar cell according to an embodiment of this application is shown.
[0030] Figure label:
[0031] 10: Colored solar cell; 110: Solar cell substrate; 120: Zinc sulfide microsphere layer; 130: Polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of this application and the features within them can be combined with each other.
[0033] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, embodiments of this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0034] Most existing photovoltaic (PV) modules are bluish-black, making them visually difficult to integrate naturally with the surrounding built environment. This not only affects the overall aesthetics of buildings but also limits the widespread application of PV modules in residential and consumer markets such as courtyards, balconies, and vehicle-mounted installations. Using multilayer dielectric thin films is the mainstream method for manufacturing high-efficiency colored PV devices. These films selectively reflect visible light through interfaces, and materials that absorb solar radiation and cause energy loss (such as organic colorants, inorganic pigments, and metallic plasma materials) are not suitable for manufacturing high-performance colored PV devices. These multilayer films can be directly deposited on the surface of silicon solar cells or used as an encapsulation layer for PV modules. However, this one-dimensional photonic structure suffers from the iridescent effect, which is not ideal for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) applications.
[0035] This application aims to provide a colored solar cell, which consists of a zinc sulfide microsphere layer with uniformly distributed zinc sulfide microspheres disposed on a solar cell substrate, and a polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer with uniformly distributed polymethyl methacrylate microspheres disposed on the zinc sulfide microsphere layer. This allows for selective reflection of visible light, producing different colors, reducing photoelectric conversion efficiency loss, and achieving different non-iridescent color effects.
[0036] The following reference Figures 1 to 5 This application describes a colored solar cell and its manufacturing method, as well as a colored solar cell module, according to some embodiments thereof.
[0037] In one embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the colored solar cell 10 includes a solar cell substrate 110, a zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120, and a polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer 130. Specifically, the zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120 is disposed on the solar cell substrate 110, and the zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120 has uniformly distributed zinc sulfide microspheres. The polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer 130 is disposed on the zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120, and the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer 130 has uniformly distributed polymethyl methacrylate microspheres.
[0038] The colored solar cell 10 provided in this embodiment includes a solar cell substrate 110, a zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120, and a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microsphere layer 130. The zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120 is disposed on the solar cell substrate 110, and contains uniformly distributed zinc sulfide microspheres. The PMMA microsphere layer 130 is disposed on the zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120, and contains uniformly distributed PMMA microspheres. There is a refractive index difference of approximately 0.9 between the zinc sulfide microspheres and the PMMA microspheres. This increased refractive index difference between the two dielectric stacked layers allows for selective reflection of visible light, producing different colors, and ensures low photoelectric conversion efficiency loss. Unlike traditional one-dimensional photonic crystal multilayer films, the three-dimensional structure formed by the stacked zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120 and PMMA microsphere layer 130 in this application is an angle-independent photonic material. This means that the battery appears to have a consistent color from different viewing angles, successfully solving the iridescent effect problem in existing technologies and enabling different non-iridescent structural color effects. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and zinc sulfide are stacked on the solar cell substrate 110 to form an anti-reflection system. The fully expanded soft-shell PMMA microspheres possess certain interparticle interactions and adhesion forces, compensating for the instability and insufficient adhesion of the zinc sulfide dielectric microspheres. During mixing and shearing, this induces the nanoparticles to construct a short-range ordered array, improving the adhesion and stability of the zinc sulfide dielectric microspheres on the battery surface. By adjusting the size, mass ratio, and coating thickness of the PMMA and zinc sulfide microspheres, solar cells of different colors can be achieved. These colored solar cells 10 are then encapsulated using conventional lamination processes to produce multi-colored solar cell modules with high stability.
[0039] In some embodiments, the zinc sulfide microspheres are optionally selected from a variety of candidate zinc sulfide microspheres with different first diameters, and the polymethyl methacrylate microspheres are selected from a variety of candidate polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with different second diameters. Different combinations of the first and second diameters correspond to different colors of the colored solar cell 10. It can be understood that the structural color generated by the microsphere stacking structure has its reflection peak wavelength determined by the size, refractive index, and arrangement period of the microspheres. Given a fixed material, the microsphere diameter becomes crucial for color control. By selecting candidate zinc sulfide microspheres and candidate polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with different diameters, the reflection band of the photonic coating on visible light can be adjusted, achieving precise and programmable control of the visible light spectrum. Specifically, by controlling the mass ratio of the zinc sulfide microsphere layer 120 and the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer 130, and the coating thickness range of 5 μm to 15 μm, reflection peaks appear at wavelengths λ = 455 nm, 515 nm, and 615 nm, respectively, within the blue, green, and red light wavelength ranges. Changing the microsphere size causes the reflection peaks to shift, thereby exhibiting different color hues.
[0040] In some embodiments, optionally, if the first diameter is 250 nm and the second diameter is 500 nm, the color of the colored solar cell 10 is blue. If the first diameter is 298 nm and the second diameter is 500 nm, the color of the colored solar cell 10 is green. If the first diameter is 345 nm and the second diameter is 800 nm, the color of the colored solar cell 10 is red. If the first diameter is 386 nm and the second diameter is 800 nm, the color of the colored solar cell 10 is purple. Through these four combinations, the four vibrant and important basic colors—blue, green, red, and purple—can be directly and reliably prepared without tedious trial and error, greatly shortening the product development cycle and ensuring a high first-time success rate for color selection. Specifically, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the blue battery is 23.90%, with a photoelectric conversion efficiency loss of only 0.60% compared to the 24.50% of the all-black battery. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the green battery is 23.86%, with an efficiency loss of only 0.64%. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the red battery is 23.75%, with an efficiency loss of only 0.75%. This indicates that these specific combinations achieve highly saturated colors while minimizing the loss of photoelectric conversion efficiency, thus achieving the optimal balance between color effect and power generation performance.
[0041] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a color solar cell module, including: a front panel; a color solar cell 10 of any of the above embodiments, disposed on one side of the front panel; a back panel, disposed on the side of the color solar cell 10 away from the front panel; a first encapsulant film disposed between the front panel and the color solar cell 10; and a second encapsulant film disposed between the color solar cell 10 and the back panel.
[0042] This embodiment aims to provide a colored solar cell module, including a front panel, a first encapsulant film, a second encapsulant film, a back panel, and a colored solar cell 10 as described in any of the above embodiments. Therefore, the colored solar cell module possesses all the beneficial effects of the colored solar cell 10 in any of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated further here. The colored solar cell 10 is disposed on one side of the front panel. The back panel is disposed on the side of the colored solar cell 10 away from the front panel. The first encapsulant film is disposed between the front panel and the colored solar cell 10. The second encapsulant film is disposed between the colored solar cell 10 and the back panel. Specifically, the front panel can be photovoltaic glass, and the first and second encapsulant films can be EVA films. The photovoltaic glass, EVA film, colored solar cell 10, EVA film, and back panel are sequentially laid and stacked together, placed in a laminator, and laminated to finally form the colored solar cell module. The photovoltaic glass provides the colored solar cell module with high light transmittance, high hardness, and impact resistance surface protection. The EVA film melts during the lamination process, forming a transparent adhesive that firmly bonds the layers together and isolates moisture and oxygen, preventing corrosion and oxidation of the battery and coating. The backsheet provides insulation, moisture resistance, and weather resistance. This structure ensures that the colored cells can operate stably for a long time in harsh outdoor environments. The photovoltaic glass and EVA film used for encapsulation have extremely high transmittance in the visible light band, thus presenting the bright structural colors of the photonic coating without damage. This results in uniform and saturated color in the colored solar cell modules, without the grayscale or iridescent effect of ordinary colored glass.
[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, an embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides a method for manufacturing a color solar cell, comprising:
[0044] S102: Zinc sulfide microspheres are placed in the first dispersant to form a first dispersion, and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres are placed in the second dispersant to form a second dispersion;
[0045] S104: The first dispersion and the second dispersion are subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment to obtain zinc sulfide microsphere suspension and polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension, respectively.
[0046] S106: Coating a zinc sulfide microsphere suspension onto a solar cell substrate, and coating a polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension onto the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension;
[0047] S108: Evaporate the first dispersion and the second dispersion to obtain a colored solar cell.
[0048] This embodiment aims to provide a method for manufacturing a colored solar cell. First, zinc sulfide microspheres are placed in a first dispersant to form a first dispersion, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres are placed in a second dispersant to form a second dispersion. Then, the first and second dispersions are subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment to obtain a zinc sulfide microsphere suspension and a PMMA microsphere suspension, respectively. The zinc sulfide microsphere suspension is coated onto a solar cell substrate, and the PMMA microsphere suspension is coated onto the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension. Finally, the first and second dispersions are evaporated to obtain a colored solar cell. This step-by-step independent dispersion ensures the extreme uniformity and stability of the two microsphere suspensions. Coating the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension first, and then coating it with the PMMA microsphere suspension after initial stabilization, is a sequential construction method that facilitates the formation of a clear and stable double-layer stacked structure with the zinc sulfide microsphere layer at the bottom and the PMMA microsphere layer on top during evaporation, through interfacial forces and the self-assembly characteristics of the microspheres. Controlled solvent evaporation enables the densification and firm adhesion of microsphere coatings, resulting in uniform, high-precision zinc sulfide microspheres and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with low disorder.
[0049] In some embodiments, optionally, the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%-15%, and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 5%-15%. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to be greater than or equal to 5%, a sufficient number of microspheres in the dispersion can be ensured. Too low a concentration will result in insufficient microspheres per unit area after coating, making it difficult to form a continuous, dense, and optically uniform coating; the color will appear thin, uneven, or even show the substrate. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to be less than or equal to 15%, excessively high microsphere concentrations can be prevented. Excessively high concentrations will cause a sharp increase in the viscosity of the dispersion, leading to difficulties in spray atomization or poor leveling during spin coating, easily causing microsphere aggregation and clumping, making it difficult to control the coating thickness, resulting in a rough surface, and severely affecting the optical uniformity and adhesion of the coating. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to 5%-15%, the coating thickness can be stably controlled within the optimal range of 5μm~15μm, which is sufficient to form a sufficient photonic crystal structure and produce bright and saturated structural colors, without being too thick, thereby avoiding unnecessary loss of photoelectric efficiency due to excessive light blocking or the introduction of too much optical interface scattering.
[0050] In some embodiments, optionally, the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%, and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 10%. By controlling the first mass ratio of zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion to 5% and the second mass ratio of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion to 10%, an optimal balance between photoelectric performance and visual effect can be achieved, minimizing efficiency loss. Specifically, the coating prepared using the ratio of 5% zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion and 10% polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion exhibits a photoelectric conversion efficiency loss of less than 0.8%. This indicates that the microsphere stack layer formed at this ratio, while producing vibrant structural colors, minimizes the light-blocking effect and parasitic absorption of incident light.
[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, optionally, the first dispersion and the second dispersion are subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment, including:
[0052] S202: The first dispersion and the second dispersion are subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment at an ultrasonic power of 10kHz-20kHz for 2-3 hours respectively.
[0053] In this embodiment, the first and second dispersions are subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment, including ultrasonic dispersion treatment of the first and second dispersions at an ultrasonic power of 10kHz-20kHz for 2-3 hours respectively. Through optimized cavitation effect, the microspheres are fully deagglomerated and monodispersed. Sufficient dispersion time ensures thorough dispersion and long-term solution stability. It can be understood that the principle of ultrasonic dispersion is to use the strong shock waves and microjets generated by cavitation effect to break up particle agglomerates. The power range of 10kHz-20kHz can generate sufficient cavitation energy to achieve sufficient deagglomeration and monodisperse of microspheres, avoiding excessively high power that would cause overly intense cavitation, leading to breakage or damage of the microspheres due to excessive mechanical force, or localized overheating of the solution, affecting dispersion stability or even causing solvent evaporation and changes in concentration. The 2-3 hour treatment time ensures that energy has sufficient time to be transferred to the entire solution system, ensuring that every microsphere is effectively dispersed without dead zones.
[0054] In some embodiments, zinc sulfide microsphere suspensions are optionally coated onto a solar cell substrate using ultrasonic atomization spraying or static spin coating, and polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspensions are coated onto the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension. Ultrasonic atomization breaks the suspension into micron-sized, uniform droplets with an extremely narrow particle size distribution. These droplets are transported by a carrier gas and deposited onto the substrate, forming an extremely uniform, dense, and defect-free film, fundamentally ensuring uniform color, no spots, and no iridescence in the colored coating. Spray coating has relatively low requirements for substrate flatness and can effectively cover any fine textures or grid lines that may exist on the solar cell surface, making it suitable for large-scale, commercial cell coating with a fast production cycle. Static spin coating utilizes the powerful centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation to spread the liquid and remove excess droplets, forming an ultra-uniform film with nanometer-level thickness accuracy and sub-millimeter-level flatness across the entire substrate surface. This makes it possible to prepare samples with extremely high optical performance and reproducibility. Ultrasonic atomization spraying and static spin coating can handle different application scenarios and can precisely linearly control the coating thickness, thereby accurately regulating the color performance and photoelectric properties.
[0055] In some embodiments, the first and second dispersants may optionally be ethanol. Ethanol's suitable volatility is key to achieving controlled and efficient drying and film formation. As a solvent, ethanol exhibits good wettability on polymethyl methacrylate microspheres and provides sufficient dispersing power for zinc sulfide microspheres. It effectively prevents microspheres from agglomerating and settling before storage and coating, ensuring the suspension maintains uniformity and stability within the required time window. Ethanol's low surface tension facilitates stronger and more uniform cavitation effects from ultrasound in the liquid, thereby more efficiently breaking up microsphere agglomerates and obtaining a suspension with better monodispersity.
[0056] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in a specific embodiment of the colored solar cell proposed in this application, the photonic coating structure is composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres and zinc sulfide (ZnS) microspheres stacked together. By changing the size of the microspheres, a variety of angle-independent photonic materials have been successfully prepared and successfully applied to photovoltaic modules, which can achieve different non-iridescent color effects.
[0057] The specific preparation process is as follows:
[0058] PMMA microspheres with a bulk refractive index nd=1.46, particle size d=500nm / 800nm, and solid content of 2.5wt%~5%wt.
[0059] Monodisperse colloidal ZnS microspheres were synthesized through a homogeneous nucleation reaction in solution, with a bulk refractive index nd=2.4. ZnS microspheres with diameters d=250nm, d=298nm and d=345nm were prepared respectively.
[0060] The increased refractive index difference between the two dielectric stacked layers, and the refractive index difference between the ZnS microspheres and PMMA microspheres (Δn≈0.9), resulted in a bright color with a wide color gamut at their interface. Compared with the original near-black solar cells, these cells exhibit obvious and uniform colors and have lower light efficiency loss after the spraying process, thus producing different colors.
[0061] The specific formulations of ZnS microspheres, PMMA microsphere solutions, and ethanol are shown in Table 1.
[0062] Table 1 Formulation of ZnS microspheres / PMMA microspheres ethanol solution
[0063]
[0064] According to the formula in Table 1, a certain mass of ZnS microspheres and PMMA microsphere solutions of different particle sizes were weighed. Using ethanol as a dispersant, the mixture was ultrasonically dispersed for 2-3 hours with the power controlled between 10kHz and 20kHz to obtain a uniformly dispersed ZnS microsphere / PMMA microsphere suspension. The ZnS microsphere / PMMA microsphere suspension was then coated onto the surface of an IBC battery with dimensions of (166mm±0.25mm)×(166mm±0.25mm) by ultrasonic atomization spraying or static spin coating. After the ethanol was completely evaporated, a ZnS microsphere / PMMA microsphere coating was obtained.
[0065] By controlling the mass ratio of the PMMA / ZnS layer and the coating thickness range of 5μm~15μm, reflection peaks appear at wavelengths λ=455nm, 515nm, and 615nm, respectively, which are located in the wavelength range of blue light, green light, and red light. By changing the size of the microspheres, the reflection peaks shift, thus exhibiting different color tones.
[0066] After verification of dispersion and coating effects, preferred option 2 is to coat the surface of the IBC battery.
[0067] The manufacturing process of colored solar cell modules is as follows: photovoltaic glass, EVA film, photonic coated colored solar cells, EVA film and backsheet material are laid and stacked together in sequence, placed in a laminator, and finally made into colored solar photovoltaic module modules after lamination.
[0068] The colored solar cell module laminated from the above materials was subjected to power testing using an IV tester. The test results are shown in Tables 2 and 3.
[0069] Table 2. Power of solar cells of different colors prepared by stacked structures of ZnS microspheres of different sizes.
[0070]
[0071] Table 3. Power and reliability test results of colored photovoltaic modules fabricated from colored solar cells.
[0072]
[0073] Among them, P m (W) represents the maximum power, I sc (A) is the short-circuit current, I m (A) is the maximum power point current, V oc (v) is the open-circuit voltage, V m (v) represents the maximum power point voltage, and η% represents the photoelectric conversion efficiency.
[0074] In summary, the beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application are as follows:
[0075] 1. A self-assembled photonic coating all-dielectric material of PMMA microspheres / ZnS microspheres, applied to crystalline silicon solar cells. The increased refractive index difference between the two dielectric stacked layers, and the refractive index difference between ZnS microspheres and PMMA microspheres (Δn≈0.9), can selectively reflect visible light, which is obviously superior to the performance of traditional light-absorbing materials such as inorganic and organic pigments. It can ensure low photoelectric conversion efficiency loss, with a cell efficiency loss of <0.8%.
[0076] 2. PMMA and ZnS are stacked on a solar cell to form an anti-reflection (ARC) system. The fully expanded soft-shell PMMA microspheres have certain interparticle interactions and adhesion, which makes up for the instability (hygroscopicity) and insufficient adhesion of ZnS dielectric microspheres. During mixing and shearing, the nanoparticles can be induced to build a short-range ordered array, which improves the adhesion and stability of ZnS dielectric microspheres on the battery surface.
[0077] 3. By adjusting the size, mass ratio, and coating thickness of PMMA microspheres / ZnS microspheres, different colored solar cells were deposited on the surface of crystalline silicon solar cells using a rapid spraying process. These colored solar cells were then encapsulated using a conventional lamination process to produce multi-colored solar cell modules. The efficiency loss of the colored solar cell modules compared to all-black photovoltaic modules is less than 8%. Through DH1000 and TC200 reliability tests, the power of the colored solar cell modules remains greater than 95%, demonstrating high stability.
[0078] In this application, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; the term "multiple" refers to two or more unless otherwise expressly defined. The terms "install," "connect," "link," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connect" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; "link" can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0079] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or unit referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0080] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0081] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A colored solar cell, characterized in that, include: Solar cell substrate; A zinc sulfide microsphere layer is disposed on the solar cell substrate, wherein the zinc sulfide microsphere layer has uniformly distributed zinc sulfide microspheres; A polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer is disposed on the zinc sulfide microsphere layer, wherein the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere layer has uniformly distributed polymethyl methacrylate microspheres.
2. The colored solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The zinc sulfide microspheres are selected from a variety of candidate zinc sulfide microspheres with different first diameters, and the polymethyl methacrylate microspheres are selected from a variety of candidate polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with different second diameters. Different combinations of the first diameter and the second diameter correspond to different colors of the colored solar cell.
3. A colored solar cell module, characterized in that, include: front panel; The colored solar cell according to claim 1 or 2 is disposed on one side of the front panel; A backplate is located on the side of the colored solar cell away from the front plate; A first adhesive film is disposed between the front panel and the colored solar cell; The second adhesive film is disposed between the colored solar cell and the backsheet.
4. A method for manufacturing a colored solar cell, characterized in that, include: Zinc sulfide microspheres are placed in a first dispersant to form a first dispersion, and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres are placed in a second dispersant to form a second dispersion. The first dispersion and the second dispersion were subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment to obtain zinc sulfide microsphere suspension and polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension, respectively. The zinc sulfide microsphere suspension is coated onto a solar cell substrate, and the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension is coated onto the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension. The first dispersion and the second dispersion were evaporated to obtain a colored solar cell.
5. The method for manufacturing a colored solar cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first mass ratio of the zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%-15%, and the second mass ratio of the polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 5%-15%.
6. The method for manufacturing a colored solar cell according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first mass ratio of the zinc sulfide microspheres in the first dispersion is 5%, and the second mass ratio of the polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in the second dispersion is 10%.
7. The method for manufacturing a colored solar cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The ultrasonic dispersion treatment of the first dispersion and the second dispersion includes: The first dispersion and the second dispersion were subjected to ultrasonic dispersion treatment at an ultrasonic power of 10kHz-20kHz for 2-3 hours respectively.
8. The method for manufacturing a colored solar cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The process of coating the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension onto the solar cell substrate, and coating the polymethyl methacrylate microsphere suspension onto the zinc sulfide microsphere suspension, is performed using one of the following two methods: Ultrasonic atomization spraying; Static spin coating.
9. The method for manufacturing a colored solar cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first dispersant and the second dispersant are ethanol.