Solar cell panel

Abstract

To provide a solar cell panel having a simple structure and capable of achieving light control with little loss of illuminance such as that caused by light control glass.SOLUTION: The solar battery panel 1 includes a plurality of solar battery modules 10 (10A, 10B) that are disposed so as to overlap incident light and have different arrangements of the solar battery cells 11, and a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts relative positions of (the respective solar battery cells 11 of) the plurality of solar battery modules 10 (10A, 10B) so as to change an overlapping state of the respective solar battery cells 11 of the plurality of solar battery modules 10 (10A, 10B) with respect to the incident light. 10A 10B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solar cell panel that has a simple structure and is capable of adjusting (dimming) the degree of light intake (light transmission). [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a solar power generation system that includes a light-transmitting solar cell module having, between the cells of the solar cell, light-controlling glass whose optical properties and light transmittance change when a voltage is applied to the built-in liquid crystal, a grid-connected inverter that controls the power photoelectrically converted by the solar cell, a drive unit that changes the optical properties of the liquid crystal in the light-controlling glass, and a control unit that determines the amount of sunlight irradiation, location, and time at the location where the light-transmitting solar cell module is installed and controls the drive unit to automatically adjust the light, wherein the solar power generation system uses a light-transmitting solar cell module and is characterized in that a time measurement unit that provides time information, an information input unit that provides location information of the location where the light-controlling glass is installed, a solar cell output measurement unit that measures the solar cell output power and provides output power information, a transmitter that transmits this information is connected to the control unit, and the drive unit is provided with a receiver that receives the information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-286043 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned conventional technology is equipped with a light-transmitting solar cell module that has light-controlling glass between solar cell cells, whose optical properties of the built-in liquid crystal change when a voltage is applied, thereby changing its light transmittance. However, the drawbacks of using light-controlling glass are that the structure becomes complicated and illuminance is lost.

[0005] For example, AC voltage is required to drive the liquid crystals and scattering microcapsules in light-control glass, and the DC voltage from the battery must be converted to AC voltage using a DC-AC converter. Furthermore, the dimming mechanism inevitably results in a loss of illuminance. For example, when using liquid crystals, half of the light taken in by the polarizer is lost before it reaches the liquid crystal, causing the illuminance to drop by about half. Therefore, dimming is adjusted using the half or so of light that is able to pass through.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a solar cell panel that has a simple structure and is capable of achieving light control with little loss of illuminance, as occurs with light control glass. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the solar cell panel of the present invention is characterized by comprising a plurality of solar cell modules arranged overlapping with respect to incident light, each having a different arrangement of solar cell cells, and a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative positions of the plurality of solar cell modules to change the degree of overlap with respect to the incident light of each solar cell of the plurality of solar cell modules. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, by changing the degree of overlap (in the direction of incident light) of each solar cell of a plurality of solar cell modules with respect to incident light, it is possible to achieve dimming with a simple structure and with little loss of illuminance, such as occurs with dimming glass. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded plan view of a solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of a solar cell module of a solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is an assembled plan view of a solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an exploded plan view of a solar cell panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an assembled plan view of a solar cell panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A to 10D are plan views showing four examples ((A) to (D)) of the design of a solar cell of a solar cell module of a solar cell panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, identical elements or elements having identical functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of the drawings may differ from those of the actual ones.

[0011] In the following embodiments, a solar cell panel (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a panel) will be described that can adjust the degree of light transmission by stacking multiple solar cell modules (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as modules) with different designs, i.e., different arrangements or patterns of solar cell cells (also called power generation cells, hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as cells). This panel can be used in various places where there is a need for natural lighting, such as the roof of a vehicle such as an automobile, or the roof or windows of a building. This panel can generate electricity using the solar cell cells while transmitting and adjusting light from outdoors to indoors by allowing incident light, such as sunlight, received from outdoors to pass between the solar cell cells.

[0012] Fig. 1 is an exploded plan view of a solar cell panel according to this embodiment. As the simplest example of combining multiple modules, Fig. 1 shows an example of combining two modules each having striped cells.

[0013] Modules 10A and 10B in FIG. 1 are solar cell modules in which solar cell cells are arranged in a striped pattern. These modules have a solar cell structure commonly referred to as an integrated structure, in which positive and negative electrodes for current extraction are present only at the edges. In each module 10 (10A, 10B), portion 11 represents the solar cell portion that generates electricity, and portion 12 represents the transparent electrode portion where no cells 11 are present and only the transparent electrode is visible. In each module 10 (10A, 10B), rectangular cells 11 are formed (arranged) on transparent electrode 12 so that they are spaced a predetermined distance apart and are generally parallel to each other. Modules 10A and 10B are designed such that the positions of the striped solar cell cells 11 are offset by one stripe. Furthermore, in each module 10 (10A, 10B), portions 13 and 14, i.e., the ends of the striped arrangement of cells 11, are the positive and negative electrodes for current extraction, respectively. Lines 15 and 16 indicate current extraction wiring (also referred to as positive electrode current extraction wiring and negative electrode current extraction wiring) electrically connected to the positive electrode 13 and the negative electrode 14, respectively.

[0014] The panel 1 of this embodiment is constructed by arranging modules 10A and 10B, which have different arrangements of cells 11 as shown in Figure 1, overlapping each other with respect to the incident light (in this embodiment, perpendicular to the paper surface) (details will be explained later).

[0015] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a solar cell module of a solar cell panel according to this embodiment, which shows a schematic cross-sectional structure of the module 10 in FIG. 1, focusing on the striped portion.

[0016] In Figure 2, the portion 18 indicates a substrate or film on which a solar cell is formed. The substrate or film 18 is made of a material that can transmit light. The portion 11 indicates a cross section of a striped solar cell, and the portion 12 indicates a cross section of a transparent electrode formed (deposited) on the substrate or film 18. The portion 17 is a counter electrode, which connects the cell 11 with the adjacent transparent electrode 12. The counter electrode is not important in this embodiment, so details will be omitted. In this module 10, light is absorbed in the cell 11 portion and light is not transmitted. On the other hand, light is transmitted in the transparent electrode 12 portion. In modules 10A and 10B in Figure 1, the cell 11 portion and the transparent electrode 12 portion are designed to be the same width, and in both modules 10A and 10B alone, 50% of the area is used for power generation and the other 50% is used for natural light.

[0017] 3 is an assembled plan view of the solar cell panel according to this embodiment, showing the assembled state in which module 10A and module 10B are stacked (perpendicular to the paper surface) to adjust the light intensity.

[0018] As shown in the left diagram of Figure 3, when modules 10A and 10B are arranged so that the cells 11 of modules 10A and 10B do not overlap when viewed from the incident light side (perpendicular to the page), the entire surface becomes a cell, and 100% of the area is used for power generation and 0% for light collection. On the other hand, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 3, when at least one of modules 10A and 10B is slid (up and down on the page) so that the cells 11 of modules 10A and 10B completely overlap when viewed from the incident light side (perpendicular to the page), the light is used in the same way as modules 10A and 10B alone, with 50% of the area used for power generation and the other 50% for light collection. In addition to the above, intermediate overlapping states are also possible, and by changing the degree of overlap of cells 11, the light collection rate can be continuously adjusted from 0% to 50% and the power generation rate can be continuously adjusted from 100% to 50%.

[0019] Because modules 10A and 10B are slid together and stacked, marginal areas are created at the ends of module 10 where the positive and negative electrodes occupy an area that does not contribute to power generation (for example, the top and bottom ends in the right diagram of FIG. 3). Because these areas do not contribute to power generation and detract from the aesthetic appearance, it is desirable to provide a light-blocking shielding cover (not shown) on the surface of panel 1 where modules 10A and 10B are stacked to hide the outer periphery of modules 10A and 10B.

[0020] Although not shown in the drawings, the panel 1 of this embodiment is provided with a position adjustment mechanism for sliding at least one of the modules 10A and 10B as described above. This position adjustment mechanism adjusts the relative positions of (the cells 11 of) the modules 10A and 10B, thereby changing the degree of overlap (in the direction of the incident light) of the cells 11 of the modules 10A and 10B with respect to the incident light, thereby adjusting the passing width of the incident light as described above, and thereby adjusting (dimming) the light transmission intensity.

[0021] The mechanism for adjusting the position of the module 10 is not particularly limited, and can be a manual mechanism, a DC motor, an ultrasonic motor, or a slide mechanism using a linear motor. Since the required amount of change is relatively small as described above, a mechanism using spring deformation or the like can also be used.

[0022] When such a striped design is adopted, the amount of sliding of the module 10 required to adjust the light transmission level depends on the width (thickness) of the stripes. If the sliding amount is too small, it becomes difficult to adjust the light transmission level due to the effect of light leakage. On the other hand, if the sliding amount is too large, the power and time required for sliding increases. In addition, the thickness of the shielding cover that hides the positive and negative electrode parts at the ends also increases. Therefore, a stripe width of about several millimeters is desirable as an appropriate value.

[0023] The above example shows the simplest configuration in which two modules 10A and 10B, each having the same width as the cell 11 portion and the transparent electrode 12 portion, are stacked. However, it is also possible to change the upper limit of light transmission by, for example, changing the area ratio between the cell 11 portion and the transparent electrode 12 portion and changing the number of overlapping modules accordingly. Fig. 4 is an exploded plan view of a solar cell panel according to another embodiment. Fig. 5 is an assembled plan view of a solar cell panel according to another embodiment. Figs. 4 and 5 show an example in which the area ratio (cell portion:transparent electrode portion) is changed from 1:1 to 1:3, the number of overlapping modules (perpendicular to the page) is set to four, and at least one of the four modules 20 (20A, 20B, 20C, 20D) is slid (up and down on the page) to increase the adjustable range of light transmission from 0% to 50% to 0% (left diagram in Fig. 5) to 75% (right diagram in Fig. 5). In addition to the above, overlapping in intermediate states is also possible, and by changing the degree of overlap of the cells 11, the light acceptance can be continuously adjusted from 0% to 75%.

[0024] In the above embodiment, considering the need to adjust the width of the stripes (cells 11) to an appropriate value, general crystalline silicon is not desirable for solar cell modules. Even when using cut cells, general crystalline silicon typically has a wide width of around 75 mm, requiring a large amount of sliding movement. On the other hand, organic thin-film solar cells and perovskite solar cells offer a high degree of design freedom and are desirable. Furthermore, when using striped structures, the adjustable size of the stripes roughly corresponds to the appropriate stripe width of this embodiment. Generally, coating-type (also known as integrated) solar cells such as organic thin-film solar cells and perovskite solar cells use a transparent electrode on the substrate side. When using striped structures, the width of the stripes is constrained by the sheet resistance of the transparent electrode. For a commonly used sheet resistance of around 10 Ω, the stripe width is approximately 7 mm.

[0025] Furthermore, when combining modules to collect light as described above, the solar cell modules must be slid together for overlapping, making them desirable for their light weight. From this perspective, organic thin-film solar cells and perovskite solar cells are desirable because they can be fabricated on lightweight, thin glass or resin films.

[0026] Also, when considering light transmission, a structure with fewer electrodes around the cell that can block light is desirable. In panels that use ordinary crystalline silicon, there are many light-blocking areas due to busbar wiring, which is a strip-shaped metal electrode, which is undesirable. On the other hand, solar cell panels that use an integrated structure, such as organic thin-film solar cells and perovskite solar cells, use transparent electrodes in areas that correspond to busbars, which reduces the light-blocking areas and is therefore desirable.

[0027] Regarding the design of the cells 11, in the above example a striped cell pattern (as viewed from the direction of incident light) is presented, but in consideration of aesthetics, a wave-like pattern (module 30 in FIG. 6(A)), a block-like pattern (module 40 in FIG. 6(B)), or a hexagonal pattern (module 50 in FIG. 6(C)) is also possible. Furthermore, the shape of the substrate on which the cells 11 are formed is not limited to the rectangular shape described above, and a square shape, a doughnut shape (module 60 in FIG. 6(D)), or a curved shape (for example, a shape that follows the surface shape of a vehicle roof) is also possible.

[0028] As described above, the solar cell panel 1 of this embodiment comprises a plurality of solar cell modules 10 (10A, 10B) arranged overlapping with respect to incident light, each having a different arrangement of solar cells 11, and a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative positions of the plurality of solar cell modules 10 (10A, 10B) (their respective solar cells 11) in order to change the degree of overlap with respect to the incident light of the respective solar cells 11 of the plurality of solar cell modules 10 (10A, 10B).

[0029] In detail, the solar cell panel 1 of this embodiment has, for example, the following configuration, thereby providing a solar cell panel 1 that has a simple structure and achieves light control with little loss of illuminance, such as occurs with light control glass. - Prepare multiple thin solar modules with alternating patterns and arrange them in a stacked manner in relation to the incoming light. If the modules are arranged so that the solar cell cells overlap with the incident light, the maximum amount of light can be captured, and if the modules are arranged so that the cells do not overlap, the light can be blocked. If a module is placed between them, dimming is possible to achieve a light intensity between the above levels. For solar cell modules, it is desirable to use organic thin-film solar cells or perovskite solar cells, which are fabricated on extremely thin substrates like films and whose cell shapes can be freely changed. The simplest staggered pattern uses two modules with solar cells arranged in stripes. When combining two modules with striped cells, dimming can be achieved simply by moving one module relative to the other by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the stripes. The upper limit of stripe thickness generally depends on the sheet resistance of the transparent electrodes used in solar cell modules; for example, if the sheet resistance is around 10 Ω, the upper limit of stripe thickness is around 7 mm. The module position adjustment mechanism can be manually adjusted, or by winding with a DC motor or ultrasonic motor, or by sliding with a linear motor. Since the required amount of change is relatively small as mentioned above, mechanisms using spring deformation, etc. can also be used.

[0030] According to this embodiment, by changing the degree of overlap (in the direction of incident light) of each solar cell of a plurality of solar cell modules with respect to the incident light, it is possible to achieve dimming with a simple structure and with little loss of illuminance, such as occurs with dimming glass.

[0031] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 solar cell panel, 10, 10A, 10B, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 30, 40, 50, 60 solar cell module, 11 solar cell, 12 transparent electrode, 13 positive electrode, 14 negative electrode, 15 positive current extraction wiring, 16 negative current extraction wiring, 17 counter electrode, 18 substrate or film

Claims

1. a plurality of solar cell modules arranged in a stacked manner with respect to incident light, each having a different arrangement of solar cell cells; a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative positions of the plurality of solar cell modules to change the degree of overlap of each solar cell of the plurality of solar cell modules with respect to incident light.

2. The solar cell panel according to claim 1, The solar cell panel is characterized in that the solar cell module is an integrated solar cell module.

3. The solar cell panel according to claim 1, The solar cell module is a solar cell panel in which the solar cells are arranged in a striped pattern.

4. The solar cell panel according to claim 1, The solar cell panel is characterized in that the solar cell module is provided with electrodes at both ends for extracting current.

5. The solar cell panel according to claim 1, The solar cell panel is mounted on a vehicle.

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