Solar cell modules

Abstract

The objective is to provide a solar cell module that allows for easy wiring penetration. [Solution] A solar cell module 1 according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a first protective material 10 having a first through hole 11; a solar cell submodule 20 disposed on the back side of the first protective material 10; a second protective material 30 disposed on the back side of the solar cell submodule 20 and having a second through hole 31 facing the first through hole 11; an insertion member 40 having a cylindrical portion 41 inserted into the first through hole 11 and the second through hole 31, and a flange portion 42 provided at at least one end of the cylindrical portion 41 and laminated on the main surface on the front side of the first protective material 10 or the main surface on the back side of the second protective material 30; and a sealing material 50 filled between the first protective material 10 and the second protective material 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a solar cell module.

Background Art

[0002] In order to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of a solar cell module, a tandem-type solar cell module in which a plurality of types of solar cell sub-modules having different absorption wavelengths are stacked is known. As a representative example, a solar cell module using a perovskite solar cell sub-module as the front-side solar cell sub-module and a crystalline silicon solar cell string as the back-side solar cell sub-module can be considered. Also, generally, in a solar cell module, a terminal box may be provided on the back side, and wiring for extracting power from the solar cell sub-module may be connected inside the terminal box (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In tandem solar cell modules, a transparent, insulating plate-shaped protective material can be placed between the front and back solar cell submodules to prevent short circuits. One relatively easy method for manufacturing tandem solar cell modules is to first form a base module with the back solar cell submodule sealed between a pair of plate-shaped protective materials, and then, treating the base module like a single protective material, seal the front solar cell submodule between the base module and another ordinary protective material to obtain a tandem solar cell module. Another method involves forming a base module with the back solar cell submodule sealed between a pair of plate-shaped protective materials, and a top module with the front solar cell submodule sealed between a pair of plate-shaped protective materials, and then stacking the base module and top module to obtain a tandem solar cell module. Manufacturing solar cell modules in this stepwise manner has the advantage of suppressing the heat applied to the front solar cell submodule during the manufacturing process. When a terminal box is provided on the back of a tandem solar cell module manufactured in this stepwise manner, the wiring for outputting power from the front solar cell submodule needs to pass through the base module. It is not easy to create through holes in the base module afterward.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell module that allows for easy wiring penetration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A solar cell module according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a first protective material having a first through-hole; a solar cell submodule disposed on the back side of the first protective material; a second protective material disposed on the back side of the solar cell submodule and having a second through-hole facing the first through-hole; an insertion member having a cylindrical portion inserted into the first through-hole and the second through-hole, and a flange portion provided at at least one end of the cylindrical portion and laminated on the main surface on the front side of the first protective material or the main surface on the back side of the second protective material; and a sealing material filled between the first protective material and the second protective material.

[0007] (2) In the solar cell module of (1), the cylindrical portion comprises a first cylindrical body inserted into the first through hole and a second cylindrical body inserted into the second through hole and fitted onto the first cylindrical body, and the flange portions may be provided at both ends of the cylindrical portion.

[0008] (3) In the solar cell module of (1) to (2), the insertion member may have partition walls positioned perpendicular to the first protective material and the second protective material so as to divide the internal space of the cylindrical portion into multiple sections.

[0009] (4) In the solar cell modules of (1) to (3), the flange portion may cover the opening of the cylindrical portion and have a plurality of wiring holes that communicate with the inside of the cylindrical portion.

[0010] (5) The solar cell modules of (1) to (4) may further include lead wires that extend from the solar cell submodule through the gap between the inner surface of the second through-hole and the outer surface of the cylindrical portion to the back side of the second protective material.

[0011] (6) The solar cell module of (1) to (5) may further include a second solar cell submodule disposed on the front side of the first protective material, and a third protective material disposed on the front side of the second solar cell submodule.

[0012] The solar cell module of (7)(6) may further include a desiccant placed inside the cylindrical portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, a solar cell module that allows for easy wiring penetration can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a solar cell module according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]This figure shows an alternative insert member to the insert member in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows an alternative insertion member to the one shown in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This figure shows alternative insert members that differ from those shown in Figures 2 and 3, as shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a solar cell module according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For convenience, hatching and component reference numerals may be omitted in some cases; in such cases, refer to other drawings. Also, the dimensions of various components in the drawings have been adjusted for ease of viewing.

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a solar cell module 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The solar cell module 1 comprises a first protective material 10, a first solar cell submodule 20, a second protective material 30, an insertion member 40, a first sealing material 50, a second solar cell submodule 60, a third protective material 70, a second sealing material 80, and a wiring box 90.

[0017] The first protective material 10 is formed from a transparent plate-like or sheet-like member. The first protective material 10 covers the surface side of the first solar cell submodule 20 and protects the first solar cell submodule 20. The first protective material 10 may be formed from, for example, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, fluororesin, silicone resin, glass, etc., and is typically formed from glass. The first protective material 10 has a first through-hole 11. The first through-hole 11 is typically used for wiring the second solar cell submodule 60, as will be described later. It is preferable that the first through-hole 11 is formed so as not to overlap with the second solar cell submodule 60 in a plan view.

[0018] The first solar cell sub-module 20 is configured to mainly absorb light incident from the side of the first protective material 10 and convert it into electric power, but it may also be configured to convert light incident from the side of the second protective material 30 into electric power. Further, the first solar cell sub-module 20 is configured to convert light in a wavelength range that passes through the second solar cell sub-module 60 into electric power. The first solar cell sub-module 20 is typically formed from a plurality of crystalline silicon solar cells 21. A first lead wire 22 for outputting electric power to the outside extends from the first solar cell sub-module 20.

[0019] The second protective material 30 is formed from a plate-like or sheet-like member. The second protective material 30 covers the back surface side of the first solar cell sub-module 20 and protects the first solar cell sub-module 20. The second protective material 30 can be formed from the same resin or glass as the first protective material 10, as well as a laminate of resin and metal, etc. The second protective material 30 may have light-shielding properties and can be colored black, for example, to improve the designability of the solar cell module 1. The second protective material 30 has a second through-hole 31 that faces the first through-hole 11 of the first protective material 10. The second protective material 30 may further have a third through-hole 32 through which the first lead wire 22 passes.

[0020] The insertion member 40 has a cylindrical portion 41 that is inserted into the first through hole 11 and the second through hole 31, and a flange portion 42 provided at one end of the cylindrical portion 41 and laminated on the main surface of the front side of the first protective material 10. The insertion member 40 is formed from an insulating material and can be, for example, a resin molded product. Examples of resins that form the insertion member 40 include polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, polyethylene, etc. The cylindrical portion 41 blocks the first sealing material 50 so that it does not block the space between the first through hole 11 and the second through hole 31, and secures a wiring path for the second solar cell submodule 60 inside. The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical portion 41 is not particularly limited, but by making it a shape that matches the first through hole 11 and the second through hole 31 (usually circular), the first sealing material 50 can be blocked more reliably. Preferably, the cylindrical portion 41 has a length that allows its tip to be inserted into the second through-hole 31, even when the gap between the first protective material 10 and the second protective material 30 is large before the first sealing material 50 is fluidized and the first solar cell submodule 20 is sealed. For this reason, in the completed solar cell module 1, the cylindrical portion 41 may protrude from the back side of the second protective material 30. The flange portion 42 positions the cylindrical portion 41 by contacting the first protective material 10. The insertion member 40 may be positioned so that the flange portion 42 contacts the main surface on the back side of the second protective material 30, but if the cylindrical portion 41 protrudes significantly from the front side of the first protective material 10, it may cause interference with the third protective material or a short circuit in the second solar cell submodule 60. In addition, to prevent moisture from entering the second solar cell submodule 60 side through the cylindrical portion 41, a desiccant 401 may be placed inside the cylindrical portion 41 of the insertion member 40. As the desiccant 401, silicon dioxide, calcium oxide, activated carbon, etc., can be used, either as a desiccant in the form of a bag or a desiccant processed into a sheet. The desiccant 401 is properly fixed inside the cylindrical part 41 in a way that does not impair its desiccant function, and as a non-limiting example, it can be fixed inside the cylindrical part 41 with tape or the like.

[0021] The first encapsulant 50 is filled between the first protective material 10 and the second protective material 30, holds the first solar cell sub-module 20, and prevents moisture and the like from contacting the first solar cell sub-module 20. As the first encapsulant 50, for example, a resin having light transmittance such as ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene / α-olefin copolymer, ethylene / vinyl acetate / triallyl isocyanurate, polyvinyl butyrate, acrylic resin, urethane resin, or silicone resin is preferably used. The first encapsulant 50 has thermoplasticity that penetrates into the gaps and recesses of the first solar cell sub-module 20 during the manufacturing stage, and is preferably formed from a material that can maintain its shape even when the temperature of the solar cell module 1 rises due to the loss of thermoplasticity in the final product. That is, the first encapsulant 50 is preferably formed of a resin composition mainly composed of a thermoplastic resin and containing a crosslinking agent that activates at a temperature higher than the softening point of the thermoplastic resin and crosslinks and cures the thermoplastic resin.

[0022] The second solar cell sub-module 60 absorbs some wavelength components of the light incident from the side of the third protective material 70 and converts it into electric power. The second solar cell sub-module 60 can typically be a perovskite solar cell sub-module that performs photoelectric conversion using a perovskite compound that mainly absorbs light in the short wavelength range. From the second solar cell sub-module 60, a second lead wire 61 for outputting electric power to the outside extends through the insertion member 40. The second lead wire 61 extends through the cylindrical portion 41 of the insertion member 40 and extends to the back side of the second protective material 30. The second lead wire 61 can be formed, for example, from a strip-shaped metal foil. The second solar cell sub-module 60 can have a configuration including a transparent substrate, a plurality of strip-shaped solar cell sub-cell portions formed side by side in the second direction and extending in the first direction on the substrate, and a pair of connection portions formed in a strip shape extending in the second direction further outside the second direction of the plurality of solar cell sub-cell portions. Also, the second solar cell sub-module 60 may not have a substrate and may be directly laminated on the third protective material.

[0023] The third protective material 70 is formed from a transparent plate-like or sheet-like member. The third protective material 70 protects the first solar cell submodule 20. It covers the surface side of the second solar cell submodule 60 and protects the second solar cell submodule 60. The third protective material 70 is formed from the same material as the first protective material 10, preferably from glass.

[0024] The second encapsulant 80 is filled between the first protective material 10 and the third protective material 70 to prevent moisture and other substances from coming into contact with the second solar cell submodule 60. The second encapsulant 80 can be formed from a resin composition similar to that of the first encapsulant 50, but it is preferable that it be formed from a resin composition that softens and hardens at a lower temperature than the first encapsulant 50, so as not to expose the second solar cell submodule 60, which may have a configuration that is more susceptible to heat than the first solar cell submodule 20, to high temperatures.

[0025] The wiring box 90 is positioned on the back side of the second protective material 30 so as to cover the second through-hole 31 and the third through-hole. Alternatively, a first wiring box covering the second through-hole 31 and a second wiring box covering the third through-hole may be separately positioned on the back side of the second protective material 30. The wiring box 90 provides space for connecting the first lead wire 22 and the second lead wire 61 to an external circuit. A terminal block for connecting the first lead wire 22 and the second lead wire 61 may be provided inside the wiring box 90.

[0026] For example, the solar cell module 1 can be manufactured by a manufacturing method comprising: a step of forming a base solar cell module in which the first solar cell submodule 20 is sealed between the first protective material 10 and the second protective material 30 by heating and pressurizing sheets of material that form the first protective material 10, the first solar cell submodule 20, the second protective material 30, the insertion member 40 and the first sealing material 50; a step of forming a solar cell module 1 without a wiring box 90 by heating and pressurizing sheets of material that form the base solar cell module, the second solar cell submodule 60, the third protective material 70 and the second sealing material 80 and integrating them; and a step of attaching the wiring box 90 to the back surface of the solar cell module 1. Here, the base solar cell module, which is an intermediate product, is itself an embodiment of the solar cell module according to the present invention, and the solar cell module 1 without a wiring box 90 is also an embodiment of the solar cell module according to the present invention.

[0027] When the solar cell module 1 employs a step-by-step manufacturing method in which an intermediate base solar cell module is first formed, and then the second solar cell submodule 60 is sealed between the base solar cell module and the third protective material 70, the insertion member 40 is not blocked by the first sealing material 50, ensuring a wiring path that penetrates the base solar cell module. Therefore, when the second solar cell submodule 60 and the third protective material 70 are further stacked on the base solar cell module, the second lead wire 61 extending from the second solar cell submodule 60 can be easily passed through the base solar cell module.

[0028] Figure 2 shows an insertion member 40A that can be used in place of the insertion member 40 in the solar cell module 1. The insertion member 40A has a cylindrical portion 41A consisting of a first cylindrical body 411 inserted into the first through hole 11 and a second cylindrical body 412 inserted into the second through hole 31 and partially fitted into the first cylindrical body 411, and a pair of flange portions 42A provided at both ends of the cylindrical portion 41A. That is, one flange portion 42A is provided on the first cylindrical body 411 and laminated on the front main surface of the first protective material 10, and the other flange portion 42A is provided on the second cylindrical body 412 and laminated on the back main surface of the second protective material 30. Thus, because the cylindrical portion 41A has a telescopic structure formed from two cylindrical bodies 411 and 412, it is possible to absorb the change in the distance between the first protective material 10 and the second protective material 30 before and after sealing the first solar cell submodule 20 due to the fluidization of the first sealing material 50. This minimizes the protrusion height of the insertion member 40A from the first protective material 10 and the second protective material 30, and the pair of flange portions 42A prevent the first sealing material 50 from protruding to the front and back of the base solar cell module. Note that "fitting" may be performed with either side facing outwards.

[0029] Figure 3 shows another insertion member 40B that can be used in place of insertion member 40 in the solar cell module 1. Insertion member 40B has a cylindrical portion 41B that is inserted into the first through hole 11 and the second through hole 31, a flange portion 42B provided at one end of the cylindrical portion 41 and laminated on the main surface of the front side of the first protective material 10, and a partition wall 43 that is positioned perpendicular to the first protective material 10 and the second protective material 30 so as to divide the internal space of the cylindrical portion 41B into multiple sections. The cylindrical portion 41B is formed in a rectangular tube shape, with a partition wall 43 positioned in the center of a pair of opposing side walls, and second lead wires 61 are inserted through each of the internal spaces divided by the partition wall 43. The partition wall 43 ensures an insulating distance between the second lead wires 61 that protrude from the second protective material 30 and are drawn out along the back surface of the second protective material 30 (a distance traveled back and forth along the partition wall 43 so as to fold back at the tip of the partition wall 43). The pair of side walls of the cylindrical portion 41B that holds the partition wall 43 also protrude from the second protective material 30, ensuring a lateral insulation distance between the second lead wires 61. Therefore, even if the second lead wires 61 do not have insulation, short circuits between the second lead wires 61 can be prevented by using the insertion member 40B.

[0030] Figure 4 shows another insertion member 40C that can be used in place of insertion member 40 in the solar cell module 1. Insertion member 40C has a cylindrical portion 41 similar to insertion member 40 in Figure 2, and a flange portion 42C that is laminated on the main surface of the front side of the first protective material 10 and provided to cover the opening of the cylindrical portion 41 at one end of the cylindrical portion 41. The flange portion 42C communicates with the inside of the cylindrical portion 41 and has a plurality of wiring holes 421 through which a single second lead wire 61 is inserted. In this way, insertion member 40C guides the second lead wires 61 individually by the wiring holes 421, and in combination with the routing of the second lead wires 61 in the wiring box, short circuits between the second lead wires 61 can be prevented.

[0031] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible. For example, the structures of the multiple insertion members shown in the figures may be combined and adopted, or an insertion member having an expandable cylindrical portion and a pair of flange portions as shown in Figure 2 may be combined with at least one of a partition wall as shown in Figure 3 and a wiring hole as shown in Figure 4. In addition, the first lead wire may extend to the back side of the second protective material through the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the second through hole and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of the insertion member, as shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, the solar cell module according to the present invention may have a fourth protective material between the first protective material and the second solar cell submodule, and may be a laminated structure consisting of a base module in which the first solar cell submodule is sealed between the first and second protective materials, and a top module in which the second solar cell submodule is sealed between the third and fourth protective materials. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1. Solar cell module 10 1st protective material 11 First through hole 20. First solar cell submodule 21-crystalline silicon solar cell 22 First lead line 30 Second protective material 31 Second through hole 32 Third through hole 40, 40A, 40B, 40C Insertion Members 401 Desiccant 41,41A,41B Cylinder part 411 First cylinder 412 Second cylinder 42, 42A, 42B, 42C Flange section 421 Wiring hole 43 Bulkhead 50 First sealing material 60. Second solar cell submodule 61 Second lead wire 70 Third protective material 80 Second sealing material 90 Wiring Box

Claims

1. A first protective material having a first through hole, The solar cell submodule is positioned on the back of the first protective material, A second protective material is provided on the back side of the solar cell submodule and has a second through-hole facing the first through-hole, An insertion member having a cylindrical portion inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole, and a flange portion provided at at least one end of the cylindrical portion and laminated on the main surface on the front side of the first protective material or the main surface on the back side of the second protective material, A sealing material filled between the first protective material and the second protective material, A solar cell module equipped with the following features.

2. The cylindrical portion comprises a first cylindrical body inserted into the first through hole and a second cylindrical body inserted into the second through hole and fitted onto the first cylindrical body. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the flange portions are provided at both ends of the cylindrical portion.

3. The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insertion member has a partition wall that is arranged perpendicularly to the first protective material and the second protective material so as to divide the internal space of the cylindrical portion into multiple parts.

4. The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flange portion covers the opening of the cylindrical portion and has a plurality of wiring holes communicating with the inside of the cylindrical portion.

5. The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a lead wire extending from the solar cell submodule through the gap between the inner surface of the second through-hole and the outer surface of the cylindrical portion to the back side of the second protective material.

6. A second solar cell submodule is positioned on the front side of the first protective material, A third protective material is placed on the front side of the second solar cell submodule, The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

7. The solar cell module according to claim 6, further comprising a desiccant disposed inside the cylindrical portion.

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