Installation structure of sheet-type solar cells

Abstract

The main goal is to integrate sheet-shaped solar cells almost seamlessly with a translucent surface material, allowing for aesthetically pleasing installation on balconies. [Solution] A sheet-like solar cell 12 is installed along the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 provided on the balcony 3. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 has its edges 15 fixed to the balcony 3 with decorative material 16. The wiring 17 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is routed inside the decorative material 16. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 has a bent portion 61 that is separated from the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11, and a gap-filling backup material 62 may be provided between the bent portion 61 and the translucent surface material 11.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an installation structure of a sheet-shaped solar cell.

Background Art

[0002] It is known to install a solar cell panel on the inner surface side of a translucent facing material provided on a balcony (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 the above Patent Document 1, a solar cell panel similar to that installed on a roof was directly attached to the inner surface side of the translucent facing material of the balcony.

[0005] Such a solar cell panel is a thick and relatively large member surrounded by an aluminum frame around the solar cell panel, and has no relevance to the translucent facing material of the balcony, so there is no sense of unity with the balcony or the translucent facing material, and it could not be installed nicely on the balcony.

[0006] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to contribute to the improvement of the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In response to the above problems, the present invention provides a sheet-shaped solar cell provided along the inner surface of a translucent facing material provided on a balcony, wherein an edge of the sheet-shaped solar cell is fixed to the balcony with a decorative material, and wiring of the sheet-shaped solar cell is passed through the inside of the decorative material. The installation structure of the sheet-shaped solar cell is characterized by this. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] With the above configuration, the present invention allows for the installation of sheet-shaped solar cells on balconies in an aesthetically pleasing manner by integrating them almost entirely with a translucent surface material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the balcony of a building where sheet-type solar cells according to this embodiment are installed. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a front view of the translucent wall portion of the balcony. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the translucent wall portion of the balcony. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of section A (the column portion of the balcony) in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of section B in Figure 1 (the middle section of the translucent wall portion of the balcony). [Figure 6] This is a modified version of Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is a modified version of Figure 4. [Figure 8] (a) is a plan view of a sheet-shaped solar cell, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of a sheet-shaped solar cell. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing a sheet-shaped solar cell in a folded state. [Figure 10] This is a plan view of a modified example of a sheet-shaped solar cell. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] This embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 10. [Examples]

[0011] <Configuration>This embodiment has the following configuration

[0012] Building 1 in Figure 1 is equipped with a balcony 3 in an opening 2 formed on the upper floor.

[0013] Here, Building 1 is a building fixed on the land, and it can be any type such as a detached house, an apartment building, etc. The structure of Building 1 can be any type such as wooden structure, lightweight steel frame structure, reinforced concrete structure, etc., but in this embodiment, it is a unit building. A unit building is a Building 1 that can be constructed in a short period by transporting building units prefabricated in a factory to a construction site and assembling them at the construction site.

[0014] The upper floor is the second floor of Building 1 or the part above the third floor.

[0015] The opening 2 is an open part formed in the outer wall part of Building 1 and leading to the outdoors 5. For example, a window sash is attached to the opening 2.

[0016] The balcony 3 is an accessory of Building 1 that can be accessed from the opening 2 of Building 1 to the outdoors 5, and is fixedly attached to Building 1. The balcony 3 is provided for one or more openings 2.

[0017] For the basic configuration as described above, this embodiment has the following configuration.

[0018] (1) As shown in the front view of FIG. 2 and the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 3, the installation structure of the sheet-shaped solar cell in this embodiment is A sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is provided along the inner surface of the light-transmissive facing material 11 provided on the balcony 3. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, for the sheet-shaped solar cell 12, the edge 15 is fixed to the balcony 3 with a decorative material 16. The wiring 17 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is passed through the inside of the decorative material 16.

[0019] Here, the installation structure of the sheet-shaped solar cell is a structure for installing the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 on the balcony 3.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the balcony 3 has a floor section 21 and a handrail wall section 22 surrounding the floor section 21. The handrail wall section 22 is at a nearly constant height.

[0021] The handrail wall portion 22 of the balcony 3 can be of various types, but in this embodiment, it has a privacy wall portion 24 that blocks the view from the outside 5 side and a translucent wall portion 25 that lets in external light. The handrail wall portion 22 may also be composed only of the translucent wall portion 25.

[0022] On balcony 3, sheet-shaped solar cells 12 are installed on at least a portion of the handrail wall portion 22 (the translucent wall portion 25). Structurally, it is also possible to form at least a portion of the floor portion 21 of balcony 3 with a translucent surface material 11 and attach the sheet-shaped solar cells 12 to the underside of the floor portion 21 (the translucent surface material 11).

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, the blind wall portion 24 has an outer handrail wall 26 on the outdoor 5 side and an inner handrail wall 27 on the building 1 side. The translucent wall portion 25 may be, for example, a simple open lattice, but in this embodiment, it has a translucent surface material 11 in at least a part of it. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 provided on the translucent surface material 11 of the translucent wall portion 25 has a substantially rectangular surface that extends in the vertical direction 23 (Figure 2) and in the horizontal direction parallel to the handrail wall portion 22. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is installed on the handrail wall portion 22 in a state that is substantially perpendicular to the ground.

[0024] A support column 28 is provided at the boundary between the blind wall portion 24 and the translucent wall portion 25. The outer wall 26 and inner wall 27 of the handrail extend to a position where they overlap with the support column 28. A vertical frame portion 29, etc., which extends vertically 23 along the support column 28 is attached to the side of the translucent wall portion 25, and a sealing gasket 30 extending vertically 23 is interposed between the vertical frame portion 29, etc., and the outer wall 26 and inner wall 27 of the handrail.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the upper frame 31 of the handrail wall section 22 is attached to the top of the support column 28, and the lower frame 32 of the handrail wall section 22 is attached to the bottom.

[0026] The translucent surface material 11 is a substantially rectangular surface material that is translucent and provided on at least a portion of the translucent wall portion 25 of the handrail wall portion 22 of the balcony 3. The translucent surface material 11 is made of, for example, a transparent glass plate, an acrylic plate, or other weather-resistant transparent resin plate. Transparency includes colorless transparent and colored transparent. The translucent surface material 11 may have a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure of two or more layers. Glass plates and transparent resin plates may be combined to form a multi-layer structure. In this embodiment, the translucent surface material 11 has a two-layer structure of glass plates.

[0027] The translucent surface material 11 may be surrounded by a frame material 33 that is roughly rectangular in shape. The frame material 33 protects the peripheral portion of the translucent surface material 11 and also maintains the translucent surface material 11 in a multi-layered state. The translucent surface material 11 is installed in the translucent wall portion 25 with the frame material 33 oriented in the vertical direction 23 and the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the translucent surface material 11 is provided over almost the entire translucent wall portion 25, and the frame material 33 is installed with the vertical frame portion extending in the vertical direction 23 in substantially contact with the vertical frame portion 29 of the support column 28, etc. (Figure 4).

[0028] The inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 is the surface facing the building 1 (opening 2) with respect to the translucent surface material 11. The translucent surface material 11 is located on the outdoor side 5 relative to the sheet-shaped solar cell 12.

[0029] The sheet-type solar cell 12 is a thin, planar solar cell formed in the form of a sheet or film (sheet-type solar cell or film-type solar cell). A sheet-type or film-type is a shape consisting of a thin surface, such as paper or cloth. The sheet or film is a material thicker than foil but thinner than a plate. The sheet or film has a thickness of several millimeters or less, and the sheet-type solar cell 12 is thinner than the light-transmitting surface material 11. Note that the sheet-type solar cell 12 may also include thin plate-type solar cells (thin plate-type solar cells) with a thickness of several millimeters or less. Further details of other sheet-type solar cells 12 will be described later.

[0030] To install a sheet-shaped solar cell 12 along the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 means to install the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 almost integrally with the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be in close contact with the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11. In this case, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may or may not be attached to the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 with adhesive or double-sided tape. This makes the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 almost integral with the translucent surface material 11. Alternatively, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be installed slightly away from the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 to form a small air layer between them.

[0031] The edges 15 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 are the portions along the upper and lower edges or the portions along the left and right edges of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12, and portions near these edges. In this embodiment, at least the upper and lower edges 15 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 are attached to the balcony 3.

[0032] The decorative material 16 is an elongated mounting member attached to the balcony 3, formed in a design that is integrated with the balcony 3. Preferably, the decorative material 16 is painted in the same color as the balcony 3. The decorative material 16 is attached to the building 1 side of the balcony 3 with fixing members 34 such as screws (Figure 3). The decorative material 16 is mainly a metal member with an open cross-section extending in the vertical direction 23 (or horizontal direction), and when attached to the balcony 3, it becomes a nearly closed cross-section. The decorative material 16 has, for example, a flat, nearly C-shaped cross-section or a nearly U-shaped cross-section. The decorative material 16 is installed on the balcony 3 with the elongated direction of its cross-section facing, for example, parallel to (Figures 4 to 6) or perpendicular (Figure 7) to the translucent surface material 11. Alternatively, the decorative material 16 may be a horizontally extending member, such as the horizontal edge 15 of a sheet-shaped solar cell 12 attached to the balcony 3.

[0033] The decorative material 16 may have elastically deformable cushioning material 35 attached to the area around the edge 15 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12, or to the part that presses against the edge 15 (for example, the edge of the open cross-section). The cushioning material 35 is compressed when sandwiched between the decorative material 16 and the balcony 3, elastically holding the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 so as not to damage the area around the edge 15 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12. In Figure 3, reference numeral 36 denotes fastening and fixing members such as self-drilling screws used in the assembly of the balcony 3.

[0034] The wiring 17 is an electrical wire (external wiring) that extracts electricity generated by the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 and guides it to the outside. It extends from the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 and is routed through the space formed between the decorative material 16 and the balcony 3. The wiring 17 extends along the decorative material 16 and is eventually led to, for example, the interior of the building 1. Note that Figure 2 omits the decorative material 16.

[0035] (2) In the above-mentioned sheet-shaped solar cell installation structure, As shown in Figure 2, multiple translucent panels 11 may be installed side by side on the balcony 3 via partition members 41. As shown in Figure 5, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be installed across the partition member 41 and between multiple translucent surface materials 11 (overlapping portion 42).

[0036] Here, the partition member 41 is a vertical member similar to the vertical frame portion 29 of the support column 28, etc., that partitions the translucent wall portion 25 of the balcony 3 (handrail wall portion 22), and is provided between the upper frame 31 and the lower frame 32. The partition member 41 is provided as appropriate according to the strength and appearance of the balcony 3. The partition member 41 may be provided between each translucent surface material 11, for example, or every few sheets. For example, in Figure 2, only one partition member 41 is provided between three translucent surface materials 11 arranged on the left and three on the right, but it is not limited to this.

[0037] Furthermore, as in the case where the end structure in Figure 4 and the modified end structure in Figure 6 are combined, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be formed to be approximately the same shape and size as the translucent surface material 11 and attached to each translucent surface material 11 in a one-to-one ratio. However, since the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 can be formed to a relatively free size, it is not necessarily required to form it to be approximately the same shape and size as the translucent surface material 11 and to attach them in a one-to-one ratio.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is made to be about the size and shape of several sheets of translucent surface material 11, and one sheet is attached to several sheets of translucent surface material 11, or fewer sheets than the number of translucent surface material 11. However, the translucent surface material 11 does not need to be formed to be an integer multiple of the size of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12, and the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 can be made not only larger than the translucent surface material 11, but also smaller than the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 depending on the installation conditions on the balcony 3.

[0039] (3) In the above-mentioned sheet-shaped solar cell installation structure, As shown in Figure 2 (Figure 3), the junction box 51 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be installed inside the coping 53 of the balcony 3.

[0040] Here, the junction box 51 is a connector or electrical connection box installed at the connection point between electrical wires in electrical work, and is used to simplify the route of the wiring 17 and to facilitate the connection of the wiring 17. The junction box 51 is an external connector used for the wiring 17 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12.

[0041] The coping 53 is a finishing or decorative member installed on top of the upper frame 31 to protect and decorate the upper part of the balcony 3. The coping 53 is attached to the upper part of the upper frame 31 via mounting brackets 54. The coping 53 is a member with a roughly downward-facing C-shaped cross section, and is placed over the upper frame 31 from above so as to cover the upper frame 31, thereby forming a space 55 between the upper frame 31 (or mounting brackets 54) and the coping 53. The junction box 51 and wiring 17 on the outside of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 are installed in this space 55. The wiring 17 is led from the decorative material 16 through the space 55 inside the coping 53 into the interior of the building 1.

[0042] Furthermore, the junction box 51 and wiring 17 may be routed, at least partially, through the gap between the lower frame 32 of the balcony 3 and the floor 21 (Figure 2).

[0043] (4) In the above-mentioned sheet-shaped solar cell installation structure, As shown in Figure 6 (Figure 7), the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may have a bent portion 61 that is separated from the inner surface of the light-transmitting surface material 11. In this case, a backing material 62 for gap filling may be provided between the bent portion 61 and the translucent surface material 11.

[0044] Here, the bent portion 61 is a part of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 that has been bent out of the plane. For example, in Figure 6, the bent portion 61 is formed by bending the edge 15 of the translucent surface material 11 away from the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 toward the building 1 side, and then bending it in the opposite direction so that it is parallel to the translucent surface material 11, so that it is in almost contact with the building 1 side surface of the partition member 41. Also, for example, in the modified example in Figure 7, the bent portion 61 is formed by bending the edge 15 of the translucent surface material 11 away from the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 so that it is almost perpendicular to the translucent surface material 11, so that it is in almost contact with the surface of the vertical frame portion 29 opposite to the concealed wall portion 24. Note that the straddling portion 42 in Figure 5 is a bent portion 61 formed by bending the middle part of the translucent surface material 11 four times so that it is approximately trapezoidal.

[0045] The bent portion 61 is preferably formed by gently bending it so that no excessive force acts on the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 and the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is not damaged (within the allowable deformation range). The bent portion 61 is, for example, a gentle curved shape with a large radius of curvature, without a clear fold line or a sharp bend. For example, the bent portion 61 is preferably bent with a radius of curvature that is about the same as or greater than the thickness of the frame material 33 of the translucent surface material 11. Furthermore, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is bent such that, for example, when viewed from above, the extensions of the straight portions formed on both sides of the bent portion 61 form a right angle or an angle greater than a right angle (obtuse angle).

[0046] The backup material 62 is a gap-filling material that fills all or part of the gap formed between the bent portion 61 and the translucent surface material 11, and is a protective member that protects the bent portion 61. The backup material 62 is also a shape-retaining material installed on the balcony 3 to suppress unintended deformation of the bent portion 61 and to keep the bent shape of the bent portion 61 constant at all times. The backup material 62 may be made of any material, such as rubber, resin, or metal. In addition to the gap between the bent portion 61 and the translucent surface material 11, the backup material 62 can also be installed between the bent portion 61 and other parts of the balcony 3. Furthermore, one or more backup materials 62 may be installed around the bent portion 61.

[0047] Specifically, the backup material 62 is installed around the corner to fill the step between the translucent surface material 11 and the frame material 33 attached around the translucent surface material 11. The backup material 62 may also be installed around the corner to fill the step between the frame material 33 and the balcony 3 (specifically the support columns 28 (or their vertical frame sections 29, etc.) or partition members 41) (Figure 6). The backup material 62 may also be installed as appropriate around various other stepped areas. In addition to stepped areas, the backup material 62 may also be installed in positions opposite the buffer material 35, with the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 in between (Figure 5).

[0048] The backup material 62 may be provided to extend continuously or discontinuously in the approximately vertical direction 23 along, for example, the frame material 33, the support column 28, or the partition member 41. In this case, the backup material 62 is installed in an area approximately the same as the vertical dimension of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12.

[0049] Furthermore, the backup material 62 may also serve as a guide member to guide the bending of the bent portion 61. In this case, the backup material 62 may have a curved or linear inclined portion 65 or polygonal portion in the portion facing or in contact with the bent portion 61 that follows the bending shape of the bent portion 61, or approximates the bending shape of the bent portion 61. Note that the inclined portion 65 does not need to guide the entire bending shape of the bent portion 61, but only needs to guide key points of the bending shape of the bent portion 61 (e.g., points, midpoints, etc.) in a nearly tangential direction.

[0050] Figures 8 to 10 show sheet-shaped solar cells 12, and these figures will be used to explain the sheet-shaped solar cells 12 below.

[0051] The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 shown in Figure 8 is a solar cell that has been processed and formed into a sheet shape. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be relatively thin and flexible (sheet-shaped, film-shaped) that can be bent, stretched, and rolled up, as shown in Figure 9. Alternatively, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be relatively thick and rigid (thin plate-shaped) that can be flexed.

[0052] For example, when a sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is attached to or adhered to the inner surface of a translucent surface material 11, it is preferable that the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 be relatively thin and flexible (because its shape is maintained by the translucent surface material 11). Also, for example, when the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is installed slightly away from the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11, it is preferable that the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 be relatively thick and rigid so that it can maintain its shape on its own.

[0053] The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 can be of any type, but for example, it can be a perovskite solar cell. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 can broadly include, for example, organic thin-film solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and other solar cells that can be formed into a sheet. In this embodiment, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 will be described as a perovskite solar cell.

[0054] Perovskite solar cells are solar cells that use compounds with a crystalline structure called perovskite as the photoelectric conversion material, and can be formed into relatively thin sheets. Perovskite originally refers to the unique crystalline structure of titanite, and the term perovskite is used as a general term for various materials that have this unique crystalline structure. Perovskite solar cells have been rapidly developed in recent years and have achieved energy conversion efficiencies comparable to silicon-based solar cells. In addition, non-silicon materials such as amorphous silicon and semiconductor materials containing copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) can also be used as photoelectric conversion materials similar to perovskite solar cells. Solar cells using these photoelectric conversion materials can also be made into sheet-shaped solar cells 12, similar to perovskite solar cells.

[0055] In particular, perovskite solar cells can be mass-produced by coating or printing, making them resistant to distortion, and offering the potential for lower costs and installation in locations where silicon-based solar cells cannot be installed. Furthermore, because perovskite solar cells are lighter than silicon-based solar cells, they can be installed directly on building 1 and balcony 3 without the need for reinforcement.

[0056] As shown in Figure 8(a), the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 has a battery body 71 made of a resin sheet. The resin forming the battery body 71 may be soft or hard. Furthermore, the resin forming the battery body 71 may be light-shielding or light-transmitting.

[0057] The battery body 71 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 has a rectangular power generation area 72 that is slightly smaller than the rectangular surface inside. The frame-shaped portion outside the power generation area 72 (the edge 15 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12) is a blank area 73 where there is no power generation area 72.

[0058] The power generation region 72 has multiple cells 74, which are power generation elements, formed on its interior. For example, in the case of a perovskite solar cell, the cells 74 are made of perovskite. In the case of solar cells other than perovskite solar cells, the cells 74 are made of power generation elements other than perovskite. Multiple cells 74 are each made of approximately the same size and shape (rectangular) and are arranged along either the short side or the long side of the approximately rectangular battery body 71. In the sheet-type solar cell 12 installed on the translucent surface material 11 of the balcony 3, the cells 74 are oriented in the vertical direction 23 or horizontal direction. Multiple cells 74 are connected in series or parallel as appropriate.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8(b), the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 has a structure in which the cells 74 and the like are arranged in the space between a resin backsheet 77 and a transparent resin frontsheet 78 that are parallel to each other, and then sealed with resin (sealing resin 79). Furthermore, the entire outer surface of this sheet-shaped solar cell 12, including the front and back surfaces, may be covered with a transparent protective layer 81. The transparent protective layer 81 may be formed by applying a transparent resin curing agent having weather resistance, waterproofing, and physical strength as a protective material (topcoat). The transparent protective layer 81 may be formed as a single layer or in multiple layers.

[0060] The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is attached to the balcony 3 mainly by the decorative material 16 described above, with the margin portion 73 appropriately provided around the outer periphery of the power generation area 72. It is preferable that the bent portion 61 described above is mainly formed in the margin portion 73 (including the protruding portion 84 described later). However, depending on the circumstances, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may have a portion of the power generation area 72 that is the bent portion 61.

[0061] Furthermore, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is equipped with an internal junction box 82 in the margin portion 73. The power generated by the cell 74 is collected in the internal junction box 82 via internal wiring 83. The power is then taken out from the internal junction box 82 to the outside via wiring 17. Multiple sheet-shaped solar cells 12 are connected by an external junction box 51.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may have a protruding portion 84 (or extension) that partially protrudes from the margin portion 73 in order to provide an internal junction box 82 at a desired position. The protruding portion 84 is formed to be narrower than the battery body 71 and wider than the internal junction box 82. This protruding portion 84 makes the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 non-rectangular in shape.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, it is preferable to form a bent portion 61 in the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 by gently bending the excess portion 73 or protruding portion 84 at a right angle or obtuse angle, as described above. By locally bending the excess portion 73 or protruding portion 84 in this way, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 can be easily installed, for example, inside the decorative material 16 or inside the coping 53, while suppressing deformation of the power generation area 72.

[0064] <Effect> The effect of this embodiment is as follows:

[0065] When the balcony 3 of building 1 has a translucent wall portion 25, a translucent surface material 11 is attached to the translucent wall portion 25, and a sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is installed along the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11. The translucent surface material 11 may be provided on the balcony 3 from the beginning, or it may be newly installed when the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is installed. In this way, by attaching the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 to the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is integrated with the translucent surface material 11 and installed on the balcony 3 inconspicuous from the outside. The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is held or protected by the translucent surface material 11.

[0066] The sheet-shaped solar cells 12, installed on the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11, generate electricity from the light that passes through the translucent surface material 11. The electricity generated by the sheet-shaped solar cells 12 is guided into the interior of the building 1 via wiring 17 and a junction box 51, passing through the inside of the decorative material 16 and coping 53.

[0067] <Effects> The effects of this embodiment are as follows:

[0068] (Effect 1) The installation structure for the sheet-shaped solar cells involves installing the sheet-shaped solar cells 12 along the inner surface of the translucent surface material 11 of the balcony 3. As a result, the sheet-shaped solar cells 12 are almost integrated with the translucent surface material 11, making them less conspicuous from the outside. Therefore, the sheet-shaped solar cells 12 are installed on the balcony 3 in an aesthetically pleasing manner. In addition, the sheet-shaped solar cells 12 do not obstruct the balcony 3.

[0069] Furthermore, since the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is located on the inner side of the translucent surface material 11, it is held in place by the translucent surface material 11 and protected from flying objects. In addition, if the translucent surface material 11 is made of glass, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 can obtain fire resistance and fire prevention properties due to the properties of the glass material. In winter, because it is installed on the inner side of the translucent surface material 11 of the balcony 3, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 is less affected by snow accumulation and can utilize reflected light from the surrounding snow for power generation.

[0070] The sheet-shaped solar cell 12 can be attached to the balcony 3 with the simplest possible configuration because, by fixing its edges 15 to the balcony 3 with decorative material 16, a dedicated frame surrounding it, like that used for solar panels (panel-shaped solar cells), is not required. Furthermore, by fixing the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 to the balcony 3 using decorative material 16, the balcony 3 does not appear out of place.

[0071] The sheet-shaped solar cells 12 may have their wiring 17 routed inside the decorative material 16 used to fix them to the balcony 3. This protects the wiring 17 from the decorative material 16. Furthermore, since the wiring 17 is hidden from view by the decorative material 16, the balcony 3 has a cleaner appearance, and deterioration of the wiring 17 due to ultraviolet rays can be suppressed and prevented.

[0072] The sheet-shaped solar cells 12 can be retrofitted to existing balconies 3, and can also be installed on new balconies 3.

[0073] (Effect 2) In the installation structure for sheet-shaped solar cells, the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 may be installed across the partition member 41 and between multiple translucent surface materials 11. This allows the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 to be formed to a different size from the translucent surface material 11 and to be attached to the translucent surface material 11 at any position. For example, by forming the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 to be longer than the translucent surface material 11, the number of sheets to be installed can be reduced, the installation man-hours can be reduced and the workability can be improved.

[0074] (Effect 3) In the installation structure for sheet-type solar cells, the sheet-type solar cells 12 may have their junction boxes 51 (and internal junction boxes 82, hereafter omitted) installed inside the coping 53 of the balcony 3. This allows the junction boxes 51 to be easily installed inside the coping 53 and protected by the coping 53. Furthermore, since the junction boxes 51 inside the coping 53 are not visible from the outside, the appearance of the balcony 3 is neater, and deterioration of the junction boxes 51 due to ultraviolet rays can be suppressed and prevented.

[0075] (Effect 4) The installation structure for the sheet-shaped solar cell may include a backup material 62 between the bent portion 61 of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 and the translucent surface material 11. The backup material 62 fills the gap formed between the bent portion 61 and the translucent surface material 11, thereby protecting the bent portion 61. In addition, the backup material 62 prevents physical damage to the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 due to excessive bending by maintaining the bent portion 61 in the correct bend shape, thereby preventing the sealing of the sheet-shaped solar cell 12 from breaking and the internal wiring 83 from breaking.

[0076] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the structures in Figures 4 and 7 and the structures in Figures 5 and 6 can be used in combination as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 3 Balconies 11 Translucent surface material 12 Sheet-type solar cells 15 Edge 16 Decorative materials 17 Wiring 41 Partition Member 51 Junction Box 53 Kasagi 61. Flexed section 62 Backup material 82 Internal Junction Box

Claims

1. Sheet-shaped solar cells are installed along the inner surface of the translucent surface material installed on the balcony. The sheet-shaped solar cell is fixed to the balcony at its edges with decorative material, A mounting structure for a sheet-shaped solar cell, characterized in that the wiring of the sheet-shaped solar cell is routed inside the decorative material.

2. A mounting structure for a sheet-shaped solar cell according to claim 1, Multiple translucent panels are arranged side by side on the balcony via partition members. The installation structure for a sheet-shaped solar cell is characterized in that the sheet-shaped solar cell is provided across the partition member and between multiple translucent surface materials.

3. A mounting structure for a sheet-like solar cell according to claim 1 or claim 2, The installation structure for sheet-shaped solar cells is characterized in that the junction box for the sheet-shaped solar cells is installed inside the coping of the balcony.

4. A mounting structure for a sheet-like solar cell according to claim 1 or claim 2, The aforementioned sheet-like solar cell has a bent portion that is separated from the inner surface of the light-transmitting surface material, A mounting structure for a sheet-shaped solar cell, characterized in that a backup material for gap filling is provided between the bent portion and the translucent surface material.

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