Structured Solar Cover Plate for Homogeneous Color
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar modules face challenges in achieving efficient production of red and white colors with minimal efficiency loss, while maintaining color homogeneity and stability under varying lighting conditions and angles, and are limited by standard sizes and shapes that increase costs and reduce efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A plate-shaped component with a composite disc structure, featuring a transparent cover plate and a color filter layer, structured to reflect and refract light uniformly, ensuring a homogeneous color appearance with low angular dependence and minimal efficiency loss, and allowing production in various sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a solar module is designed to be colored to create a color impression in the human eye, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but the intensity of light absorbed by the photovoltaic semiconductor is reduced, decreasing electrical power and efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies optical interference layers on the front glass to generate color effects through constructive and destructive interference of light waves. This allows the solar module to display various colors (blue, green, red, purple, etc.) without using pigments that would absorb light, thereby maintaining high light absorption efficiency while achieving desired color appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters such as the thickness of optical interference layers (ranging from nanometers to micrometers) and the refractive indices of materials to control the wavelength-specific reflection and transmission properties. By adjusting these parameters, different colors are achieved while minimizing impact on light absorption for photovoltaic conversion.
2Shape
If the color of a solar module is achieved through absorption or interference, then color appearance is improved, but the color varies depending on the viewing angle and angle of incidence, reducing color stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric structuring of the front glass surface with micro-pyramids or other asymmetric geometries that scatter incident light from various angles. This asymmetric structure, combined with optical interference layers, ensures that the color appearance remains relatively stable across different viewing angles and lighting conditions by distributing reflected light more uniformly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If smaller and non-rectangular solar modules are produced by segmentation from large area semiconductor stacks, then various sizes and shapes are achieved, but material consumption increases significantly and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a universal front glass component with integrated optical interference layers and asymmetric structuring that can be applied to solar modules of various sizes and shapes. This universal design allows the same manufacturing process and material layers to be used across different module configurations, eliminating the need for separate optimization for each size and reducing overall material consumption.
4Shape
If the front glass is structured with optical interference layers to achieve color, then color homogeneity and angular stability are improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates optical interference layers and asymmetric structuring directly into the front glass manufacturing process itself, rather than adding them as separate post-processing steps. The front glass is produced with integrated color-generating features through controlled deposition and structuring during glass fabrication, simplifying the overall manufacturing process and reducing the number of separate manufacturing steps required.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the production of red and white solar modules with reduced efficiency loss and improved color stability, facilitating cost-effective manufacturing in diverse sizes and shapes, suitable for facade integration with enhanced aesthetic and functional properties.
Implementation Method 1
at least one structured area is present on a surface of the cover plate... At least one color filter layer is arranged on the cover plate... reflect light within a predetermined wavelength range
Implementation Method 2
The at least one structured area has a height profile perpendicular to the plane of the cover plate, with peaks and valleys
Implementation Method 3
At least one color filter layer is arranged on the cover plate, which transforms the cover plate into a color-imparting cover plate
Implementation Method 4
European patent applications EP18186153 and EP18186161 describe solar modules in which color is achieved through at least one optical interference layer
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
Figure 6
AI summary
The invention relates to a plate-shaped component (1) comprising a transparent cover plate (2) and a planar rear element (3) attached to the cover plate (2), wherein the cover plate (2) has a front surface (4) facing the external environment and a rear surface (5) facing the rear element (3), wherein at least one surface (4, 5), selected from the front and rear surfaces, has at least one structured area (8, 8'), and wherein at least one color filter layer (9, 9') for reflecting light within a predetermined wavelength range is arranged on at least one surface (4, 5), selected from the front and rear surfaces, - wherein the at least one structured area (8, 8') has the following features i) to iii): i) perpendicular to the plane of the cover plate (2) a height profile having peaks and valleys, wherein the mean height difference between the peaks and valleys is at least 2 µm,ii) at least 50% of the structured area is composed of segments inclined to the plane of the cover plate (2), wherein, with respect to the plane of the cover plate (2), at least 20% of the segments have an angle of inclination in the range of greater than 0° to a maximum of 15° and at least 30% of the segments have an angle of inclination in the range of greater than 15° to a maximum of 45°, wherein iii) the segments are each planar and have a segment area of at least 1 µm², wherein the segments each have a mean roughness of less than 15% of a layer thickness of the at least one color filter layer (9, 9'), and wherein the at least one color filter layer (9, 9') contains at least one high-refractive index refractive layer, wherein the at least one refractive index has a refractive index greater than 2.5 in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm and an extinction coefficient of at least 0.2 below 450 nm and less than 0.2, especially less than 0.1,above 700 nm.