Flat Panel Photovoltaic System

摘要

A flat panel photovoltaic (PV) system is provided formed from a first sheet with rows of concentrated III-V photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells. An overlying second sheet is made up of rows of waveguides, where each waveguide is coupled to a corresponding CPV solar cell. A third sheet includes overlying one-piece linear lenses, each having a focal line coupled to the waveguides in a corresponding row. Optionally, a fourth sheet underlies the first sheet, which is a 1-sun solar panel including a plurality of silicon PV cells. In one variation adjacent rows of waveguides couple to the same row of CPV cells. In another variation, each waveguide in a row is optically coupled to waveguides in an adjacent row, which adjacent waveguides are then coupled to a corresponding row of CPV cells. A lens overlies each row of waveguides, with a focal line coupled to each waveguide in that row.

主权项

1. A flat panel photovoltaic (PV) system comprising:
a first sheet comprising a first row of concentrated III-V photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells, each CPV solar cell having an optical input and an electrical output; a second sheet overlying the first sheet, the second sheet comprising a first row of waveguides, each waveguide having an optical input aperture, and optical output aperture coupled to a corresponding CPV solar cell optical input; and, a third sheet overlying the second sheet, the third sheet comprising a one-piece linear lens overlying the first row of waveguides and having a focal line coupled to the optical input aperture of each waveguide in the first row of waveguides.