Multi-functional photovoltaic skylight and/or methods of making the same

摘要

Certain examples relate to improved solar photovoltaic systems, and/or methods of making the same. Certain improved building-integrated photovoltaic systems may include concentrated photovoltaic skylights having a cylindrical lens array. The skylight may include an insulated glass unit, which may improve the solar heat gain coefficient. The photovoltaic skylight and lens arrays may be used in combination with strip solar cells and lateral displacement tracking systems. Such techniques may advantageously help to reduce cost per watt related, in part, to the potentially reduced amount of semiconductor material to be used for such example embodiments. A photovoltaic skylight may permit diffuse daylight to pass through into an interior of a building so as to provide lighting inside the building, while the strip solar cells absorb the direct sunlight and convert it to electricity.

主权项

1. A skylight, comprising:
first, second and third substrates arranged substantially in parallel and spaced apart from each other, the first substrate to be located furthest from an interior of a building on which the skylight is to be mounted, the second substrate to be located closest to the interior of the building, and the second substrate to be located between the first and second substrates: a first gap between the first and second substrates, and a second gap between the second and third substrates; wherein at least one of the gaps is filled with an inert gas; a plurality of elongate solar cells supported by the second substrate; and the first substrate comprising a lens array comprising a plurality of lenses oriented along a common axis, each said lens being configured to concentrate light onto at least one of the elongate solar cells, the lens array being substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the second substrate, the skylight being arranged to permit some diffuse light incident thereon to pass therethrough and to cause direct light to be focused onto the solar cells so that in a given mode (a) substantially only diffuse daylight not directly incident on the skylight from the sun is transmitted through the skylight into a building interior, and (b) direct sunlight that is directly incident on the skylight from the sun is blocked from the building interior by the skylight as the direct sunlight is absorbed by the solar cells.