Bifacial elongated solar cell devices

Abstract

A solar cell assembly having a plurality of elongated solar cells is provided. Elongated solar cells in the plurality of elongated solar cells have a rigid tube-shaped conductive core. The conductive core is hollowed and made of plastic or glass. A back-electrode is circumferentially disposed on the rigid tube-shaped conductive core. A semiconductor junction is circumferentially disposed on the back-electrode. A transparent conductive layer is circumferentially disposed on the semiconductor junction. The elongated solar cells in the plurality of elongated solar cells are arranged in a parallel or a near parallel manner thereby forming a planar array having a first face and a second face. The solar cell assembly is configured to receive direct light from a side of the solar cell assembly that includes the first face of the planar array and a side of the solar cell assembly that includes the second face of the planar array.

1 - 130 . (canceled)  
     
     
         131 . A solar cell assembly comprising a plurality of elongated solar cells, wherein each elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells comprises: 
 (i) a rigid tube-shaped conductive core, wherein said rigid tube-shaped conductive core is made of plastic or glass;    (ii) a back-electrode circumferentially disposed on said rigid tube-shaped conductive core;    (iii) a semiconductor junction circumferentially disposed on said back-electrode; and    (iv) a transparent conductive layer circumferentially disposed on said semiconductor junction,    wherein elongated solar cells in said plurality of elongated solar cells are arranged in a parallel or a near parallel manner thereby forming a planar array having a first face and a second face,    wherein the solar cell assembly is configured to receive direct light from a side of said solar cell assembly that includes said first face of said planar array and a side of said solar cell assembly that includes said second face of said planar array.    
     
     
         132 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein the back-electrode comprises molybdenum.  
     
     
         133 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein the back-electrode is a transparent conducting oxide.  
     
     
         134 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein the semiconductor junction comprises an absorber layer made of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide and a window layer made of cadmium sulfide.  
     
     
         135 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein the diameter of a cross-section of a solar cell in said solar cells is between 0.5 millimeters (mm) and 20 mm.  
     
     
         136 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein the assembly has a length of between 1 cm and 50,000 cm.  
     
     
         137 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , further comprising: 
 a transparent electrically insulating substrate that covers all or a portion of said first face of said planar array; and    a transparent insulating covering disposed on said second face of said planar array, thereby encasing said plurality of elongated solar cells between said transparent insulating covering and said transparent electrically insulating substrate.    
     
     
         138 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 137 , wherein said transparent insulating covering and said transparent insulating substrate are bonded together by a sealant.  
     
     
         139 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 138 , wherein said sealant is ethylene vinyl acetate.  
     
     
         140 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein said semiconductor junction is a homojunction, a heterojunction, a heteroface junction, a buried homojunction, or a p-i-n junction.  
     
     
         141 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein there is an intrinsic layer disposed between said semiconductor junction and said transparent conductive layer.  
     
     
         142 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 141 , wherein the intrinsic layer is formed by an undoped transparent oxide.  
     
     
         143 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 141 , wherein the intrinsic layer is made of zinc oxide, indium-tin-oxide, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         144 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein the semiconductor junction comprises: 
 an inner coaxial layer; and    an outer coaxial layer,    wherein said outer coaxial layer comprises a first conductivity type and said inner coaxial layer comprises a second, opposite, conductivity type.    
     
     
         145 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 144 , wherein said inner coaxial layer comprises copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS).  
     
     
         146 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 144 , wherein said outer coaxial layer comprises CdS, SnO 2 , ZnO, ZrO 2 , or doped ZnO.  
     
     
         147 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein said transparent conductive layer is made of tin oxide SnO x , with or without fluorine doping, indium-tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide (ZnO) or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         148 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein two or more elongated solar cells in said plurality of elongated solar cells are electrically connected in parallel.  
     
     
         149 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein two or more elongated solar cells in said plurality of elongated solar cells are electrically connected in series.  
     
     
         150 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein a solar cell in said plurality of solar cells further comprises an antireflective coating that is circumferentially disposed on said transparent conductive layer.  
     
     
         151 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 150 , wherein said antireflective coating is made of MgF 2 .  
     
     
         152 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein the plurality of elongated solar cells are arranged such that one or more elongated solar cells in said plurality of elongated solar cells do not contact adjacent elongated solar cells.  
     
     
         153 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein a solar cell in the plurality of solar cells has an elliptical cross-section.  
     
     
         154 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein a solar cell in the plurality of solar cells has a cross-section that is generally circular.  
     
     
         155 . The solar cell assembly of  claim 131 , wherein a solar cell in the plurality of solar cells has a cross-section that is quadrilateral.