System and method for determining placement of photovoltaic strips using displacement sensors

Abstract

A method for forming a solar energy collection device includes receiving a sheet of glass comprising glass material, wherein the sheet of glass includes a plurality of light concentrating geometric features, measuring geometric characteristics for the plurality of light concentrating geometric features, mathematically calculating predicted light concentration characteristics for each of the plurality of light concentrating geometric features in response to the geometric characteristics, determining placement locations for a plurality of PV strips in response to the predicted light concentration characteristics for each of the plurality of light concentrating geometric features, and securing the plurality of PV strips relative to the sheet of glass in response to the placement locations for the plurality of PV strips.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A light energy collection device comprising:
 a sheet of glass comprising a glass material, wherein the sheet of glass includes a plurality of light concentrating geometric features, wherein each of the plurality of light concentrating geometric features are uniquely associated with an exitant region;   a plurality of photovoltaic strips coupled to the sheet of glass, wherein each photovoltaic strip is coupled to predicted extant regions associated with each plurality of light concentrating geometric features;   wherein the predicted exitant regions associated with each light concentrating geometric feature are determined responsive to measured geometric characteristics for the plurality of light concentrating geometric features.   
     
     
         2 . The device of claim I wherein the measured geometric characteristics are determined with a displacement sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The device of claim I wherein the predicted exitant regions are determined also responsive to a diffraction model for the glass material. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the diffraction model is determined in response to actual light concentration characteristics of another sheet of glass and to measured geometric characteristics of the other sheet of glass. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the measured geometric characteristics of the other sheet of glass are determined in response to a light source directed towards a front surface of the other sheet of glass and a light detector directed towards a back surface of the other sheet of glass. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the sheet of glass and the plurality of photovoltaic strips, wherein the adhesive layer is selected from a group consisting of: ethylene vinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, Surlyn, a thermoset material, and a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of light concentrating geometric features are selected from a group consisting of: semicircular-shaped, triangular-shaped, ovoid-shaped. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein a range of variation in pitch of the light concentrating geometric features is within a range of 1% to 10%. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein a width of a photovoltaic strips compared to a width of a predicted exitant region is approximately 25% greater. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein an actual exitant region associated with a light concentrating geometric feature is not centered with respect to the light concentrating geometric feature.