Restoring photovoltaic cell efficiency

Abstract

A photovoltaic module includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells and a controllable heater for heating the plurality of photovoltaic cells to a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes, the plurality of photovoltaic cells in a manufactured state such that the plurality of photovoltaic cells are capable of producing electricity when illuminated. In one embodiment, controllable heater includes an infrared absorber, where the infrared absorber is adapted for moving between a stored position and a deployed position, and where the infrared absorber is adapted for heating the photovoltaic module using absorbed infrared radiation when in the deployed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A photovoltaic module, the photovoltaic module comprising:
 a plurality of photovoltaic cells; and   a controllable heater for heating the plurality of photovoltaic cells to a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes, the plurality of photovoltaic cells in a manufactured state such that the plurality of photovoltaic cells are capable of producing electricity when illuminated.   
     
     
         2 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein controllable heater comprises an infrared absorber, wherein the infrared absorber is adapted for moving between a stored position and a deployed position, and wherein the infrared absorber is adapted for heating the photovoltaic module using absorbed infrared radiation when in the deployed position. 
     
     
         3 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the controllable heater comprises one or more of:
 an electrical heater;   a hot liquid heater;   a solar radiation concentration device; and   a Peltier heater.   
     
     
         4 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic cells are annealed at a temperature between 140 degrees Celsius and 210 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 2 hours in response to illuminating the plurality of photovoltaic cells such that the plurality of photovoltaic cells receive a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 5 hours of solar illumination. 
     
     
         5 . A photovoltaic module system comprising:
 a photovoltaic module comprising:
 a plurality of photovoltaic cells; and 
 a controllable heater for heating the plurality of photovoltaic cells to a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes, the plurality of photovoltaic cells in a manufactured state such that the plurality of photovoltaic cells are capable of producing electricity when illuminated; 
   a power meter for measuring the performance of the photovoltaic module; and   a control system for controlling the controllable heater, wherein the control system is adapted for calculating a regeneration interval based upon the measurement of the performance of the photovoltaic module, and for heating the plurality of photovoltaic cells using the controllable heater to a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes in response to expiration of a regeneration interval.   
     
     
         6 . The photovoltaic module system of  claim 5 , wherein the controllable heater comprises one or more of:
 an infrared absorber, wherein the infrared absorber is adapted for moving between a stored position and a deployed position, and wherein when the infrared absorber is adapted for heating the photovoltaic module using absorbed infrared radiation when in the deployed position;   an electrical heater;   a hot water heater;   a solar radiation concentration device; and   a Peltier heater.   
     
     
         7 . The photovoltaic module system of  claim 5 , wherein the control system calculates a regeneration interval by determining a time for the photovoltaic module to reach a degraded state, the degraded state comprising a state where the photovoltaic module produces less power than power produced by the photovoltaic module during an initial state.