Photovoltaic module with textured superstrate providing shingle-mimicking appearance

Abstract

A system including a solar module installed on a roof deck, including a superstrate layer, an encapsulant having an upper layer and a lower layer, and a photovoltaic layer intermediate the upper layer and the lower layer of the encapsulant. An upper surface of the superstrate layer includes an indentation pattern. The indentation pattern includes a mesh of indentations indented into the upper surface of the superstrate layer and a plurality of openings defined by the mesh of indentations.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A system, comprising:
 at least one solar module installed on a roof deck, wherein each of the at least one solar module includes:   a superstrate layer having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface,   wherein the superstrate layer comprises a polymeric material;   an encapsulant having an upper layer and a lower layer opposite the upper layer, wherein the upper layer is juxtaposed with the lower surface of the superstrate layer, wherein the upper layer includes a lower surface; and   a first layer between the upper layer and the lower layer of the encapsulant, wherein the first layer includes an upper surface,   wherein the upper surface of the superstrate layer of a first one of the at least one solar module includes a plurality of dimples,   wherein a depth of a measured one of the dimples is measured from (a) the upper surface of the superstrate layer to (b) a point in the measured one of the dimples that is closest to the lower surface of the superstrate layer, and is measured in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the superstrate layer,   wherein a majority of the dimples have a depth of 0.12 millimeter to 1.2 millimeter,   wherein a thickness of the upper layer of the encapsulant at the measured one of the dimples is measured from (a) the upper surface of the first layer to (b) a point in the lower surface of the upper layer of the encapsulant at the measured one of the dimples that is closest to the upper surface of the first layer, and is measured in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the first layer, and   wherein the thickness of the upper layer of the encapsulant is at least 100 microns.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein a majority of the plurality of dimples have a surface area of 1 square millimeter to 20 square millimeters. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising a substrate layer juxtaposed with the lower layer of the encapsulant. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the system comprises at least the first one of the at least one solar module and a second one of the at least one solar module,
 wherein the second one of the at least one solar module is disposed adjacent to the first one of the at least one solar module,   wherein the plurality of dimples of the first one of the at least one solar module form a first indentation pattern,   wherein the upper surface of the superstrate layer of the second one of the at least one solar module includes a second indentation pattern, and   wherein the second indentation pattern is different from the first indentation pattern.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the difference between the second indentation pattern and the first indentation pattern imparts a random appearance to the system. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the plurality of dimples includes either a square, a rectangle, a lozenge, a hexagon, a triangle, or a circle. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein a majority of the plurality of dimples have a surface area of 7 square millimeters and 9 square millimeters. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein a majority of the plurality of dimples have the depth of 0.5 millimeter to 0.75 millimeter. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein a minimum thickness of the upper encapsulant layer is 100 microns to 450 microns. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the first layer includes a plurality of photovoltaic elements and an encapsulant region located between a first one of the plurality of photovoltaic elements and a second one of the plurality of photovoltaic elements that is adjacent to the first one of the plurality of photovoltaic elements, and wherein the encapsulant region is filled with an encapsulant material of the encapsulant. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein a transmission loss of power of light transmitted through the superstrate layer having the plurality of dimples is less than 2 percent as a compared to light transmitted through a comparison superstrate that is identical to the superstrate layer but lacks the first indentation pattern. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the polymeric material is composed of a fluoropolymer. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymers (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride copolymers (THV), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the polymeric material comprises polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”). 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the polymeric material comprises polymethyl methacrylate (“PMMA”), polyesters, silicones, polycarbonates, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyarylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI), polyarylsulfone (PAS), polyethersulfone (PES), polyamideimide (PAI), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyolefin, cyclic olefin copolymers (CPCs), polyimide, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the majority of the plurality of dimples have a length of 0.95 mm to 1.95 mm. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the majority of the plurality of dimples have a width of 1 mm to 3.24 mm. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the substrate layer is composed of a polymer. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the substrate layer is composed of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO). 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the superstrate layer comprises a glass layer, wherein the polymeric layer is attached to the glass layer.