In an example, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a solar module. The method includes providing a substrate member having a surface region, the surface region comprising a spatial region, a first end strip comprising a first edge region and a first interior region, the first interior region comprising a first bus bar, a plurality of strips, a second end strip comprising a second edge region and a second interior region, the second edge region comprising a second bus bar, the first end strip, the plurality of strips, and the second end strip arranged in parallel to each other and occupying the spatial region such that the first end strip, the second end strip, and the plurality of strips consists of a total number of five (5) strips. The method includes separating each of the plurality of strips, arranging the plurality of strips in a string configuration, and using the string in the solar module.

A photovoltaic device (10) is provided that comprises serially arranged photovoltaic device cells (10A, 10B). Each cell having a transparent electrode layer region electrical conductors (121A, . . . , 124A) forming an electric contact with the transparent electrode layer region, a photo-voltaic stack portion (14A, 14B) that extends over the transparent electrode region (11A, 11B) and over an insulated portion of the electrical conductors, a further electrode region (15A, 5B) that extends over the photovoltaic stack portion (14A,14B). A further electrode region (15A) of a photovoltaic device cell (10A) extends over electric contacts formed by exposed ends (12B1) of the electrical conductors of a subsequent photovoltaic device cell (10B).

A photoelectric converter including a crystalline silicon substrate having a light receiving surface including a smooth section and a rough surface section having surface roughness greater than the surface roughness of the smooth section and a light transmissive inorganic film so provided as to overlap with the smooth section and the rough surface section, and the film thickness t1 of a portion of the inorganic film that is the portion where the inorganic film overlaps with the rough surface section is smaller than the film thickness t2 of a portion of the inorganic film that is the portion where the inorganic film overlaps with the smooth section. The arithmetic average roughness of the rough surface section is preferably greater than or equal to 0.1 μm.

A photoelectric converter including a crystalline silicon substrate having a light receiving surface including a smooth section and a rough surface section having surface roughness greater than the surface roughness of the smooth section and a light transmissive inorganic film so provided as to overlap with the smooth section and the rough surface section, and the film thickness t1 of a portion of the inorganic film that is the portion where the inorganic film overlaps with the rough surface section is smaller than the film thickness t2 of a portion of the inorganic film that is the portion where the inorganic film overlaps with the smooth section. The arithmetic average roughness of the rough surface section is preferably greater than or equal to 0.1 μm.

The invention discloses a conductive paste for forming the electrode on the surface of solar cell, which contains conductive powder, mixed glass and organic phase; wherein, the mixed glass comprises the following two types of glass components: the first type of glass is at least one selected from the tellurium glass which does not contain lead substantially and having tellurium, bismuth, lithium as the essential component; The second type of glass is at least one kind of lead silicate glass, which having lead and silicon as essential components and does not contain tellurium substantially. The invention also provides a solar cell prepared by printing the conductive paste as a surface electrode and a manufacturing method of the solar cell. The solar cell made of the conductive paste of this invention has good EL performance in inspection, excellent ohmic contact of the cell, high cell conversion efficiency, better reliability, and strong bonding strength, the adhesion performance is taken into account while improving reliability and ohmic contact.

Metallization and stringing methods for back-contact solar cells, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, in one embodiment, a method involves aligning conductive wires over the back sides of adjacent solar cells, wherein the wires are aligned substantially parallel to P-type and N-type doped diffusion regions of the solar cells. The method involves bonding the wires to the back side of each of the solar cells over the P-type and N-type doped diffusion regions. The method further includes cutting every other one of the wires between each adjacent pair of the solar cells.

Reconfigurable PV panels can have features that include cut lines for separating full panels into smaller subpanels, connector ribbons for assembling several reconfigurable PV panels into a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array and can be stacked upon each other and unstacked by rotating them about a shared connection.

A solar cell for a solar cell array with one or more grid on a surface thereof, wherein electrical connections are made to the grids in a plurality of locations positioned around the solar cell; and the electrical connections extend to one or more conductors located under the solar cell. The conductors located under the solar cell are buried within a substrate, and each of the conductors comprises a low resistance conducting path that distributes current from the solar cell. The conductors are loops, U-shaped, or have only up or down pathways. The solar cell comprises a full cell that has four cropped corners and the locations are in the cropped corners.

A solar cell for a solar cell array with one or more grid on a surface thereof, wherein electrical connections are made to the grids in a plurality of locations positioned around the solar cell; and the electrical connections extend to one or more conductors located under the solar cell. The conductors located under the solar cell are buried within a substrate, and each of the conductors comprises a low resistance conducting path that distributes current from the solar cell. The conductors are loops, U-shaped, or have only up or down pathways. The solar cell comprises a full cell that has four cropped corners and the locations are in the cropped corners.

A solar cell and a photovoltaic module including the same are provided. The solar cell includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first passivation stack disposed on the first surface and including a first oxygen-rich dielectric layer, a first silicon-rich dielectric layer, a second oxygen-rich dielectric layer, and a second silicon-rich dielectric layer that are sequentially disposed in a direction away from the first surface, wherein an atomic fraction of oxygen in the first oxygen-rich dielectric layer is less than an atomic fraction of oxygen in the second oxygen-rich dielectric layer; a tunneling oxide layer disposed on the second surface; a doped conductive layer disposed on a surface of the tunneling oxide layer; and a second passivation layer disposed on a surface of the doped conductive layer.