A non-imaging optical concentrator, including a top portion, a body, and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion is configured to receive an incident light and transmit the received incident light to the body when the incident light is within an angle of acceptance for the non-imaging optical concentrator, and where the body is configured to reflect the incident light transmitted by the top portion to the bottom portion when the incident light is within the angle of acceptance for the non-imaging optical concentrator, and wherein the top portion is configured to split or diverge the incident light into two or more directions when the incident light is within the angle of acceptance for the non-imaging optical concentrator.

Provided is a solder strip. A cross section of the solder strip includes a base portion and a reflective portion arranged above the base portion. The reflective portion includes a top edge, a first side edge and a second side edge. A first angle is formed between the first side edge and an extension line of the top edge. A second angle is formed between the second side edge and the extension line of the top edge. The first angle and the second angle are greater than 42.5° .

A solar module assembly includes a frame having an upper portion encompassing an area and a mid portion disposed below the upper portion. A plurality of solar panels is arranged in a string, sandwiched between two transparent panes forming a single string panel. The solar panels occupy less than the area of the upper portion. Each of the plurality of solar panels has a pair of opposing edges. A reflector is mounted on the mid portion to reflect light selectively.

A photovoltaic array of photovoltaic solar cells; a smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker for electrically providing a pulsed 100 microseconds duration short circuit to the photovoltaic array electrical outputs, wherein a response time for the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker is more than 1 millisecond when responding to a short circuit; a computer program comprising instructions that when executed by the processor perform functions that control the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker, the computer program comprising: instructions to command the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker to initiate the 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit; instructions to measure a current magnitude and current rise time of the smart photovoltaic system outputs during the 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit; and instructions to select a behavior curve from a plurality of smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker behavior curves 10% above the current magnitude and current rise time during the pulsed short circuit.

A 3D printed three-dimensional photovoltaic system that allows for the absorption of solar energy from various angles. The solar structure has a plurality of solar cells in a substantially flat 3D polygon solar frame or substantially flat mountainous 3D solar frame having an uneven surface and a reflective surface positioned underneath the solar frame to reflect light. The plurality of solar cells are oriented at various angles with respect to said reflective surface. The plurality of solar cells are configured to receive sunlight.

An optical collection apparatus includes a plurality of light transmissive optical reflectors and a plurality of planar bifacial solar cells. Each light transmissive optical reflector is configured to transmit indirect light impinging on first and second collection sides thereof. First and second photovoltaic sides of each of the plurality of bifacial solar cells are positioned to collect indirect light impinging thereon. The planar bifacial solar cells are arranged such that at least one light transmissive optical reflector of the plurality of light transmissive optical reflectors is positioned between consecutive ones of the planar bifacial solar cells. Each light transmissive optical reflector of the plurality of light transmissive optical reflectors is configured to reflect direct incoming light impinging on the first collection side thereof towards the first photovoltaic side of a corresponding one of the planar bifacial solar cells. A solar collection and shading system is also contemplated.

A multijunction solar cell includes an upper solar subcell, a bottom solar subcell adjacent to the upper solar subcell, a layer of light scattering elements below and directly adjacent to the bottom solar subcell, and a metallic layer disposed below and adjacent to the layer of light scattering elements.

A solar module includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells and a sandwich structure on which the plurality of photovoltaic cells is structurally supported. The sandwich structure includes top and bottom structural plates and an open-cell inner material located between the top and bottom structural plates.

According to one embodiment, a photovoltaic cell device includes an optical waveguide, an optical element, and a photovoltaic cell. The optical element includes a first liquid crystal layer which contains a cholesteric liquid crystal, reflects, of visible light, circularly polarized light of one of first circularly polarized light and second circularly polarized light rotating in an opposite direction of the first circularly polarized light toward the optical waveguide and the photovoltaic cell, and transmits the other circularly polarized light. The first liquid crystal layer reflects one of the first circularly polarized light and the second circularly polarized light of part of wavelength ranges.

A light concentrator based on a quantum dot may include a resin film layer in which quantum dots are dispersed, an upper layer in contact with an upper surface of the resin film layer, and a lower layer in contact with a lower surface of the resin film layer. Each of the upper layer and the lower layer may be selected from a glass layer or a polymer layer. A photovoltaic module may include the quantum dot-based light concentrator. By optimally adjusting the longest wavelength of the quantum dots, the average transmittance of the glass layer, the material of the polymer layer, and the cross-sectional aspect ratio (length/thickness) of the light concentrator, it is possible to maximize the efficiency of the quantum dot-based light concentrator and increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic module including the light concentrator.