A monolithic multijunction solar cell having exactly four subcells, an uppermost first subcell having a layer made up of a component having the elements AlInP, and the lattice constant a1 of the layer being between 0.572 nm and 0.577 nm, and the indium content being between 64% and 75%, and the Al content being between 18% and 32%, and the third subcell having a layer made up of a compound having at least the elements GaInAs, and the lattice constant of the layer being between 0.572 and 0.577, and the indium content of the layer being greater than 17%, and the second subcell comprising a layer including a compound which has at least the elements GaInAsP, the layer having an arsenic content between 22% and 33% and an indium content between 52% and 65%. and the lattice constant a2 being between 0.572 and 0.577.

A multijunction solar cells that include one or more graded-index structures disposed directly above the growth substrate beneath a base layer of a solar subcells. In some embodiments, the graded-index reflector structure is constructed such that (i) at least a portion of light of a first spectral wavelength range that enters and passes through a solar cell above the graded-index reflector structure is reflected back into the solar subcell by the graded-index reflector structure; and (ii) at least a portion of light of a second spectral wavelength range that enters and passes through the solar cell above the graded-index reflector structure is transmitted through the graded-index reflector structure to layers disposed beneath the graded-index reflector structure. The second spectral wavelength range is composed of greater wavelengths than the wavelengths of the first spectral wavelength range.

The present disclosure provides a window for generating electric energy. The window comprises a panel that is at least partially transmissive for visible light. The panel has a receiving surface for receiving incident light and is arranged such that a portion of the incident light is redirected towards regions that are at edges or side portions of the panel. The window further comprises a plurality of photovoltaic elements positioned at or in the proximity of the edges or side portions of the panel. Each of the plurality of photovoltaic elements is electrically parallel connected to another one of the plurality of photovoltaic elements and the window is arranged to generate the electricity from at least a portion of the redirected incident light.

A photovoltaic module comprises at least one photovoltaic cell and one concentration optic device, to be illuminated by a light flux emitting at at least one illumination wavelength belonging to a band of wavelengths defined by a minimum wavelength and a maximum wavelength, the band of wavelengths being that of the solar radiation of the order of [380 nm-1600 nm]. The concentration optic device is a monolithic component and comprises at least one diffractive structure comprising subwavelength patterns, defined in a structured material; the patterns having at least one dimension less than or equal to the average illumination wavelength divided by the refractive index of the structured material; the patterns being separated from one another by subwavelength distances, defined between centres of adjacent patterns; the concentration optic device ensuring at least one focusing function and one diffraction function. A solar panel comprising the photovoltaic module is also provided.

The present invention relates to a multi-layer material sheet comprising an NIR-reflective, translucent polymeric layer having a reflectance of more than 20% of all light with a wavelength from 750 nm to 1000 nm and a transmission of more than 50% of all light with a wavelength from 380 nm to 750 nm and an NIR-reflective, colored polymeric layer having a reflectance of more than 25% of all light with a wavelength from 1000 nm to 2100 nm. The present invention also relates to a backsheet suitable for use in a photovoltaic module, said backsheet comprising said multi-layer material sheet; and to a photovoltaic module comprising said backsheet.

Lateral multi-junction photovoltaic cells, devices, and methods of fabrication are provided. The photovoltaic cells include a plurality of photovoltaic subcells mechanically stacked together in a stack. Each photovoltaic subcell includes a subcell substrate, and a light absorption structure associated with the substrate. Each light absorption structure is optimized for a respective defined spectral range of incoming radiation, with the light absorption structures of multiple subcells of the plurality of photovoltaic subcells being optimized for different spectral ranges, and being offset in the stack relative to an optical axis to avoid overlap. The photovoltaic cell further includes a spectrally-dispersive optical element, with the photovoltaic subcells in the stack being respectively located and aligned relative to the optical element based, at least in part, on the respective spectral ranges of the subcells' light absorption structures.

The solar photovoltaic photoconverter unit (1) comprises a light processing opto-photonic platform (2) realized by at least one transparent substrate (8) is having on, at least one, of its faces a digital diffractive grating constituted by slanted ribs (11) that are modulated to harvest a maximum of solar light at any angle of incidence to split it into several spectral sub-bands, to guide and to concentrate individually every one of these spectral sub-band, toward a separate output of the opto-photonic platform (2) for allowing its exploitation by a light-to-electricity conversion unit (3) that will have by optimization a grate overall conversion efficiency. The opto-photonic platform (2) also includes photonic converters (13) and (14) converting ultraviolet light into visible light and also infrared light in visible light for a better exploitation of the energy present in the solar light and so increasing the light to electricity conversion. The solar photovoltaic photoconverter unit (1) comprises also a light-to-electricity converter unit (3).

A stacked multi-junction solar cell having a first subcell and second subcell, the second subcell having a larger band gap than the first subcell. A third subcell has a larger band gap than the second subcell, and each of the subcells include an emitter and a base. The second subcell has a layer which includes a compound formed at least the elements GaInAsP, and a thickness of the layer is greater than 100 nm, and the layer is formed as part of the emitter and/or as part of the base and/or as part of the space-charge zone situated between the emitter and the base. The third subcell has a layer including a compound formed of at least the elements GaInP, and the thickness of the layer is greater than 100 nm.

A monolithic multijunction solar cell having exactly four subcells, an uppermost first subcell having a layer made up of a component having the elements AlInP, and the lattice constant a1 of the layer being between 0.572 nm and 0.577 nm, and the indium content being between 64% and 75%, and the Al content being between 18% and 32%, and the third subcell having a layer made up of a compound having at least the elements GaInAs, and the lattice constant of the layer being between 0.572 and 0.577, and the indium content of the layer being greater than 17%, and the second subcell comprising a layer including a compound which has at least the elements GaInAsP, the layer having an arsenic content between 22% and 33% and an indium content between 52% and 65%. and the lattice constant a2 being between 0.572 and 0.577.

A photovoltaic device according to the present disclosure is provided with: a condensing optical system having chromatic aberration; a first photoelectric converter, which is arranged on an optical axis of the condensing optical system; and a second photoelectric converter, which is arranged on an outer peripheral side of the first photoelectric converter when viewed from an optical axis direction of the condensing optical system, and which has a bandgap lower than a bandgap of the first photoelectric converter, wherein the first photoelectric converter is arranged on an inner side of a rectangle that circumscribes a condensing region of absorbable longest-wavelength light determined based on the bandgap.