A solar cell according to an embodiment includes at least one first solar cell panel, a flexible substrate, a bypass diode, and a package. The at least one first solar cell panel is disposed with a light receiving surface thereof oriented in a predetermined direction. The flexible substrate is disposed in the vicinity of the at least one first solar cell panel when viewed in the predetermined direction. The flexible substrate forms a bypass line for the at least one first solar cell panel. The bypass diode is mounted on the flexible substrate and is connected to the at least one first solar cell panel in parallel. The package houses the at least one first solar cell panel, the flexible substrate, and the bypass diode. The at least one first solar cell panel is disposed between both ends of the flexible substrate and the bypass diode in the predetermined direction.

A nanowire composite structure is provided. The nanowire composite structure includes a nanowire core, wherein a material of the nanowire core includes Se, Te or a combination thereof. The nanowire composite structure also includes a metal layer covering the nanowire core. A method for forming the nanowire composite structure, a protective structure of a nanowire, a sensing device, and a method for forming a sensing device are also provided.

A multi-laver device and its method of manufacture are disclosed. The multi-layer device comprises a first electrode layer, a first repair layer, a functional layer, and a second electrode layer. The first repair layer comprises a conductive hydrogel film or conductive hydrogel beads, the conductive hydrogel film or the conductive hydrogel beads comprising conductive filler particles dispersed in a cross-linked polymer. The repair layer protects the multi-layer device from electrical short circuits. A multilayer device is also disclosed including a light-transmissive electrode layer comprising a porous mesh or porous spheres.

Photovoltaic (PV) device comprising an ultra-thin radiation-tolerant PV absorber mounted on a flexible film having an embedded persistent phosphor and having a plurality of interdigitated top and bottom contacts on the top of the PV absorber. The PV absorber is ultra-thin, e.g., typically having a thickness of 300 nm or less for a III-V-based absorber. The phosphor absorbs some of the photons incident on the device and then discharges them for use by the device in generating electrical power during times when the device is not illuminated by the sun.

In general, this disclosure is directed to a flexible or stretchable sensor and a method of detecting a substance and/or electromagnetic radiation using said sensor. The sensor comprises a flexible or stretchable substrate, a pair of terminal electrodes disposed on the flexible or stretchable substrate in mutually spaced apart and opposing relation, and a sensing element applied to the flexible or stretchable substrate, between and in electrical contact with the pair of terminal electrodes, wherein the sensing element is responsive to a substance and/or electromagnetic radiation impinging thereon, and wherein when a voltage is applied across the sensor, an electrical signal is generated that is proportional to a resistance value corresponding to a sensing of the substance and/or electromagnetic radiation impinging on the sensing element.

A gas barrier composite film is provided. The gas barrier composite film includes a substrate layer; a functional layer disposed on one or two sides of the substrate layer, wherein the functional layer includes a first copolymer of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, or a second copolymer of acrylic acid and vinylidene dichloride, and an inorganic stack layer disposed on the functional layer.

There are provided various implementations of a solar shade for covering a transmissive panel such as a window, door, sunroof or skylight of a vehicle, building, or home. Such a solar shade includes a photovoltaic sheet, which may be a flexible sheet. The solar shade is configured to absorb heat produced due to sunlight transmitted through the transmissive panel and impinging on the solar shade. The photovoltaic sheet is configured to generate an electrical current using the sunlight.

An epitaxially grown III-V layer is separated from the growth substrate. The III-V layer can be an inverted lattice matched (ILM) or inverted metamorphic (IMM) solar cell, or a light emitting diode (LED). A sacrificial epitaxial layer is embedded between the GaAs wafer and the III-V layer. The sacrificial layer is damaged by absorbing IR laser radiation. A laser is chosen with the right wavelength, pulse width and power. The radiation is not absorbed by either the GaAs wafer or the III-V layer. No expensive ion implantation or lateral chemical etching of a sacrificial layer is needed. The III-V layer is detached from the growth wafer by propagating a crack through the damaged layer. The active layer is transferred wafer-scale to inexpensive, flexible, organic substrate. The process allows re-using of the wafer to grow new III-V layers, resulting in savings in raw materials and grinding and etching costs.

A photovoltaic module is specified, comprising: a cylindrical light-transmissive tube enclosing an interior and having a main extension direction and a curved inner surface facing the interior, and a mechanically flexible photovoltaic component comprising a solar cell arrangement applied on a carrier film, wherein the photovoltaic component is arranged in the interior, the solar cell arrangement has a curvature, wherein the curvature follows the curved course of the inner surface of the tube at least in places and the solar cell arrangement at least partly covers the inner surface, wherein the covered inner surface forms a light passage surface of the photovoltaic module.

A shading textile is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of strip-shaped photovoltaic lamellas which, aligned next to one another or spaced apart from one another in their longitudinal direction, form a continuous product by means of a yarn system, wherein the yarn system is designed to be elastic in at least one direction, so that by tensioning the shading textile, a spacing between adjacent photovoltaic elements can be varied perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.