A transparent photovoltaic (TPV) integrated directly into the structure of an electrochromic (EC) device is beneficial in that it can eliminate at least one substrate and provide more uniform coloring. Integration of a transparent photovoltaic with an electrochromic device may also reduce or eliminate the need for an electrical bus on a substrate. In some embodiments, positioning the TPV internally with the EC cell may eliminate the need for additional substrate layers or a conductive layer on one side of the TPV cell. Integrating a PV cell into the EC device can additionally reduce the need for external wiring and an external power supply. Alternatively, the TPV can assist in charging a battery where the battery can be used to power the EC device when there is no sunlight available.

Disclosed herein are luminescent nanoparticles comprising In.sub.1-xZn.sub.xAs and In.sub.1-yZn.sub.yP, wherein x is from 0 to 0.5, y is from 0 to 0.6, and the molar ratio of In.sub.1-xZn.sub.xAs to In.sub.1-yZn.sub.yP is from 1:4 to 1:5000. In a preferred embodiment, the luminescent nanoparticles are InAsIn(Zn)PZnSeZn S quaternary giant-shell quantum dots that possess efficient photoluminescence in the near-infrared region with a large Stokes shift and minimal reabsorption. The core-shell nanoparticles may be particularly useful in the formation of a luminescent solar concentrator when used as part of a composite material formed from the nanoparticles and a suitable polymer. Also disclosed herein are methods to manufacture the nanoparticles, the composite materials and solar concentrators.

A solar cell panel can include a solar cell; a sealing member including a first sealing member disposed on a first surface of the solar cell and a second sealing member disposed on a second surface of the solar cell; a first cover member disposed on the first sealing member and including a glass substrate; and a second cover member disposed on the second sealing member and including a glass substrate, in which the sealing member includes a central region and an outer region positioned outside the central region, and the outer region includes a reinforcing region having a thickness greater than a thickness of the central region.

A double-glass photovoltaic assembly includes a laminate member, a junction box, and a first frame and a second frame disposed only at two long sides of the laminate member. The laminate member includes a cover plate glass, a first encapsulation adhesive film, a battery string, a second encapsulation adhesive film, a back plate glass, and a busbar. A through-hole is provided at the back plate glass. An end of the busbar is connected to the battery string. Another end of the busbar passes through the through-hole, and is bent to form a bent edge to be connected to the junction box. The bent edge of the busbar does not contact an edge of the through-hole. The double-glass photovoltaic assembly adopting a double-frame design can meet the requirements of load capacity.

One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof tile. The photovoltaic roof tile can include a transparent front cover, a transparent back cover, and a plurality of polycrystalline-Si-based photovoltaic structures positioned between the front cover and the back cover. A respective polycrystalline-Si-based photovoltaic structure has a front surface facing the front cover and a back surface facing the back cover. The photovoltaic roof tile can further include a paint layer positioned on a back surface of the back cover facing away from the front cover. A color of the paint layer substantially matches a color of the front surface of the respective polycrystalline-Si-based photovoltaic structure.

Systems and devices can include a first optical element and a second optical element, the first and second optical elements transparent to visible light; and a photovoltaic element residing between the first optical element and the second optical element, the photovoltaic element transparent to visible light, the photovoltaic element to generate electricity based on the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) light. The photovoltaic element can include a conductive element to conduct electricity generated from the absorption of UV and NIR light.

Solar cell module (2000) with a first solar cell string (2121, . . . , 2124), wherein the first solar cell string (2121, . . . , 2124) has at least two solar cells (2121, . . . , 2124) connected in series and arranged in two rows, with a first bypass element (2151) which is connected in parallel with the first solar cell string (2121, . . . , 2124), with a second solar cell string (2221, . . . , 2224) wherein the second solar cell string (2221, . . . , 2224) has at least two solar cells (2221, . . . , 2224) connected in series and arranged in two rows, with a second bypass element (2251) which is connected in parallel to the second solar cell string (2221, . . . , 2224), with a front side encapsulation layer (2002) and a rear side encapsulation layer (2003), wherein the solar cells (2121, . . . , 2124, 2221, . . . , 2224) of the first solar cell string (2121, . . . , 2124) and the second solar cell string (2221, . . . , 2224) are arranged between the front side encapsulation layer (2002) and the rear side encapsulation layer (2003), with an electrical internal connector (2062) arranged between the front side encapsulation layer (2002) and the rear side encapsulation layer (2003), and to which the first solar cell string (2121, . . . , 2124) and the second solar cell string (2221, . . . , 2224) are connected in series, wherein the first bypass element (2151) and the second bypass element (2251) are arranged on the side of the rear side encapsulation layer (2003) facing away from the front side encapsulation layer (2002), wherein the first bypass element (2151) and the second bypass element (2251) are electrically conductively connected to each other with an external electrical connector (2072) arranged on the side of the rear side encapsulation layer (2003) facing away from the front side encapsulation layer (2002).

Embodiments provide solar panels and methods of assembly thereof, permitting operation of a photovoltaic material with reduced degradation. As one example, a solar panel comprises one or more solar cells that include perovskite, the one or more solar cells encapsulated by a film and housed in a glass exterior that is hermetically sealed to maintain a vacuum in an interior of the solar panel of 10.sup.7 Pascal or less throughout a lifetime of the solar panel. In this way, degradation of the solar panel due to water ingress can be avoided, thereby increasing an operational lifetime of perovskite-based solar panels and reducing manufacturing costs as compared to silicon-based counterparts.

A roof construction for a vehicle having an opening in its fixed roof, comprises at least one panel for at least closing said opening. The panel comprises a first and a second layer of glass and in between said first and second layer of glass a sheet of photo voltaic cells as a third layer. The sheet of photo voltaic cells has an active layer of a thin film of solar cell material and further has a first area which is semi-transparent and a second area which is substantially opaque.

Implementations of the disclosed subject matter provide a window, an energy and light producing device including at least one transparent photovoltaic device and at least one non-transparent Organic Light Emitting Device (OLED) in an optical path of the window. A controller may control the operation of the non-transparent OLED of the energy and light producing device. An energy storage device may be electrically coupled to the controller and the energy and light producing device to store energy generated by the transparent photovoltaic device and to power the non-transparent OLED. In some implementations, a LED or OLED may be mounted in the frame of the window and may be powered by the energy storage device.