A method for communicating an event occurrence among a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies of a photovoltaic system includes the following steps: (1) in response to the event occurrence, injecting a first signal onto a power line at a first photovoltaic assembly of the plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, (2) detecting the first signal on the power line at a second photovoltaic assembly of the plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, and (3) in response to detecting the first signal on the power line at the second photovoltaic assembly, injecting a second signal onto the power line at the second photovoltaic assembly.

A method for communicating an event occurrence among a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies of a photovoltaic system includes the following steps: (1) in response to the event occurrence, injecting a first signal onto a power line at a first photovoltaic assembly of the plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, (2) detecting the first signal on the power line at a second photovoltaic assembly of the plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, and (3) in response to detecting the first signal on the power line at the second photovoltaic assembly, injecting a second signal onto the power line at the second photovoltaic assembly.

The invention relates to a photovoltaic mono cell that is semi-transparent to light, comprising a plurality of active photovoltaic zones that are separated by transparent zones, said active photovoltaic zones being formed from a stack of thin films arranged on a substrate that is transparent to light, said stack of thin films consisting at least of a transparent electrode, an absorber layer and a metal electrode, said transparent zones being apertures produced at least in the metal electrode and in the absorber layer in order to allow as much light as possible to pass, characterized in that it furthermore comprises an electrically conductive collecting gate arranged either making contact with the front electrode in order to decrease the electrical resistance of the transparent electrode, or making contact with the absorber in order to facilitate collection of the electrical current generated by said mono cell.

The invention relates to a photovoltaic mono cell that is semi-transparent to light, comprising a plurality of active photovoltaic zones that are separated by transparent zones, said active photovoltaic zones being formed from a stack of thin films arranged on a substrate that is transparent to light, said stack of thin films consisting at least of a transparent electrode, an absorber layer and a metal electrode, said transparent zones being apertures produced at least in the metal electrode and in the absorber layer in order to allow as much light as possible to pass, characterized in that it furthermore comprises an electrically conductive collecting gate arranged either making contact with the front electrode in order to decrease the electrical resistance of the transparent electrode, or making contact with the absorber in order to facilitate collection of the electrical current generated by said mono cell.

A thin-film solar module with a substrate and a layer structure applied thereon, which comprises a rear electrode layer, a front electrode layer, and an absorber layer arranged between the rear electrode layer and the front electrode layer, wherein serially connected solar cells are formed in the layer structure by patterning zones, wherein at least one solar cell has one or more optically transparent zones that are in each case rear-electrode-layer-free, wherein the one or more optically transparent zones are implemented such that the rear electrode layer of the solar cell is continuous.

A thin-film solar module with a substrate and a layer structure applied thereon, which comprises a rear electrode layer, a front electrode layer, and an absorber layer arranged between the rear electrode layer and the front electrode layer, wherein serially connected solar cells are formed in the layer structure by patterning zones, wherein at least one solar cell has one or more optically transparent zones that are in each case rear-electrode-layer-free, wherein the one or more optically transparent zones are implemented such that the rear electrode layer of the solar cell is continuous.

A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module, comprising at least two electrically connected photovoltaic cells, the module comprising an insulating substrate covered with a layer of a first conductive material. The method comprises: a) forming a groove defining a first and second lower electrode; and b) forming, on each lower electrode, a stack comprising an upper electrode and a photo-active layer. The method further comprises, between steps a) and b), forming: a first insulating step on the groove; then a conductive strip partially covering the first insulating strip; then a second insulating strip partially covering the conductive strip.

A thin-film solar module with a substrate and a layer structure applied thereon comprising a rear electrode layer, a front electrode layer, and an absorber layer arranged between the back electrode layer and the front electrode layer. Serially connected solar cells are formed in the layer region by patterning zones, having a rear electrode layer section. The layer region has at least one linear decoating region. The decoating region has an alternating sequence of optically transparent zones and electrode zones. The optically transparent zones are rear-electrode-layer-free and the electrode zones are absorber-layer-free and have a rear electrode layer section. The rear-electrode-layer-sections of at least one pair made up of one solar cell of one solar cell string and one solar cell of the other solar cell string are areally connected to one another by the rear-electrode-layer-section of at least one electrode zone.

A thin-film solar module with a substrate and a layer structure applied thereon comprising a rear electrode layer, a front electrode layer, and an absorber layer arranged between the back electrode layer and the front electrode layer. Serially connected solar cells are formed in the layer region by patterning zones, having a rear electrode layer section. The layer region has at least one linear decoating region. The decoating region has an alternating sequence of optically transparent zones and electrode zones. The optically transparent zones are rear-electrode-layer-free and the electrode zones are absorber-layer-free and have a rear electrode layer section. The rear-electrode-layer-sections of at least one pair made up of one solar cell of one solar cell string and one solar cell of the other solar cell string are areally connected to one another by the rear-electrode-layer-section of at least one electrode zone.

A method for producing in a roll-to-roll process modules of thin film photovoltaic cells in a substrate film, the modules including the substrate with a photovoltaic layer inbetween a lower and upper electrode layer, by using an apparatus including a belt conveyor, and scribe and print stations arranged at respective positions along a transport direction of the belt conveyor to create an interconnection structure between the photovoltaic cells including an arrangement of structural elements having one or more conductive and isolating scribe lines and a conductive body connecting adjacent thin film photovoltaic cells. The method includes: creating by the processing stations, the interconnection structure in the moving substrate film; measuring the structural elements and determining parameters of each structural element; based on the parameters establishing a positioning error, associated with a functional defect; based on the error, correcting settings of one or more processing stations and/or the belt conveyor.