Patent ID: 8338693
Filing Date: 2012-12-25
Classification: H01L,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A solar cell assembly for more efficiently capturing solar energy, comprising: a solar cell including a light-receiving surface, wherein a fraction of light incident upon the light-receiving surface is reflected over a predefined range of incidence angles; and a photovoltaic (PV) enhancement film of substantially transparent material covering at least a portion of the light-receiving surface, the PV enhancement film comprising a substrate positioned proximate to the light-receiving surface and comprising a plurality of total internal reflection (TIR) elements on the substrate, wherein the TIR elements direct at least a portion of the reflected light to strike the light-receiving surface of the solar cell, wherein each of the TIR elements comprises an elongated body extending along the substrate including at least two sides angled inward with adjacent ones of the bodies having spaced apart facets that define a space substantially free of the substantially transparent material of the PV film, wherein the bodies of the TIR elements have at least two differing symmetric triangular cross sectional shapes with two sides, wherein the cross sections are taken along a plane passing orthogonal to a longitudinal axis, wherein first ones of the differing cross sectional shapes each have a height of less than about 3 mils and second ones of the differing cross sectional shapes each have a height greater than the height of the first ones of the differing cross sectional shapes and less than about 4 mils, and wherein the at least two differing cross sectional shapes each comprise first and second sides extending inward to meet at a peak surface and wherein the first and second sides extend inward at angles selected from the range of 45 to 60 degrees.