Patent ID: 8664513

Claim:
A solar module comprising: an active layer including a set of photovoltaic cells; and a spectral concentrator optically coupled to the active layer and including a luminescent material that exhibits photoluminescence in response to incident solar radiation, the photoluminescence having: (a) a quantum efficiency of at least 30 percent; (b) a spectral width no greater than 100 nm at Full Width at Half Maximum; and (c) a peak emission wavelength in the near infrared range, the spectral concentrator being configured to convert the incident solar radiation into emitted radiation that is directed towards the active layer, wherein the active layer further includes an encapsulant, and the set of photovoltaic cells are embedded within the encapsulant, and wherein the active layer includes a top surface and a bottom surface, the set of photovoltaic cells are disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface, each of the set of photovoltaic cells is bifacial and is configured to accept and absorb radiation at a top surface and a bottom surface of the photovoltaic cell, and each of the set of photovoltaic cells includes a p-n junction region that extends in a substantially perpendicular direction to the top surface of the active layer, and the solar module further comprises: a first substrate layer adjacent to the top surface of the active layer; a second substrate layer adjacent to the bottom surface of the active layer, wherein the first substrate layer includes a top surface, the second substrate layer includes a bottom surface, the spectral concentrator is adjacent to the bottom surface of the second substrate layer, the second substrate layer is disposed between the active layer and the spectral concentrator; and an anti-reflection coating adjacent to the top surface of the first substrate layer.