Patent ID: 7196262

Claim:
A solar cell assembly comprising: (A) a plurality of elongated solar cells, each elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells comprising: an elongated conductive core configured as a first electrode; a semiconductor junction circumferentially disposed on said elongated conductive core; and a transparent conductive oxide layer disposed on said semiconductor junction; wherein elongated solar cells in said plurality of elongated solar cells are arranged in a parallel or a near parallel manner thereby forming a planar array having a first face and a second face, wherein the plurality of elongated solar cells are arranged such that one or more elongated solar cells in said plurality of elongated solar cells do not contact adjacent elongated solar cells; (B) a plurality of metal counter-electrodes, wherein each respective elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells is bound to a first corresponding metal counter-electrode in said plurality of metal counter-electrodes such that the first metal counter-electrode lies in a first groove that is formed in the surface of and runs lengthwise on the respective elongated solar cell; and (C) a transparent electrically insulating substrate that covers all or a portion of said first face of said planar array; wherein a first and second elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells are electrically connected in series by an electrical contact that connects the first electrode of the first elongated solar cell to the first corresponding counter-electrode of the second elongated solar cell; and said solar cell assembly is configured to receive direct light from a side of said solar cell assembly that includes said first face of said planar array and a side of said solar cell assembly that includes said second face of said planar array.