Patent ID: 7259322

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 disposed on said elongated conductive core; a transparent conductive oxide layer disposed on said semiconductor junction; and an elongated counter-electrode attached to and extending from the transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the elongated conductive core of each respective elongated solar cell in the plurality of elongated solar cells has an exposed portion not covered by the semiconductor junction and the transparent conductive oxide layer of the respective elongated solar cell, and wherein the counter-electrode of a first elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells is in electrical communication with the exposed portion of the conductive core of a second elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells that is adjacent to the first elongated solar cell; and (B) an internal reflector that is configured between and in contact with the counter-electrode of the first elongated solar cell and the exposed portion of the conductive core of the second elongated solar cell, such that a portion of the solar light reflected from the internal reflector is reflected onto the first and second elongated solar cells.