Patent ID: 8828778

Claim:
A method of forming a longitudinally continuous photovoltaic module, comprising: arranging a plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material to be spaced apart from and substantially parallel to each other; laminating a bottom layer to a first surface of the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material, the bottom layer including a plurality of bottom layer conductive strips, an electrically conductive backsheet, and a substantially electrically insulating material disposed between the electrically conductive backsheet and the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material; laminating a top layer to a second surface of the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material, the second surface opposite the first surface, the top layer including a plurality of top layer conductive strips; electrically connecting the electrically conductive backsheet to a first outer strip of the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material and a second outer strip of the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material to form a current return path for the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material; and electrically connecting an electronic circuit layer between the first outer strip of the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material and the electrically conductive backsheet; wherein: laminating the bottom layer to the first surface and laminating the top layer to the second surface includes serially and redundantly interconnecting the plurality of strips of thin-film photovoltaic material together by connecting each one of the strips of thin-film photovoltaic material to a different one of the plurality of bottom layer conductive strips and a different one of the plurality of top layer conductive strips; and the electronic circuit layer is electrically connected to a top surface of the first outer strip of thin-film photovoltaic material and the electrically conductive backsheet is electrically connected to a substrate on a bottom surface of the second outer strip of thin-film photovoltaic material; or the electronic circuit layer is electrically connected to a substrate on a bottom surface of the first outer strip of thin-film photovoltaic material and the electrical conductive backsheet is electrically connected to a top surface of the second outer strip of thin-film photovoltaic material.