Patent ID: 7968790

Claim:
A solar cell assembly for more efficiently capturing solar energy, comprising: a photovoltaic (PV) device including a layer of PV material and a protective top covering the layer of PV material; and a PV enhancement film comprising substantially transparent material applied to at least a portion of the protective top of the PV device, the PV enhancement film comprising a substrate, with a light-receiving surface and a cell-mating surface opposite the light-receiving surface, positioned with the cell-mating surface proximate to the protective top and comprising a plurality of absorption enhancement structures on the light-receiving surface of the substrate, wherein the absorption enhancement structures each comprise a surface that refracts incident light striking the PV enhancement film to provide an average path length ratio of greater than about 1.10 in the layer of PV material over a range of incidence angles as determined based on an first pass of the refracted incident light traveling through the PV material and wherein the absorption enhancement structures face away from the PV device, wherein each of the absorption enhancement structures comprises an elongated body extending along the length of the substrate and having at least two sides angled inward, and wherein the absorption enhancement structures comprise two sets of differing configurations, a first one of the configurations having a triangular cross section with a base of less than about 13 mils and a height of less than about 7 mils and a second one of the configurations having a triangular cross section with a base of less than about 13 mils and a height greater than the height of the first one of the configurations and less than about 10 mils.