Solar energy devices

• US 10,263,132 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hebrink, Timothy J., Jackson, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gardner, Shannon M
• Application Number:
  US14/899,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20160149067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/261 obtained by reactions only involving carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds per se C08F
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28033 Membrane, sheet, cloth, pad, lamellar or mat
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/327 Polymers obtained by reactions involving only carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 277/02 of guanidine from cyanamide, calcium cyanamide or dicyandiamides
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 277/08 of substituted guanidines
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 279/08 being further substituted by singly-bound oxygen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 279/12 being further substituted by nitrogen atoms not being part of nitro or nitroso groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 120/36 containing oxygen in addition to the carboxy oxygen , e.g. 2-N-morpholinoethyl (meth)acrylate or 2-isocyanatoethyl (meth)acrylate
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 126/02 by a single or double bond to nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/36 containing oxygen in addition to the carboxy oxygen , e.g. 2-N-morpholinoethyl (meth)acrylate or 2-isocyanatoethyl (meth)acrylate
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 26/00 Homopolymers and copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by a single or double bond to nitrogen or by a heterocyclic ring containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 133/14 of esters containing halogen, nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen atoms in addition to the carboxy oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 4/00 Coating compositions, e.g. paints, varnishes or lacquers, based on organic non-macromolecular compounds having at least one polymerisable carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bond ; Coating compositions, based on monomers of macromolecular compounds of groups C09D183/00 - C09D183/16
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 14/30 of macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/60 Solar heat collectors integrated in fixed constructions, e.g. in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/77 with flat reflective plates
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/82 characterised by the material or the construction of the reflector
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 70/14 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/405 by adsorption or absorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/53 Immunoassay; Biospecific binding assay; Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/545 : Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0841 : comprising organic materials, e.g. polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0547 : comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/22 : Light-reflecting or light-concentrating means directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H01L31/054
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 : Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 : Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 : Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 : PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

Solar energy device (100) comprising at least one of a photovoltaic cell or a solar thermal collector (101) having an absorption bandwidth in the infrared wavelength region of the solar spectrum; a visible light-transmitting reflector (103); and at least one of a graphic film or lighted display (105). The graphic film or a lighted display present is visible through the visible light-transmitting reflector. The solar energy devices can be used, for example, as a sign (e.g., an advertising sign or a traffic sign), on the side and/or roof, as well as in a window, of a building.

Claims

1. A solar energy device comprising:

at least one of a photovoltaic cell or a solar thermal collector having an absorption bandwidth that includes at least a portion of the near infrared wavelength region of the solar spectrum;

a visible light-transmitting reflector having first and second generally opposed major surfaces, the visible light-transmitting reflector positioned to reflect light from the first major surface onto the at least one of a photovoltaic cell or a solar thermal collector, the visible light-transmitting reflector comprising a multilayer optical film having an optical stack comprising a plurality of alternating first and second optical layers with different indices of refraction, wherein the multilayer optical film reflects at least a portion of light in a range of wavelengths that corresponds with the absorption bandwidth of the at least one of a photovoltaic cell or a solar thermal collector; and

at least one graphic film positioned closer to the second major surface of the visible light-transmitting reflector than to the first major surface of the visible light-transmitting reflector, wherein the graphic film is visible through the visible light-transmitting reflector and includes at least one of a pattern or image.

2. The solar energy device of claim 1, wherein the graphic film is a partially transmissive graphic film.

3. The solar energy device of claim 1, wherein the solar energy device is installed as part of a building and allows visibility of the graphic film positioned closer to the second major surface of the visible light transmitting reflector.

4. The solar energy device of claim 1, wherein the visible light-transmitting reflector has an average visible light transmission of at least 30 percent.

5. The solar energy device of claim 1, wherein the multilayer optical film is a visible light transmitting reflector having a left band edge in a range from 600 nanometers to 1000 nanometers.

6. The solar energy device of claim 1, wherein the multilayer optical film has an average light reflection of at least 50 percent at a normal angle to the multilayer optical film in a wavelength range selected from the group consisting of 650 nanometers to 1350 nanometers, 650 nanometers to 1500 nanometers, 850 nanometers to 1200 nanometers, and 850 nanometers to 1500 nanometers.

7. The solar energy device of claim 1, further comprising multiple parallel ridges each having first and second opposing ridge faces, wherein the visible light-transmitting reflector is located on each first ridge face, and wherein the at least one of a photovoltaic cell or a solar thermal collector is located on each second ridge face.

8. The solar energy device of claim 7, wherein the at least one of a photovoltaic cell or a solar thermal collector on the second ridge face are present as a single row of photovoltaic cells or solar thermal collectors, as applicable.