PHOTOVOLTAIC ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICE

• US 20100000590A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Lee-May
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/244
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0445 including thin film solar cells, e.g. single thin film a-Si, CIS or CdTe solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

A photovoltaic electrochromic device includes a semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate, an electrochromic solution, and a transparent non-conductive substrate, wherein the electrochromic solution is located between the transparent non-conductive substrate and the semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate. The semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate includes a transparent substrate and a plurality of thin-film solar cells, wherein the anodes and the cathodes of the thin-film solar cells are also used as the anodes and the cathodes of the photovoltaic electrochromic device. Because a driving voltage of the electrochromic solution is low, the thickness of an intrinsic layer in each of the thin-film solar cells can be thinned, which increases the transmittance of the photovoltaic electrochromic device. Besides, the current output of the photovoltaic electrochromic device can be controlled by an additional output switch layout coupled with the thin-film solar cells.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic electrochromic device, comprising:

a transparent non-conductive substrate;

a semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate, comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of thin-film solar cells, wherein an anode and a cathode of each of the thin-film solar cells also serve as an anode and a cathode of the photovoltaic electrochromic device; and

an electrochromic solution disposed between the transparent non-conductive substrate and the semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate.

2. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin-film solar cells are arranged in array or in stripe, or a combination thereof.

3. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrochromic solution comprises at least one redox-type organic molecule electrochromic material and at least one solvent.

4. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the redox-type organic molecule electrochromic material is a material selected from a material group comprising a cathodic electrochromic material and an anodic electrochromic material, or a combination thereof.

5. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cathodic electrochromic material is one selected from the group consisting of methyl viologen, ethyl viologen, benzyl viologen, heptyl viologen, propyl viologen, derivatives thereof and a mixture thereof.

6. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the anodic electrochromic material is one selected from the group consisting of dimethylphenazine, N,N′

,N,N′

-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, phenylene diamine, derivatives thereof and a mixture thereof.

7. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the solvent comprises propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, γ

-butyrolactone, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

8. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrochromic solution further comprises an alkali metal salt.

9. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the alkali metal salt comprises lithium triflate, lithium perchlorate, or tetra alkyl ammonium salt.

10. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrochromic solution further comprises a polymer.

11. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the polymer is one selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polymethylmethacrylate and a mixture thereof.

12. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a redox voltage of the electrochromic solution is smaller than 3V.

13. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent non-conductive substrate comprises a glass, plastic or flexible substrate.

14. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate of the semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate comprises a glass, plastic or flexible substrate.

15. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate comprises a thin-film solar cell substrate having a superstrate structure or a substrate structure.

16. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin-film solar cells comprise silicon thin-film solar cells, CIGS thin-film solar cells, or CdTe thin-film solar cells.

17. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the thin-film solar cells comprises a semiconductor stacked layer between the anode and cathode and further comprises a plurality of passivation layers formed on a plurality of sidewalls of the semiconductor stacked layer.

18. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reflective layer deposited on the transparent non-conductive substrate to form a mirror surface.

19. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein a material of the reflective layer comprises one of silver and aluminum thin film coatings.

20. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of thin-film transistors for actively controlling the thin-film solar cells.

21. A photovoltaic electrochromic device, comprising:

a transparent non-conductive substrate;

a semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate, comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of thin-film solar cells, wherein the anodes and cathodes of the thin-film solar cells also serve as an anode and a cathode of the photovoltaic electrochromic device;

an output switch layout coupled to the thin-film solar cells for controlling a current output from the thin-film solar cells; and

an electrochromic solution disposed between the transparent non-conductive substrate and the semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate.

22. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the thin-film solar cells are connected in parallel with the output switch layout.

23. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the thin-film solar cells are connected in series with the output switch layout.

24. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the output switch layout is further connected with a DC/AC inverter for converting a current provided by the thin-film solar cells into general electricity.

25. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the output switch layout is further connected with a DC charge storage device for storing a direct current provided by the thin-film solar cells.

26. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the electrochromic solution further comprises at least one redox-type organic molecule electrochromic material and at least one solvent.

27. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the redox-type organic molecule electrochromic material is a material selected from a material group comprising a cathodic electrochromic material and an anodic electrochromic material, or a combination thereof.

28. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the cathodic electrochromic material is one selected from the group consisting of methyl viologen, ethyl viologen, benzyl viologen, heptyl viologen, propyl viologen, derivatives thereof and a mixture thereof.

29. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the anodic electrochromic material is one selected from the group consisting of dimethylphenazine, N,N′

,N,N′

-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, phenylene diamine, derivatives thereof and a mixture thereof.

30. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the solvent comprises propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, γ

-butyrolactone, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

31. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the electrochromic solution further comprises an alkali metal salt.

32. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the alkali metal salt comprises lithium triflate, lithium perchlorate, or tetra alkyl ammonium salt.

33. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the electrochromic solution further comprises a polymer.

34. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 33, wherein the polymer is one selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polymethylmethacrylate and a mixture thereof.

35. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein a redox voltage of the electrochromic solution is smaller than 3V.

36. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the transparent non-conductive substrate comprises a glass, plastic or flexible substrate.

37. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the transparent substrate of the semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate comprises a glass, plastic or flexible substrate.

38. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the semi-transparent thin-film solar cell substrate comprises a thin-film solar cell substrate having a superstrate structure or a substrate structure.

39. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the thin-film solar cells comprise silicon thin-film solar cells, CIGS thin-film solar cells, or CdTe thin-film solar cells.

40. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein each of the thin-film solar cells comprises a semiconductor stacked layer between the anode and cathode and further comprises a plurality of passivation layers formed on a plurality of sidewalls of the semiconductor stacked layer.

41. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a reflective layer deposited on the transparent non-conductive substrate to form a mirror surface.

42. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 41, wherein a material of the reflective layer comprises one of silver and aluminum thin film coatings.

43. The photovoltaic electrochromic device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a plurality of thin-film transistors for actively controlling the thin-film solar cells.