JP2012199284A - Solar battery module, and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solar battery module which can offer a predetermined performance and be used stably over an extended time period, and which is light in weight, has a large mechanical strength, and allows the cost cutting, and to provide a method of manufacturing the solar battery module.SOLUTION: A solar battery module 10 comprises: a solar battery sub-module 12; a front-face-protection layer provided on the front face side of the solar battery sub-module 12 with a first adhesive-charging layer 20 interposed therebetween; and a backside protection layer provided on the backside of the solar battery sub-module 12 with a second adhesive-charging layer 14 interposed therebetween. The front-face-protection layer is composed of a glass having a thickness of 0.6-2.0 mm. The solar battery sub-module has: a substrate having a metal sheet and an aluminum anode oxidation coating formed on the surface of the metal sheet; and a light absorption layer composed of a CIGS film and formed on the substrate. The first adhesive-charging layer 20 includes an ionomer resin. Further, a gold netty support member is provided on the backside protection layer side. In addition, the solar battery module has a flexural stress of 100 MPa or larger.

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin-film solar cell module using CIGS for a photoelectric conversion layer and a method for manufacturing the same, and in particular, the surface protective layer is made of thin glass, and a metal net-like support is disposed on the back surface protective layer to reduce the weight and mechanical strength. The present invention relates to a thin and high-cost thin film solar cell module and a method for manufacturing the same.

  A solar cell is formed by connecting a number of solar cells in a stacked structure in which a light absorption layer of a semiconductor that generates current by light absorption is sandwiched between a lower electrode (back electrode) and an upper electrode (transparent electrode). It is configured and formed on a substrate. A solar cell having such a configuration is attracting attention as clean energy. Therefore, research on solar cells has been actively conducted, and improvements have been attempted from various viewpoints.

As an example, solar cells are weak in moisture, and when moisture enters, characteristics such as conversion efficiency deteriorate. In particular, CIS (CuInSe ₂ ) having a chalcopyrite structure composed of Ib group, IIIb group, and VIb element, CIGS (Cu (In, Ga) Se ₂ ) obtained by further dissolving Ga in CIS, and the like, absorb light. A chalcopyrite solar cell used as a layer uses a ZnO film or the like as a transparent electrode, so that the transparent electrode is altered by the ingress of moisture. As a result, the resistance value of the transparent electrode is increased, and the conversion efficiency is greatly decreased.
However, as is well known, solar cells are often installed outdoors, such as mounts, roofs or rooftops installed outdoors. Therefore, various proposals for improving the waterproofness of the solar cell module have been made (Patent Documents 1 to 5, etc.).

  In Patent Document 1, a plurality of CIS-based thin-film solar cell device portions laminated in the order of an alkali barrier layer, a metal back electrode layer, a light absorption layer, a buffer layer, and a window layer on a glass substrate are electrically connected by a conductive pattern. Semi-strengthened white plate by using an ethylene vinyl acetate (hereinafter referred to as EVA) resin film (or sheet) cross-linked by heating and causing a polymerization reaction to the connected CIS thin film solar cell circuit (or submodule) A CIS thin film solar cell module having a structure in which a cover glass made of glass or the like is attached is described.

Patent Document 2 describes a sealing material that forms a solar cell module by sealing a solar cell element, an upper transparent protective material, and a lower substrate protective material.
The ethylene / unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer or ionomer thereof used as the sealing material has an unsaturated carboxylic acid content of 4% by weight or more, preferably 5 to 20% by weight, and a melting point by DSC of 85 ° C. or more, preferably Is 90-110 ° C.
Patent Document 2 discloses, as solar cell elements, silicon-based materials such as single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, and amorphous silicon, III-V groups such as gallium-arsenic, copper-indium-selenium, cadmium-tellurium, and II- It describes that various types of solar cell elements such as Group VI compound semiconductors can be used.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a support having an elastic body having a substantially chevron-shaped cross section for rotatably supporting a solar cell panel on the back surface side of the solar cell panel in order to absorb impact load stress such as wrinkles and maintain durability. A solar cell module provided with a crosspiece is described. Moreover, the solar cell module of patent document 3 is substantially the rotation support member which supports the edge part of this solar cell panel rotatably in the holding part which hold | grips the edge part of a solar cell panel, or the edge part of a solar cell panel. An elastic support member is provided that supports the movable amount in the vertical direction and absorbs the movement amount.

Patent document 4 reduces the influence of an alternating current component applied between a photovoltaic element having a semiconductor layer as a light conversion member on a metal substrate and a back material made of metal, and is not damaged by the alternating current component. A solar cell module is provided.
In Patent Document 4, a photovoltaic element having at least one semiconductor layer as a light conversion member on a metal substrate, a back material made of metal, and a back material and the photovoltaic element are arranged. In a solar cell module having a sealing material, the back surface material has a plurality of openings.
Moreover, in patent document 4, by making the aperture ratio of a back surface material 10% or more, a capacitance can be made small enough and it becomes a more reliable thing regarding an electromotive voltage characteristic.
In Patent Document 4, the back material is for increasing the mechanical strength of the solar cell module, or for preventing distortion and warping due to temperature change. As the material of the back material, it is described that a material having sufficient corrosion resistance and rigidity that can withstand long-term outdoor use is desirable. For example, hot dip galvanized steel sheet, galvanized steel sheet, galvanized steel sheet, stainless steel sheet, aluminum plate, FRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) are preferable. It is described that a galvanized steel plate (hot-dip zinc-aluminum alloy plated steel plate) and a stainless steel plate are more preferable.

In Patent Document 5, a light transmitting part can be formed at a predetermined position and at a predetermined position of a solar cell module, and the weight of the structure to be mounted can be reduced by reducing its own weight, or the effect of the potential can be prevented by reducing the solar potential. The object is to ensure the power generation efficiency of the battery module.
In Patent Document 5, a translucent glass plate is provided, a solar battery cell encapsulated in a translucent sealing material is directed to the glass plate with the sunlight receiving side, and a translucent portion is provided on the glass plate. A see-through solar cell module is described that has a light-transmitting portion that is left to be joined and further has at least a sealing material covered with a light-transmitting film. A nonflammable back cover having translucency is provided so as to cover the back side of the translucent film. This back cover is made of, for example, a punched metal, a woven fabric made of a wire mesh or glass fiber yarn.

JP 2007-123725 A JP 2000-186114 A JP 2004-165556 A JP 2001-085708 A JP 2001-358356 A

As described above, Patent Document 1 retains impact strength and waterproofness by providing the most common white plate tempered glass as the surface protective layer. However, in the case of a tempered glass having a thickness of 3.2 mm that is generally used, its weight is 7.5 kg / m ² . For this reason, in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to reduce the weight.
Moreover, in patent document 2, although ionomer resin sealing material is used, both weight reduction and high intensity | strength cannot be implement | achieved simultaneously.

The solar cell module of Patent Document 3 has a structure in which the peripheral portion of the solar cell panel is provided with a rotation support member, and the peripheral portion of the solar cell panel is not fixed, and thus lacks reliability such as waterproofness.
Moreover, patent document 4 aims at providing the solar cell module which does not receive a damage from an alternating current component, and cannot implement | achieve both weight reduction and high intensity | strength simultaneously.
In Patent Document 5, punching metal, wire mesh, and glass fiber are provided as a back cover so as to have translucency. However, there is a possibility that the conversion efficiency of the solar cell module is significantly reduced.

  Here, as a characteristic required for the solar cell module having a long-term reliability of 20 to 30 years, it is a matter of course that the conversion efficiency of the solar cell itself is high, but weather resistance, heat resistance, flame retardancy, It is excellent in water resistance, moisture resistance, wind pressure resistance, yield resistance, and other characteristics. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the construction cost for installing the solar cell module and the panel itself together with lowering the price. In order to reduce the overall cost of conventional heavy-duty solar cell panels and solar cell modules that use tempered glass as the surface protective layer, it also takes costs such as reinforcement work to fix to ordinary houses or slate roofs, etc. It is desired to realize a solar cell module that is light in weight and excellent in performance.

  The object of the present invention is to eliminate the problems based on the above prior art, to exhibit a predetermined performance over a long period of time, to be used stably, a lightweight, high mechanical strength, and low cost solar A battery module and a manufacturing method thereof are provided.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a surface protection layer is provided on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule via a first adhesive filling layer, and on the back surface side of the solar cell submodule. A solar cell module provided with a back surface protective layer via a second adhesive filling layer,
The first adhesive filling layer includes an ionomer resin, the surface protective layer is made of glass having a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm, and the solar cell submodule includes a metal sheet. A light-absorbing layer composed of a CIGS film is formed on a substrate having an anodized aluminum film formed on the surface thereof, and further, a metal net-like support is provided on the back protective layer side, The solar cell module is provided with a bending stress of 100 MPa or more.
The second adhesive filling layer preferably contains an ethylene vinyl acetate resin or an ionomer resin.

In this case, the glass constituting the surface protective layer is preferably blue plate glass or white plate glass.
In addition, the frame member has a frame member provided at a peripheral portion, the frame member includes a sealing material provided on the inside and an outer frame material provided on the outside, and the sealing material is made of butyl rubber or silicone resin. In addition, the outer frame material is preferably composed of an aluminum frame or a metal foil tape.

The wire mesh support is, for example, a wire mesh or a wire mesh sheet, and the wire mesh support is made of a stainless steel wire, a galvanized wire, a brass wire, an aluminum wire, or an aluminum alloy wire.
Further, the wire mesh of the wire mesh support is, for example, a plain weave mesh, a welded net, a crimp net, a turtle shell metal mesh, or a rhombus metal mesh.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the wire mesh support is provided on the surface of the back surface protective layer.
Moreover, it is preferable that the said wire net-like support body is provided in the said frame member so that the said back surface protective layer may be covered.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a surface protective layer is provided on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule via a first adhesive filling layer, and a second adhesive filling layer is provided on the back surface side of the solar cell submodule. A method for producing a solar cell module provided with a back surface protective layer,
The first adhesive filling layer includes an ionomer resin, the surface protective layer is made of glass having a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm, and the solar cell submodule includes a metal sheet. A light absorption layer composed of a CIGS film is formed on a substrate having an aluminum anodic oxide film formed on the surface thereof,
The first adhesive filling layer and the surface protective layer are laminated and disposed on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule, and the second adhesive filling layer and the back surface protective layer are disposed on the rear surface side of the solar cell submodule. Laminating and arranging the plurality of layers, vacuum laminating in a state of being laminated and arranging, and after the vacuum laminating step, a wire mesh support is disposed on the back surface protective layer, and an outer frame The manufacturing method of the solar cell module characterized by including the process of providing in the peripheral part of the said vacuum laminated thing the frame member in which the sealing material was provided inside the material.
The second adhesive filling layer preferably contains an ethylene vinyl acetate resin or an ionomer resin.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a surface protective layer is provided on the front side of the solar cell submodule via a first adhesive filling layer, and a second adhesive filling layer is provided on the back side of the solar cell submodule. A method for producing a solar cell module provided with a back surface protective layer,
The first adhesive filling layer includes an ionomer resin, the surface protective layer is made of glass having a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm, and the solar cell submodule includes a metal sheet. A light absorption layer composed of a CIGS film is formed on a substrate having an aluminum anodic oxide film formed on the surface thereof,
The first adhesive filling layer and the surface protective layer are laminated and disposed on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule, and the second adhesive filling layer and the back surface protective layer are disposed on the rear surface side of the solar cell submodule. A step of laminating and arranging the plurality of layers, a step of vacuum laminating in the state of being laminated and arranged, and after the vacuum laminating step, a frame member provided with a sealing material inside an outer frame member Provided is a method for manufacturing a solar cell module, comprising a step of providing a peripheral portion of a vacuum laminated product and a step of providing the wire mesh support on the frame member so as to cover the back surface protective layer. It is.
The second adhesive filling layer preferably contains an ethylene vinyl acetate resin or an ionomer resin.

According to the present invention, mechanical strength such as wind pressure resistance and drooping resistance, and impact strength can be made equal to or higher than that of white sheet tempered glass. In addition, the weight of the surface protective layer can be reduced to 25 to 47% of white plate tempered glass (3.2 mm thick), and a wire mesh support such as a wire mesh or a wire mesh sheet is provided below the back surface protective layer. Thus, the weight of the solar cell module can be 40 to 60% of that using the tempered glass, and the solar cell module can be significantly reduced in weight.
Moreover, in order to form a CIGS film as a light absorption layer on this metal sheet substrate by a roll-to-roll manufacturing method using a metal sheet substrate on which an anodized film is formed without using a glass substrate for the solar cell submodule. A lightweight and low-cost solar cell module can be realized.

Here, moisture and water vapor diffuse from the end face (peripheral part) of the solar cell module and cause defects such as performance deterioration and wiring corrosion. However, according to the present invention, the end face (peripheral part) has a frame. It can suppress reliably by the sealing material of a member. Moreover, even if moisture permeates from the back surface, it can be prevented from reaching a transparent electrode such as a solar battery cell.
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering the solar cell module, to exhibit stable performance over a long period of time, to be used stably, lightweight, high mechanical strength, and cost. A low solar cell module can be realized.
In addition, according to the manufacturing method of the solar cell module of this invention, the solar cell module which has the above-mentioned outstanding characteristic can be manufactured suitably.

(A) is typical sectional drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning state of each member before the vacuum lamination of the solar cell module of the 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows a solar cell module. (A) is a schematic diagram which shows the wire-mesh type support body used for the solar cell module of 1st Embodiment of FIG. 1, (b)-(d) shows the other example of a wire-mesh type support body. It is a schematic diagram. It is typical sectional drawing which shows an example of the solar cell submodule used for the solar cell module of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is typical sectional drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning state of each member before the vacuum lamination of the solar cell module of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows a solar cell module. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the displacement at the time of a yield in case the surface protection layer of a solar cell module is a blue plate glass. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the conventional solar cell module.

Hereinafter, a solar cell module and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fig.1 (a) is typical sectional drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning state of each member before the vacuum lamination of the solar cell module of the 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is 1st implementation of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the solar cell module of a form.

As shown in FIG. 1B, in the solar cell module 10, a first adhesive filling layer 20 is provided on the surface 12 a of the solar cell submodule 12 so as to cover the solar cell submodule 12. A surface protective layer 22 is provided on the first adhesive filling layer 20. As described above, the surface protective layer 22 is provided via the first adhesive filling layer 20.
A second adhesive filling layer 14 is provided on the back surface 12 b of the solar cell submodule 12 so as to cover the solar cell submodule 12. A back sheet (back surface protective layer) 16 is provided under the second adhesive filling layer 14. Thus, the back sheet (back surface protective layer) 16 is provided via the second adhesive filling layer 14.
Further, a wire mesh support 18 is provided on the front surface 16 b of the backsheet (back surface protective layer) 16.
In the solar cell module 10, the peripheral portion of the solar cell laminate 30 formed by laminating the second adhesive filling layer 14, the back sheet 16, the wire mesh support 18, the first adhesive filling layer 20 and the surface protective layer 22. A frame member 24 is provided at β.

The first adhesive filling layer 20 is for sealing the solar cell submodule 12 and bonding the surface protective layer 22. The first adhesive filling layer 20 includes an ionomer resin. This ionomer resin is a mixture with an ethylene / unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer. Specifically, as the ionomer resin, a product name Himiran (registered trademark) -ES manufactured by Mitsui-DuPont Polychemical Co., Ltd. can be suitably used.
Moreover, the thickness of the 1st contact bonding layer 20 is 100-1500 micrometers, for example, Preferably it is 400-1000 micrometers.

When the solar cell module 10 is installed outdoors, the surface protective layer 22 may be hit by rain, hail, hail, snow, stones, etc., but the solar cell sub-module 12 is protected from external forces, impacts, etc. applied from the outside. A protective material having high mechanical strength such as wind pressure resistance and drooping resistance, and high impact strength is used.
In addition to this, the surface protective layer 22 needs to be excellent in transparency, weather resistance, heat resistance, flame resistance, water resistance, moisture resistance, chemical resistance and other various characteristics.
Furthermore, the surface protective layer 22 protects the solar cell module 10 from dirt and the like, and suppresses a decrease in the amount of incident light on the solar cell submodule 12 due to dirt and the like.

The surface protective layer 22 is made of glass. As the glass, for example, low-cost blue plate glass (float glass, soda lime glass) or white plate glass is used, the thickness is 0.6 to 2.0 mm, and the thickness is 1.0 to 1.5 mm. Is preferred.
If the thickness of the surface protective layer 22 (thickness of the glass) is less than 0.6 mm, the solar cell submodule 12 cannot be sufficiently protected from external force, impact, etc. applied from the outside. On the other hand, if the thickness of the surface protective layer 22 exceeds 2.0 mm, the effect of reducing the weight cannot be obtained.
The white plate glass has a transmittance of 1 to 2% higher than the blue plate glass, and the white plate glass can increase the amount of light incident on the solar cell module.

The second adhesive filling layer 14 seals the solar cell submodule 12 together with the first adhesive filling layer 20. The second adhesive filling layer 14 is for adhering the back sheet 16. Similar to the first adhesive filling layer 20, the second adhesive filling layer 14 includes, for example, an ionomer resin. This ionomer resin is a mixture with an ethylene / unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer. Specifically, as the ionomer resin, a product name Himiran (registered trademark) -ES manufactured by Mitsui-DuPont Polychemical Co., Ltd. can be suitably used.
Further, the thickness of the second adhesive layer 14 is, for example, 100 to 1500 μm, desirably 400 to 1000 μm, like the first adhesive filling layer 20.

  In the present embodiment, an ionomer resin is used to increase the bending rigidity as the mechanical strength of the entire solar cell module 10 with respect to the second adhesive filling layer 14 between the backsheet (back surface protective layer) 16 and the solar cell submodule 12. It is desirable to use However, when the ionomer resin is used for the first adhesive filling layer 20 and the mechanical strength of the module laminate is satisfied by using a metal substrate for the solar cell sub-module 12, that is, the bending stress is 100 MPa or more. In some cases, a normal EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) resin can be used for the second adhesive filling layer 14.

The backsheet 16 protects the solar cell module 10 (solar cell submodule 12) from the back side.
For the back sheet 16, for example, blue plate glass or white plate glass can be used similarly to the surface protective layer 22, and the thickness is the same as that of the surface protective layer 22.
In addition, a resin film can also be used for the back sheet 16, for example, a structure in which an aluminum foil is sandwiched between resin films such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), and PVF (polyvinyl fluoride). Can be used. The configuration of the resin film is not particularly limited.

The wire mesh support 18 is for keeping the strength of the solar cell module 10 at a predetermined strength while reducing the weight of the solar cell module 10. The wire mesh support 18 is made of a wire mesh or a wire mesh sheet.
In the solar cell module 10 of the present embodiment, the wire mesh support 18 is formed of a well-shaped mesh, for example, as shown in FIG. The wire mesh support 18 is not limited to this. For example, a round wire mesh, a diamond wire mesh, or a turtle shell wire mesh shown in the wire meshes 18b to 18d shown in FIGS. 2 (b) to 2 (d) may be used. Other than these may be used.
The wire mesh support 18 can be made of various meshes such as plain weave mesh, welded mesh, and crimp mesh, the manufacturing method, and the kind of wire mesh. The wire mesh support 18 is made of stainless steel wire, galvanized wire, brass wire, copper wire, red wire, aluminum wire, aluminum alloy wire, titanium wire, nickel wire, nichrome wire, Hastelloy wire, Inconel wire, etc. Can be used. In the wire net-like support 18, the wire diameter is, for example, 0.1 to 5.0 mm, and preferably 0.5 to 2 mm. Moreover, a pitch or an opening is 5 to 200 mm, for example, and 10 to 100 mm is suitable. In addition, in the metal net-like support body 18, the shape, the manufacturing method, and the type of the net are not limited to these.

  In addition to the net, the metal net-like support 18 can be punched metal or expanded metal. In this case, for example, those formed using the same shape and material as the above-described net can be used.

  The frame member 24 is for improving the mechanical resistance of the solar cell module 10 and improving the moisture diffusion resistance and moisture resistance from the peripheral edge β. The frame member 24 includes a peripheral sealing material 26 and an outer frame material 28 having a groove (concave portion). The peripheral sealing material 26 is provided on the inner side, and the outer frame material 28 is provided on the outer side.

As the peripheral sealing material 26, for example, butyl rubber, polyisoprene, isoprene, polyolefin, or the like that exhibits thermoplasticity is used. In addition, a silicone sealing material can be used as the peripheral sealing material 26.
The outer frame member 28 may be formed of a foil shape or a frame shape. The outer frame material 28 can be formed using, for example, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, or a copper alloy. Further, it may be a frame material that has been anodized to maintain corrosion resistance. For example, when a metal foil is used as the outer frame member 28, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, or a copper alloy can be used. The thickness of the metal foil is, for example, 50 to 300 μm. The metal foil may be provided with an adhesive material in advance.

For the outer frame member 28, a metal foil tape in which a black PET film is bonded to a metal foil may be used from the viewpoint of aesthetics and design of the solar cell module 10a.
When further moisture resistance is required, for example, butyl rubber is used for the peripheral seal material 26 and an L-shaped aluminum frame is used for the outer frame material 28.

The solar cell module 10 of this embodiment has a bending stress of 100 MPa or more. If the bending stress is 100 MPa or more, the strength is equal to or higher than that of a conventional solar cell module using a tempered glass having a thickness of 3.2 mm.
The bending stress of the solar cell module 10 is obtained, for example, by measuring the yield stress with a bending tester that supports two points of the solar cell module 10 and applies stress to the center.

The solar cell module 10 of the present embodiment can be manufactured as follows.
First, as shown to Fig.1 (a), the 2nd adhesion filling layer 14 and the back sheet | seat 16 are laminated | stacked and arrange | positioned at the back surface 12b side of the solar cell submodule 12. FIG. Next, the first adhesive filling layer 20 and the surface protective layer 22 are laminated and disposed on the surface 12 a side of the solar cell submodule 12. Thereby, as shown to Fig.1 (a), it will be in the state by which each member was laminated | stacked and arrange | positioned.
Thereafter, in a state where the respective members are stacked and arranged, for example, using a vacuum laminator having a lifting means, a buffer plate, and a heating means, for example, at a temperature of 130 to 150 ° C., a total of 15 vacuum / press / holds. Vacuum lamination is performed under a condition of ˜30 minutes to obtain a solar cell laminate 30 shown in FIG.
Next, a wire net-like support 18 is provided on the surface 16b of the back sheet 16 of the solar cell laminate 30 as shown in FIG. 1B, and then the peripheral sealing material 26 of the frame member 24 is attached to the solar cell laminate. 30, and a part of the surface of the surface protective layer 22 and part of the surface of the wire mesh support 18 are provided.
Then, the groove portion (concave portion) of the outer frame material 28 is fitted onto the peripheral seal material 26 and further bonded. As a result, the wire net-like support 18 is sandwiched in the groove portion of the outer frame material 28 together with the peripheral sealing material 26, and the solar cell module 10 of the present embodiment shown in FIG.

In the solar cell module 10 shown in FIG. 1B, the solar cell submodule 12 is an integrated structure of solar cells 40 that are photoelectric conversion elements, as shown in FIG. Note that a discrete type having one solar battery cell 40 is also included in the solar battery submodule.
Hereinafter, a specific example of the solar cell submodule 12 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the solar cell submodule 12 has a plurality of solar cells 40 including a lower electrode 32, a light absorption layer 34, a buffer layer 36, and an upper electrode 38 connected in series on a substrate 50. It will be. This solar cell (photoelectric conversion element) 40 uses a CIGS semiconductor compound as the light absorption layer 34. The solar cell submodule 12 has a first conductive member 42 and a second conductive member 44.

In the solar cell submodule 12, the substrate 50 is a flexible substrate including a base material 52, an Al (aluminum) layer 54, and an insulating layer 56.
The base material 52 and the Al layer 54 are integrally formed. The insulating layer 56 is an anodic oxide film having an Al porous structure formed by anodizing the surface of the Al layer 54. The clad substrate in which the base material 52 and the Al layer 54 are laminated and integrated is referred to as a metal substrate 55.

In the solar cell submodule 12 of the present invention, mild steel, heat resistant steel, or stainless steel is used as the (metal) base material 52 constituting the substrate 50.
The thickness of the substrate 52 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 to 1000 μm in consideration of the balance between flexibility and strength (rigidity), handling properties, and the like.

The Al layer 54 is a layer mainly composed of Al, and various types of Al and Al alloys can be used. In particular, Al having a purity of 99% by mass or more with few impurities is preferable. As purity, for example, 99.99 mass% Al, 99.96 mass% Al, 99.9 mass% Al, 99.85 mass% Al, 99.7 mass% Al, 99.5 mass% Al, etc. are preferable. .
Moreover, even if it is not high purity Al, industrial Al can also be utilized. Use of industrial Al is advantageous in terms of cost. However, it is important that Si is not precipitated in Al in terms of the insulating property of the insulating layer 56.

The thickness of the Al layer 54 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected. In the state where the solar cell submodule 12 is obtained, the thickness of the Al layer 54 is preferably 0.1 μm or more and less than the thickness of the base material 52. .
The Al layer 54 is formed by pretreatment of the Al surface, formation of the insulating layer 56 by anodic oxidation, generation of an intermetallic compound on the surface of the Al layer 54 and the substrate 52 during the formation of the light absorption layer 34, and the like. The thickness decreases. Therefore, the thickness at the time of forming an Al layer 54 to be described later is Al between the base material 52 and the insulating layer 56 in a state where the solar cell submodule 12 is formed in consideration of thickness reduction due to these. It is important that the thickness be such that layer 54 remains. For this reason, the thickness of the Al layer 54 is required to be 10 to 50 μm in order to form an insulating layer by anodic oxidation.

An insulating layer 56 is formed on the Al layer 54 (on the side opposite to the substrate 52). The insulating layer 56 is an Al anodic oxide film formed by anodizing the surface of the Al layer 54.
Here, various anodic oxide films formed by anodizing Al can be used for the insulating layer 56, but a porous anodic oxide film is preferable. This anodic oxide film is an alumina oxide film having pores of several tens of nanometers. Since the Young's modulus of the film is low, the film is highly resistant to bending and cracking caused by a difference in thermal expansion at high temperatures.

  The thickness of the insulating layer 56 is preferably 2 μm or more, and more preferably 5 μm or more. When the thickness of the insulating layer 56 is excessively large, it is not preferable because flexibility is lowered and cost and time required for forming the insulating layer 56 are required. Actually, the thickness of the insulating layer 56 is 50 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or less at maximum. For this reason, the preferable thickness of the insulating layer 56 is 2 to 50 μm.

Although the solar cell module 10 of this embodiment is a rigid type, a flexible substrate is used for the solar cell submodule 12, and for example, an insulation having a plurality of pores by anodization on a metal substrate 55 having a thickness of 50 to 200 μm. A layer 56 (insulating oxide film) is formed, and high insulation is ensured.
The substrate 50 used in the solar cell submodule 12 of this embodiment may be subjected to a specific sealing process after the Al layer 54 is anodized to form the insulating layer 56. The manufacturing process may include various processes other than the essential processes. For example, a degreasing process for removing the adhering rolling oil, a desmutting process for dissolving the smut on the surface of the Al layer 54, a roughening process for roughening the surface of the Al layer 54, and an anode on the surface of the Al layer 54 The substrate 50 is preferably subjected to an anodizing process for forming an oxide film and a sealing process for sealing the micropores of the anodized film.

In addition, the board | substrate 50 becomes flexible as the board | substrate 50 whole by making all the base material 52, Al layer 54, and the insulating layer 56 have flexibility, ie, a flexible thing. Thereby, for example, an alkali supply layer, a lower electrode, a light absorption layer, an upper electrode, and the like described later can be formed on the insulating layer 56 side of the substrate 50 by a roll-to-roll method.
In the present invention, a solar cell structure may be produced by continuously forming a plurality of layers from one roll unwinding to winding, or roll unwinding, film forming, winding The solar cell structure may be formed by performing the taking step a plurality of times. Further, as will be described later, an integration in which a plurality of solar cells 40 are electrically connected in series by adding a scribing process for separating and integrating the elements between the respective film forming processes to the production by the roll-to-roll method. Type solar cell submodule can be manufactured.

In the present invention, the Al layer 54 and the insulating layer 56 are not limited to be formed only on one surface of the base material 52, and the substrate in which the Al layer 54 and the insulating layer 56 are formed on both surfaces of the base material 52 is used. Alternatively, the Al layer may be a single layer, that is, an Al substrate provided with an insulating layer composed of the above-described anodized film.
As the metal substrate, a material in which a metal oxide film formed on the surface of the metal substrate by anodic oxidation is an insulator can be used. Therefore, in addition to aluminum (Al), specifically, zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), etc., and their Alloys can be used. Aluminum is most preferable from the viewpoint of cost and characteristics required for the solar cell module.
Further, a so-called clad material may be used in which the metal layer is formed by rolling or hot dipping on a steel plate such as mild steel or stainless steel in order to improve heat resistance.

Here, an alkali supply layer 58 (an alkali metal supply source to the light absorption layer 34) is formed between the insulating layer 56 (substrate 50) and the lower electrode 32, that is, on the surface 56a of the insulating layer 56.
It is known that when an alkali metal (particularly Na) is diffused into the light absorption layer 34 made of CIGS, the photoelectric conversion efficiency is increased.
The alkali supply layer 58 is a layer for supplying an alkali metal to the light absorption layer 34 and is a layer of a compound containing an alkali metal. In the present invention, such an alkali supply layer 58 is provided between the insulating layer 56 and the lower electrode 32, so that when the light absorption layer 34 is formed, the alkali metal passes through the lower electrode 32 to the light absorption layer 34. It can diffuse and improve the conversion efficiency of the light absorption layer 34.

The alkali supply layer 58 is not limited, and a compound containing an alkali metal (a composition containing an alkali metal compound) such as NaO ₂ , Na ₂ S, Na ₂ Se, NaCl, NaF, or sodium molybdate is a main component. Various things are available. In particular, a compound containing SiO ₂ (silicon oxide) as a main component and NaO ₂ (sodium oxide) is preferable.
The compound of SiO ₂ and NaO ₂ have poor moisture resistance, since tends to carbonate was separated Na component, a metal component with added Ca more oxide that was three components Si-Na-Ca preferable.

In the present invention, the alkali metal supply source to the light absorption layer 34 is not limited to the alkali supply layer 58 alone.
For example, when the insulating layer 56 is the above-described porous anodic oxide film, a compound containing an alkali metal is introduced into the porous layer of the insulating layer 56 in addition to the alkali supply layer 58, so that the light absorption layer 34 may be an alkali metal supply source. Alternatively, the alkali supply layer 58 may not be provided, and a compound containing an alkali metal may be introduced only into the porous layer of the insulating layer 56 to serve as an alkali metal supply source to the light absorption layer 34.
As an example, when the alkali supply layer 58 is formed by sputtering, only the alkali supply layer 58 in which no compound containing an alkali metal exists in the insulating layer 56 can be formed. In addition, the insulating layer 56 is a porous anodic oxide film, and when the alkali supply layer 58 is formed by sol-gel reaction or dehydration drying of a sodium silicate aqueous solution, not only the alkali supply layer 58 but also the insulating layer 56 is formed. By introducing a compound containing an alkali metal into the porous layer, both the insulating layer 56 and the alkali supply layer 58 can serve as an alkali metal supply source to the light absorption layer 34.

In the solar cell submodule 12, the lower electrode 32 is formed on the alkali supply layer 58 so as to be arranged with a predetermined gap 33 from the adjacent lower electrode 32. Further, a light absorption layer 34 is formed on the lower electrode 32 while filling the gaps 33 of the lower electrodes 32. A buffer layer 36 is formed on the surface of the light absorption layer 34.
The light absorption layer 34 and the buffer layer 36 are arranged on the lower electrode 32 with a predetermined gap 37. Note that the gap 33 between the lower electrode 32 and the light absorption layer 34 (buffer layer 36) are formed at different positions in the arrangement direction of the solar cells 40.

Further, an upper electrode 38 is formed on the surface of the buffer layer 36 so as to fill the gap 37 of the light absorption layer 34 (buffer layer 36).
The upper electrode 38, the buffer layer 36 and the light absorption layer 34 are arranged with a predetermined gap 39. The gap 39 is provided at a position different from the gap between the lower electrode 32 and the gap between the light absorption layer 34 (buffer layer 36).
In the solar battery submodule 12, each solar battery cell 40 is electrically connected in series in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 50 (arrow L direction) by the lower electrode 32 and the upper electrode 38.

The lower electrode 32 is composed of, for example, a Mo electrode. The light absorption layer 34 is composed of a semiconductor compound having a photoelectric conversion function, for example, a CIGS film. Further, the buffer layer 36 is made of, for example, CdS, and the upper electrode 38 is made of, for example, ZnO.
The solar battery cell 40 is formed to extend long in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L of the substrate 50. For this reason, the lower electrode 32 and the like also extend long in the width direction of the substrate 50.

As shown in FIG. 3, a first conductive member 42 is connected on the lower electrode 32 at the right end. The first conductive member 42 is for taking out an output from a negative electrode to be described later.
The first conductive member 42 is, for example, an elongated belt-like member, extends substantially linearly in the width direction of the substrate 50, and is connected to the lower electrode 32 at the right end. As shown in FIG. 3, the first conductive member 42 is formed, for example, by coating a copper ribbon 42 a with a coating material 42 b made of indium copper alloy. The first conductive member 42 is connected to the lower electrode 32 by, for example, ultrasonic soldering. Alternatively, the first conductive member 42 may be a conductive tape having an embossed structure formed by hot-plating In-Sn on a copper foil, and this conductive tape is connected by being bonded to the lower electrode 32 by pressure bonding with a roller. The

On the other hand, a second conductive member 44 is formed on the lower electrode 32 at the left end.
The second conductive member 44 is for taking out the output from the positive electrode, which will be described later, to the outside. Like the first conductive member 42, the second conductive member 44 is a strip-like member that extends substantially linearly in the width direction of the substrate 50. And connected to the lower electrode 32 at the left end.
The second conductive member 44 has the same configuration as that of the first conductive member 42. For example, the copper ribbon 44a is covered with a coating material 44b of indium copper alloy. You may connect by.

  In addition, the light absorption layer 34 of the photovoltaic cell 40 of this embodiment is comprised by CIGS, and can be manufactured with the manufacturing method of a well-known CIGS type solar cell.

  In the solar cell submodule 12, when light enters the solar cell 40 from the upper electrode 38 side, this light passes through the upper electrode 38 and the buffer layer 36, and an electromotive force is generated in the light absorption layer 34. For example, a current from the upper electrode 38 toward the lower electrode 32 is generated. The arrows shown in FIG. 3 indicate the direction of current, and the direction of electron movement is opposite to the direction of current. For this reason, in the photoelectric conversion unit 48, the leftmost lower electrode 32 in FIG. 3 is a positive electrode (positive electrode), and the rightmost lower electrode 32 is a negative electrode (negative electrode).

In the present embodiment, the electric power generated in the solar cell submodule 12 can be taken out of the solar cell submodule 12 from the first conductive member 42 and the second conductive member 44.
In the present embodiment, the first conductive member 42 is a negative electrode, and the second conductive member 44 is a positive electrode. Further, the first conductive member 42 and the second conductive member 44 may have opposite polarities, and are appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the solar battery cell 40, the solar battery submodule 12 configuration, and the like.
Moreover, in this embodiment, although each photovoltaic cell 40 was formed so that it might be connected in series with the longitudinal direction L of the board | substrate 50 by the lower electrode 32 and the upper electrode 38, it is not limited to this. For example, each solar battery cell 40 may be formed such that each solar battery cell 40 is connected in series in the width direction by the lower electrode 32 and the upper electrode 38.

  In the solar cell 40, the lower electrode 32 and the upper electrode 38 are both for taking out the current generated in the light absorption layer 34. Both the lower electrode 32 and the upper electrode 38 are made of a conductive material. The upper electrode 38 on the light incident side needs to have translucency.

The lower electrode (back electrode) 32 is made of, for example, Mo, Cr, or W, and a combination thereof. The lower electrode 32 may have a single layer structure or a laminated structure such as a two-layer structure. The lower electrode 32 is preferably made of Mo.
The lower electrode 32 preferably has a thickness of 100 nm or more, and more preferably 0.45 to 1.0 μm.
The method for forming the lower electrode 32 is not particularly limited, and can be formed by a vapor phase film forming method such as an electron beam evaporation method or a sputtering method.

The upper electrode (transparent electrode) 38 is made of, for example, ZnO to which Al, B, Ga, Sb or the like is added, ITO (indium tin oxide), SnO ₂ , or a combination thereof. The upper electrode 38 may have a single layer structure or a laminated structure such as a two-layer structure. Further, the thickness of the upper electrode 38 is not particularly limited, and is preferably 0.3 to 1 μm.
The formation method of the upper electrode 38 is not particularly limited, and can be formed by a vapor deposition method such as an electron beam evaporation method or a sputtering method, or a coating method.

The buffer layer 36 is formed to protect the light absorption layer 34 when the upper electrode 38 is formed and to transmit light incident on the upper electrode 38 to the light absorption layer 34.
The buffer layer 36 is made of, for example, CdS, ZnS, ZnO, ZnMgO, ZnS (O, OH), or a combination thereof.
The buffer layer 36 preferably has a thickness of 0.03 to 0.1 μm. The buffer layer 36 is formed by, for example, a CBD (chemical bath) method.

The light absorption layer 34 is a layer that absorbs light that has passed through the upper electrode 38 and the buffer layer 36 and generates a current, and has a photoelectric conversion function. The light absorption layer 34 is composed of a CIGS film, and the CIGS film is made of a semiconductor having a chalcopyrite crystal structure. The composition of the CIGS film is, for example, Cu (In _1-x Ga _x ) Se ₂ (CIGS).

As a CIGS film forming method, 1) a multi-source deposition method, 2) a selenization method, 3) a sputtering method, 4) a hybrid sputtering method, and 5) a mechanochemical process method are known.
Other CIGS film formation methods include screen printing, proximity sublimation, MOCVD, and spray (wet film formation). For example, a fine particle film containing a group Ib element, a group IIIb element, and a group VIb element is formed on a substrate by a screen printing method (wet film forming method) or a spray method (wet film forming method), and then pyrolyzed ( At this time, a crystal having a desired composition can be obtained by performing a thermal decomposition treatment in a VIb group element atmosphere (JP-A-9-74065, JP-A-9-74213, etc.).
Such a film forming method shows good photoelectric conversion efficiency if CIGS is formed on the substrate as long as the temperature is 500 ° C. or higher, but the process time is short in consideration of manufacturing in a roll-to-roll method. Multisource deposition is preferred. In particular, the bilayer method is suitable.

As described above, the solar cell sub-module 12 of the present invention is manufactured by manufacturing the solar cells 40 in series on the substrate 50 described above. What is necessary is just to perform like a battery.
Hereinafter, an example of the manufacturing method of the solar cell submodule 12 shown in FIG. 3 will be described.

First, the substrate 50 formed as described above is prepared. Next, the alkali supply layer 58 is formed on the surface of the insulating layer 56 of the substrate 50 by, for example, sputtering using soda lime glass as a target or a sol-gel method using an alkoxide containing Si and Na.
Next, a Mo film to be the lower electrode 32 is formed on the surface of the alkali supply layer 58 by sputtering using, for example, a film forming apparatus.
Next, using a laser scribing method, for example, a predetermined position of the Mo film is scribed to form a gap 33 extending in the width direction of the substrate 50. Thereby, the lower electrodes 32 separated from each other by the gap 33 are formed.

Next, a CIGS film is formed as a light absorption layer 34 (p-type semiconductor layer) so as to cover the lower electrode 32 and fill the gap 33. This CIGS film is formed by any of the film forming methods described above.
Next, a CdS layer (n-type semiconductor layer) to be the buffer layer 36 is formed on the light absorption layer 34 (CIGS film) by, for example, a CBD (chemical bath) method. Thereby, a pn junction semiconductor layer is formed.
Next, a gap 37 extending in the width direction of the substrate 50 and reaching the lower electrode 32 is formed by scribing a predetermined position different from the gap 33 in the arrangement direction of the solar cells 40 using, for example, a laser scribing method. To do.

Next, on the buffer layer 36, for example, an ITO layer, a ZnO layer to which Al, B, Ga, Sb, or the like is added is formed by sputtering or coating so as to fill the gap 37. To do.
Next, the gaps 33 and 37 are gaps reaching a lower electrode 32 extending in the width direction of the substrate 50 by scribing a predetermined position different in the arrangement direction of the solar cells 40 using, for example, a laser scribing method. 39 is formed. Thereby, the photovoltaic cell 40 is formed.

Next, the solar cells 40 formed on the lower electrodes 32 at the left and right ends in the longitudinal direction L of the substrate 50 are removed by, for example, laser scribing or mechanical scrub, and the lower electrodes 32 are exposed. Next, the first conductive member 42 is connected to the lower electrode 32 at the right end, and the second conductive member 44 is connected to the lower electrode 32 at the left end using, for example, conductive tape or ultrasonic soldering. .
Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the solar cell submodule 12 in which the plurality of solar cells 40 are electrically connected in series can be manufactured.

  Here, FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional solar cell module. The conventional solar cell module 100 shown in FIG. 6 is different from the solar cell module 10 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the metal mesh support 18 is not provided and the surface protective layer 102 is thick. The other configuration is the same as that of the solar cell module 10 of the present embodiment shown in FIG.

In the conventional solar cell module 100 shown in FIG. 6, tempered glass having a thickness of 3 to 5 mm is used as the glass constituting the surface protective layer 102 in order to maintain the mechanical strength.
In the conventional solar cell module 100, a back sheet 16 made of a PVF / Al / PVF laminate or PET or the like is provided as a back surface protective layer under the solar cell submodule 12. In this case, in the conventional solar cell module 100, the tempered glass is heavy and it is difficult to reduce the weight. In this case, the first adhesive filling layer 20 and the second adhesive filling layer 14 are made of a highly rigid sealing material, and a thin glass having a thickness of 3 mm or less is combined, or the back protective layer has high strength such as metal. By using the sheet, a module structure that is lightweight and has high mechanical strength is possible. However, there is a drawback that the cost increases depending on the material of the metal sheet. Needless to say, the metal sheet is heavier than the wire mesh support of the present invention.

On the other hand, the solar cell module 10 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1B is lighter by disposing a wire mesh support 18 such as a wire mesh or a wire mesh sheet under the back sheet 16. Both high mechanical strength can be achieved. In addition, by using the wire mesh support 18, the member cost can be reduced as compared with the case of using a metal sheet.
Moreover, since the surface protective layer 22 is made of glass having a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm, the weight can be reduced to 25 to 47% of the white plate tempered glass (3.2 mm thickness).
Furthermore, by providing the wire net-like support 18 under the back sheet 16, the weight of the solar cell module 10 can be 40 to 60% of the weight using the tempered glass. The battery module 10 can be significantly reduced in weight.

By providing the frame member 24, it is possible to achieve mechanical strength such as wind pressure resistance and yield resistance, and impact strength equal to or higher than those of white tempered glass. Moisture and water vapor diffuse from the end face (peripheral part) of the solar cell module 10 and cause defects such as performance degradation and wiring corrosion, but the end face (peripheral part) is reliably suppressed by the peripheral sealing material 26. Can do. Even if moisture enters from the back surface, it is possible to prevent the peripheral sealing material 26 from reaching a transparent electrode such as a solar battery cell.
In this way, the solar cell module 10 is prevented from entering moisture into the solar cell module 10, exhibits stable performance over a long period of time, can be used stably, is lightweight, and has low cost. realizable.

By forming a CIGS film as a light-absorbing layer using a substrate in which an anodized film of aluminum is formed on the surface of a metal sheet that can be manufactured by a roll-to-roll manufacturing method, instead of a glass substrate as the solar cell submodule 12 A light-weight and low-cost solar cell module can be obtained.
In addition, according to the manufacturing method of the solar cell module 10 of this embodiment, the solar cell module 10 which has the above-mentioned outstanding characteristic can be manufactured suitably.

Next, a second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an arrangement state of each member before vacuum lamination of the solar cell module according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a second embodiment of the present invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the solar cell module of a form.
In addition, in this embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as the solar cell module 10 of 1st Embodiment shown to Fig.1 (a), (b), and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the solar cell module 10a of the present embodiment is provided with a wire mesh support 18 as compared to the solar cell module 10 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 1B). Since the positions are different and the other configuration is the same as that of the solar cell module 10 of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4B, in the solar cell module 10a of the present embodiment, the position where the wire mesh support 18 is provided is the lower surface 28b of the outer frame member 28 on the back sheet 16 side, and the outer frame member 28 is provided so as to cover the surface 16b of the back sheet 16 facing from 28.
The end portion of the metal mesh support 18 is fixed to the lower surface 28b of the outer frame member 28 by, for example, spot welding, and is provided on the back sheet 16 side. In the present embodiment, the wire mesh support 18 may be the same as that in the first embodiment.

When the wire mesh support 18 is fixed to the lower surface 28b of the outer frame member 28 as in the present embodiment, a gap is generated between the surface 16b of the back sheet 16 and the wire mesh support 18. If the glass or the back sheet (back surface protective layer) 16 that is the surface protective layer 22 receives stress from above in this gap, there is a possibility that it protrudes into a concave shape.
Here, when the glass of the surface protective layer is 1.1 mm thick blue plate glass, as shown in FIG. 5, when the solar cell module 10 a is curved and a part thereof comes into contact with the wire mesh support 18, the radius of curvature R is set. 40 cm or more is necessary to keep the yield stress lower than the yield stress of the glass constituting the surface protective layer or less than the displacement δ at yield. For example, in the solar cell module 10a having a width of 1 m, the gap is 3 cm or less.
That is, in FIG. 5, when the radius of curvature is R (cm), the width of the solar cell module 10a is W (cm), and the displacement at yield is δ (cm), the radius of curvature R and the glass constituting the surface protective layer The relationship between the displacement δ at yield and the width W of the solar cell module 10a is expressed by δ / W <0.03 and R> 40 cm.

In addition, the solar cell module 10a of this embodiment can be produced as follows.
Similar to the solar cell module 10 of the first embodiment, the solar cell module 10a of the present embodiment has a second adhesive filling layer on the back surface 12b side of the solar cell submodule 12 as shown in FIG. 14 and the back sheet 16 are laminated and arranged. Next, the first adhesive filling layer 20 and the surface protective layer 22 are laminated and disposed on the surface 12 a side of the solar cell submodule 12. Thereby, as shown to Fig.4 (a), it will be in the state by which each member was laminated | stacked and arrange | positioned.
Thereafter, in a state where the respective members are stacked and arranged, for example, using a vacuum laminator having a lifting means, a buffer plate, and a heating means, for example, at a temperature of 130 to 150 ° C., a total of 15 vacuum / press / holds. Apply vacuum lamination for ~ 30 minutes. Thereby, the solar cell laminated body 30 is formed (refer FIG.4 (b)).

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the peripheral sealing material 26 of the frame member 24 is attached to the peripheral portion β of the solar cell stack 30 with a part of the surface protective layer 22 surface and a part of the surface of the back sheet 16. Provide to cover. Then, the groove portion (concave portion) of the outer frame material 28 is fitted onto the peripheral seal material 26 and further bonded.
Next, the wire mesh support 18 is disposed so as to cover the surface 16b of the back sheet 16 facing the outer frame material 28, and the end of the wire mesh support 18 is placed on the lower surface 28b of the outer frame material 28, for example. Fix by spot welding. Thus, the solar cell module 10 of this embodiment is produced.
Also in the solar cell module 10a of the present embodiment, since the wire net-like support 18 is provided on the back sheet 16 side as in the solar cell module 10 of the first embodiment, the solar cell module of the first embodiment. 10 can be obtained.

  The present invention is basically configured as described above. As mentioned above, although the solar cell module of this invention and its manufacturing method were demonstrated in detail, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the main point of this invention, you may make a various improvement or change. Of course.

Hereinafter, the solar cell module of the present invention will be described more specifically.
In this example, test structures of Experimental Examples 1 to 4 shown in Table 1 below were produced in order to examine a lightweight and high mechanical strength solar cell module structure. And in order to evaluate the performance (yield stress, bending stress, displacement at yield) of the test structures of Experimental Examples 1 to 4, the yield stress and displacement at yield were measured using a bending tester (Shimadzu AG-10FD). Was measured.
In this example, the size of the test structures of Experimental Examples 1 to 4 was 15 cm × 7.5 cm. In the bending test, the test structure of Experimental Examples 1 to 4 was supported with a fulcrum interval of 10 cm, the center of the fulcrum interval was pushed from above, and the pushing speed was 1 mm / min.
In this example, the bending stress is obtained by converting the force applied to the size of the test structure 10 × 7.5 = 75 cm ² into stress (N / m ² ). Can be sought.

Bending stress σ = 3FL / 2bh ²
σ: Bending stress (MPa) F: Yield stress (N) L: Distance between supporting points (mm) b: Width (mm), h: Thickness (mm)

In the structure of the test structure shown in Table 1 below, the white plate reinforced GL of Example 1 is a single piece of white plate tempered glass, and the total thickness is 3.2 mm.
GL1.1 indicates that the surface protective layer is blue plate glass and the thickness is 1.1 mm. HM0.8 indicates that the sealing material of the adhesive filling layer is Himiran (registered trademark) -ES (HM) manufactured by Mitsui Deyupon Polychemical Co., Ltd., and the thickness is 0.8 mm.
The PV substrate 0.08 corresponds to the substrate of the solar cell submodule. This PV substrate 0.08 is a clad material of Al and SUS, and indicates that the thickness is 0.08 mm.

In addition, the repnea TFB MD (product name) backsheet by Lintec Corporation was used for the backsheet.
The wire mesh A corresponds to the wire mesh support 18. This wire mesh A is a plain woven wire mesh made of SUS430 and has a wire diameter of 1 mm and an opening of 10 mm. The wire mesh B corresponds to the wire mesh support 18. This wire mesh B is a diamond wire mesh made of SUS430 and has a linear shape of 1.5 mm and an opening of 5 mm.
Moreover, in the column of the test structures of Experimental Examples 2 to 4 shown in Table 1 below, the numerical value at the end indicates the total thickness.

In this example, the test structure of Experimental Example 2 was manufactured by laminating the structures shown in Table 1 and then pressing it at a temperature of 150 ° C. for 20 minutes using a vacuum laminator.
For the test structures of Experimental Examples 3 and 4, after laminating the structures shown in Table 1, after pressing for 20 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° C. using a vacuum laminator, the wire mesh A or wire mesh B is backed. It was prepared on a sheet.

As shown in Table 1 above, the yield stress is 0.62 kN for the white sheet tempered glass (3.2 mm thickness) of Experimental Example 1 and the strength is 0.42 kN for the back sheet of Experimental Example 2 alone. Not as strong as tempered glass. In this example, the yield means that the glass of the surface protective layer was broken.
As in Experimental Examples 3 and 4, those having the wire mesh A and wire mesh B were able to obtain a strength higher than the yield stress of the white sheet tempered glass.
From the above, in order to obtain the same strength as that of white tempered glass, it is effective to provide a wire mesh support on the back surface protective layer side, and at least a bending stress of 100 MPa or more is required. This is a bending stress value that sufficiently satisfies the wind-resistant load, snow-resistant, and earthquake-resistant load conditions for the photovoltaic power generation system.

In this example, in order to study a light-weight and high mechanical strength solar cell module structure, all of the test structures of Experimental Examples 10 to 13 shown in Table 2 below were produced with the same size (15 cm × 7.5 cm). did. Then, the weights of the test structures of Experimental Examples 10 to 13 were measured, and the weight ratio of each of Experimental Examples 10 to 13 was obtained based on Experimental Example 10. The results are shown in Table 2 below.
Here, Experimental Examples 11 to 13 are the same samples as Experimental Examples 2 to 4 of Example 1 described above. For this reason, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

Experimental Example 10 includes a 3.2 mm thick whiteboard reinforced GL, a 0.8 mm thick EVA, a 0.08 mm thick PV substrate, a 0.8 mm thick EVA, and a thickness. Is manufactured by laminating 1.1 mm blue glass and pressing it at a temperature of 150 ° C. for 20 minutes using a vacuum laminator. In Experimental Example 10, the back surface protective layer is blue plate glass. For EVA, Solar Eva manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals Fabro Co., Ltd. was used.
In the column of the test structures of Experimental Examples 10 to 13 shown in Table 2 below, the numerical value at the end indicates the total thickness.

As shown in Table 2 above, when the metal mesh A is further provided on the back protective layer, the weight ratio is 0.42, and when the metal mesh B is further provided on the back protective layer, the weight ratio is 0.45, Significant weight reduction is possible.
From the results of Example 1 and the present Example (Example 2), it is effective to provide a wire mesh support on the back surface protective layer side, thereby obtaining a solar cell module that is lightweight and has high mechanical strength. It became possible.

  In this example, solar cell modules of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1 shown below were produced and their mechanical strength was evaluated.

Example 1
A solar cell module 10 having a substrate structure and having a size of 30 × 30 cm shown in FIG. 1B including a solar cell submodule 12 using a CIGS film as a light absorption layer was produced.
As the first adhesive filling layer 20 and the second adhesive filling layer 14, Himiran (registered trademark) -ES S7042 manufactured by Mitsui-DuPont Polychemical Co., Ltd., which is an ionomer resin, was used. The thickness of the first adhesive filling layer 20 and the second adhesive filling layer 14 was 800 μm.
As the surface protective layer 22, white plate glass having a thickness of 1.1 mm was used.
Furthermore, for the back sheet 16, a repnea TFB MD manufactured by Lintec Corporation was used.
For the frame member 24, a silicone sealing material was used as the peripheral sealing material 26. The RTV sealing material KE-45 of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. was used for the silicone sealing material. Further, an L-shaped aluminum frame was used for the outer frame member 28.

In the production of Example 1, a total of 20 vacuum / press / hold at a temperature of 150 ° C. using a vacuum laminator having lifting and lowering means, a buffer plate, and a heating means in a state where such materials are laminated and arranged. Laminating was performed under the lamination condition of minutes.
Then, a silicone sealant is applied and embedded in advance in the L-shaped aluminum frame groove, and the wire diameter as the wire mesh support 18 is formed on the surface 16b of the back sheet 16 of the solar cell laminate 30 obtained by lamination. A plain woven wire mesh made of SUS430 with 1 mm and an opening of 10 mm was piled up, the peripheral edge was set in an aluminum frame groove, and the aluminum frame was fixed with screws. Thereafter, the solar cell module 10 was manufactured by leaving the film at room temperature for 7 days to cure the silicone sealing material and providing the frame member 24.

(Example 2)
A solar cell module 10a having a size of 30 × 30 cm shown in FIG. The wire mesh support 18 is a SUS430 rhombus wire mesh having a linear size of 1.5 mm and an opening of 5 mm, and the wire mesh support 18 is fixed to the aluminum frame without being overlaid on the back sheet 16. Other than the above, the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment.
In the production of Example 2, the solar cell laminate 30 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, the peripheral portion of the solar cell laminate 30 was set in the aluminum frame groove, and the aluminum frame was screwed and fixed. Thereafter, the wire mesh support 18 was fixed to the lower surface of the aluminum frame by spot welding to produce a solar cell module 10a. In addition, the space | interval of the clearance gap between the back sheet 16 and the metal-mesh-like support body 18 was 5 mm.
In order to fix the frame member 24, the silicone sealant was cured by leaving it at room temperature for 7 days.

(Comparative Example 1)
A solar cell module 100 shown in FIG. 6 was produced. In addition, it is the same as Example 1 except the point that the thickness of the surface protective layer 102 is 1.1 mm, and the point which does not provide the wire-mesh-like support body 18.
In the production of Comparative Example 1, a solar cell laminate 30 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, the peripheral portion of the solar cell laminate 30 was set in an aluminum frame groove, and the aluminum frame was fixed with screws. Then, the solar cell module 100 was produced by leaving the film at room temperature for 7 days to cure the silicone sealing material and providing the frame member 24.

For the three types of solar cell modules of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1 that were produced, a mechanical strength test was performed.
In the mechanical strength test, according to IEC 1646-10.16, a static pressure of 2400 Pa is applied to the surface protective layer and the back sheet side for 1 hour and 3 cycles each, and finally the pressure is applied to the surface protective layer side. At that time, it was performed under the condition of applying 5400 Pa at a static pressure. Then, the external appearance of the solar cell module was evaluated, the energized state of the solar cell module was evaluated, the insulating state of the solar cell module was evaluated, and the conversion efficiency by IV measurement was further measured. In addition, the conversion efficiency by IV measurement is also measured before the mechanical strength test. The results of comprehensive judgment of these measurement results are shown in Table 3 below.

In a mechanical strength test, as a method for applying static pressure, a simple method is a method in which a sand bag having a predetermined stress is placed on a surface protective layer or a back sheet. In addition, as a method for applying static pressure in the mechanical strength test, a test apparatus that applies static pressure may be used.
In the mechanical strength test, the glass of the surface protective layer is not broken, the appearance of the solar cell module is not deformed or damaged, the energization of the solar cell module is not changed, and the insulation of the substrate of the solar cell module is changed. Furthermore, if the change in the conversion efficiency of the solar cell module before and after the test is less than 10% is marked as ◎, change in appearance, change in energization of the solar cell module, change in insulation of the substrate of the solar cell module, or A solar cell module having a change of 10% or more before and after the test was evaluated as x.

As shown in Table 3 above, Examples 1 and 2 passed (evaluated as ◎) with no change in appearance, energization, insulation, and conversion efficiency by IV measurement, but in Comparative Example 1, the surface protective layer The blue plate glass was broken, and the appearance was rejected (evaluation was x).
Thus, by providing a wire net-like support under the back surface protective layer (back sheet), it has become possible to improve the mechanical strength of the solar cell module and reduce the weight. From the above results, the effects of the present invention are clear.

10, 10a, 100 Solar cell module 12 Solar cell sub-module 14 Second adhesive filling layer 16 Back sheet 18 Wire mesh support 20 First adhesive filling layer 22, 102 Surface protective layer 24 Frame member 26 Peripheral sealing material 28 Outside Frame material 40 Solar cell 50 Substrate

Claims (11)

A solar cell in which a surface protective layer is provided on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule via a first adhesive filling layer, and a back surface protection layer is provided on the rear surface side of the solar cell submodule via a second adhesive filling layer A battery module,
The first adhesive filling layer includes an ionomer resin,
The surface protective layer is made of glass having a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm,
The solar cell submodule is a substrate in which an anodized film of aluminum is formed on the surface of a metal sheet, and a light absorption layer composed of a CIGS film is formed.
Furthermore, a wire mesh support is provided on the back protective layer side,
The solar cell module, wherein the solar cell module has a bending stress of 100 MPa or more.   The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the glass constituting the surface protective layer is blue plate glass or white plate glass.   A frame member provided at a peripheral edge, the frame member includes a sealing material provided on an inner side and an outer frame material provided on an outer side, and the sealing material is made of butyl rubber or silicone resin; The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer frame member is made of an aluminum frame or a metal foil tape.   The wire mesh support is a wire mesh or a wire mesh sheet, and the wire mesh support is composed of a stainless steel wire, a galvanized wire, a brass wire, an aluminum wire, or an aluminum alloy wire. 4. The solar cell module according to any one of 3 above.   The solar cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wire mesh of the wire mesh support is a plain weave mesh, a welded net, a crimp net, a turtle shell metal mesh, or a rhombus metal mesh.   The solar cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wire mesh support is provided on a surface of the back surface protective layer.   The solar cell module according to claim 3, wherein the wire mesh support is provided on the frame member so as to cover the back surface protective layer.   The solar cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second adhesive filling layer includes an ethylene vinyl acetate resin or an ionomer resin. A solar cell in which a surface protective layer is provided on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule via a first adhesive filling layer, and a back surface protection layer is provided on the rear surface side of the solar cell submodule via a second adhesive filling layer A battery module manufacturing method comprising:
The first adhesive filling layer includes an ionomer resin,
The surface protective layer is made of glass having a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm,
The solar cell submodule is a substrate in which an anodized film of aluminum is formed on the surface of a metal sheet, and a light absorption layer composed of a CIGS film is formed.
The first adhesive filling layer and the surface protective layer are laminated and disposed on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule, and the second adhesive filling layer and the back surface protective layer are disposed on the rear surface side of the solar cell submodule. Laminating and arranging,
A step of vacuum laminating in a state where the plurality of layers are laminated and arranged;
After the vacuum laminating step, the method includes a step of disposing a wire mesh support on the back surface protective layer and providing a frame member provided with a sealing material on the inner side of the outer frame material at a peripheral portion of the vacuum laminated material. A method for producing a solar cell module. A solar cell in which a surface protective layer is provided on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule via a first adhesive filling layer, and a back surface protection layer is provided on the rear surface side of the solar cell submodule via a second adhesive filling layer A battery module manufacturing method comprising:
The first adhesive filling layer includes an ionomer resin,
The surface protective layer is made of glass having a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm,
The solar cell submodule is a substrate in which an anodized film of aluminum is formed on the surface of a metal sheet, and a light absorption layer composed of a CIGS film is formed.
The first adhesive filling layer and the surface protective layer are laminated and disposed on the front surface side of the solar cell submodule, and the second adhesive filling layer and the back surface protective layer are disposed on the rear surface side of the solar cell submodule. Laminating and arranging,
A step of vacuum laminating in a state where the plurality of layers are laminated and arranged;
After the vacuum laminating step, a step of providing a frame member provided with a sealing material on the inner side of the outer frame material on a peripheral portion of the vacuum laminated,
And a step of providing the wire mesh support on the frame member so as to cover the back surface protective layer.   The method for manufacturing a solar cell module according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the second adhesive filling layer contains an ethylene vinyl acetate resin or an ionomer resin.