US 11,955,575 B2
Solar power harvesting building envelope
Michael Hughes, Albany, NY (US); Diana-Andra Borca-Tasciuc, Troy, NY (US); and Deborah A. Kaminski, Slingerlands, NY (US)
Assigned to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (US)
Filed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (US)
Filed on Jan. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/569,048.
Application 17/569,048 is a division of application No. 16/317,642, granted, now 11,251,323, previously published as PCT/US2017/041614, filed on Jul. 12, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/361,023, filed on Jul. 12, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0302333 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. H02S 20/26 (2014.01); F21V 8/00 (2006.01); G02B 5/04 (2006.01); G02B 5/08 (2006.01); G02B 6/43 (2006.01); G02B 19/00 (2006.01); H01L 31/048 (2014.01); H01L 31/054 (2014.01); H01L 31/055 (2014.01); H02S 30/10 (2014.01)
CPC H01L 31/0547 (2014.12) [G02B 5/04 (2013.01); G02B 5/08 (2013.01); G02B 6/005 (2013.01); G02B 6/43 (2013.01); G02B 19/0019 (2013.01); G02B 19/0042 (2013.01); H01L 31/048 (2013.01); H01L 31/055 (2013.01); H02S 20/26 (2014.12); H02S 30/10 (2014.12); G02B 6/0046 (2013.01); Y02E 10/52 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar power generation system including a modular construction building envelope on an exterior of a structure comprising:
a plurality of modular construction materials wired together and positioned on said building envelope, said modular construction materials comprising:
a frame including an end wall fabricated substantially from a photovoltaic material, a reflective base, and opposing reflective side walls;
a wedge-shaped translucent body layer on said frame, said wedge-shaped translucent body layer having a hollow interior;
a first film comprising luminescent species embedded at a base of said wedge-shaped translucent body layer, said first film positioned at a height above said reflective base;
a second film being reflective positioned between said wedge-shaped translucent body layer and said reflective base, said second reflective film being separate from said reflective base, said second reflective film having a length as measured between a first end and a second end thereof; and
a gap between said translucent body layer and said second reflective film, said gap having a uniform height as measured along the length of said second reflective film;
wherein said wedge-shaped translucent body layer has a length, a first end having a height at said photovoltaic material, a second end opposing said first end, and an aspect ratio of said length to said first end height is greater than about 1.