Color, graphic design and high efficiency for photovoltaic modules

Luminescent materials suitably embedded into the architecture of photovoltaic (PV) modules can increase the short-wavelength response, and thus efficiency, of nearly all inproduction PV technologies. At the same time, visible-wavelength luminescence that escapes the modules due to its omnidirectional nature is perceived as color when it reaches the human eye. It is shown that this “lost” luminescence can be used for the application of aesthetical as well as functional coloration, while maintaining or even increasing in favorable cases the efficiency of commercial PV modules. Performance enhancement of 0.4 mA/cm² is reported for a CdTe mini-module with a custom graphical design.