APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR VENTILATION OF SOLAR ROOF PANELS

Abstract

A roof portion including solar roof panels and field vents is disclosed. The roof portion includes a sloped roof deck and a cover layer spaced above the roof deck to form a gap between the roof deck and the cover layer. The cover layer includes a layer of cover elements, and a field of one or more solar panels generally within the layer of cover elements. The cover layer also includes a first plurality of field vents positioned within the cover layer substantially immediately below the solar panel field. The cover layer further includes a second plurality of field vents positioned within the cover layer substantially immediately above the solar panel field. The field vents permit airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building with a conventional roof and conventional field vents in the roof.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a building having a roof with solar panels and field vents, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5B is the same view of FIG. 5A, shown with arrows indicating airflow according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a field vent that mimics the appearance of S-shaped tiles, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a field vent that mimics the appearance of flat tiles, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7B is the same view of FIG. 7A, shown with arrows indicating airflow according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a building having a roof with solar panels and field vents, illustrating an arrangement of the field vents in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8B is a perspective view of a building having a roof with solar panels and field vents, illustrating an arrangement of the field vents in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a roof portion in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a roof portion in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A roof portion comprising: a sloped roof deck;a cover layer spaced above the roof deck to form a gap between the roof deck and the cover layer, the cover layer comprising: a layer of cover elements; anda field of one or more solar panels generally within the layer of cover elements;a first plurality of field vents positioned within the cover layer substantially immediately below the solar panel field; anda second plurality of field vents positioned within the cover layer substantially immediately above the solar panel field;wherein the field vents permit airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

2. The roof portion of claim 1, wherein at least some of the field vents comprise: a primary vent member secured to the roof deck at an opening in the roof deck, the primary vent member permitting airflow through the opening between the gap and a region below the roof deck; anda secondary vent member positioned above the primary vent member, the secondary vent member permitting airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

3. The roof portion of claim 2, wherein the secondary vent member mimics an appearance of the cover elements.

4. The roof portion of claim 2, wherein the primary and secondary vent members prevent ingress, from above the roof, of water, vermin, and debris through the primary vent member into the region below the roof deck, while facilitating airflow between the atmosphere above the roof and the region below the roof deck through the primary and secondary vent members.

5. The roof portion of claim 1, wherein the cover elements engage one another in a manner that produces passages between adjacent cover elements, the passages permitting airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

6. The roof portion of claim 1, wherein the field vents mimic an appearance of the cover elements.

7. The roof portion of claim 6, wherein the cover elements comprise tiles.

8. The roof portion of claim 6, wherein the cover elements comprise shingles.

9. The roof portion of claim 1, further comprising a radiant barrier layer below the solar panel field and above the roof deck.

10. The roof portion of claim 9, wherein the solar panel field comprises a plurality of solar panels, the radiant barrier layer comprising a plurality of radiant barrier layer portions each underneath one of the solar panels.

11. The roof portion of claim 9, wherein the radiant barrier layer has a bottom surface that reflects radiant heat and a top surface that is substantially less reflective of radiant heat than the bottom surface.

12. The roof portion of claim 9, wherein the radiant barrier layer is spaced below the solar panel field and spaced above the roof deck.

13. The roof portion of claim 9, wherein the radiant barrier layer comprises aluminum foil.

14. The roof portion of claim 12, further comprising a spacer layer interposed between the solar panel field and the radiant barrier layer, the spacer layer including one or more air pockets.

15. The roof portion of claim 14, wherein the solar panel field comprises a plurality of solar panels, the spacer layer comprising a plurality of spacer layer portions each underneath one of the solar panels, the radiant barrier layer comprising a plurality of radiant barrier layer portions each underneath one of the spacer layer portions.

16. The roof portion of claim 14, wherein the spacer layer comprises bubble wrap.

17. The roof portion of claim 1, wherein the cover elements are provided in rows, a single row of cover elements being interposed between the first plurality of field vents and the solar panel field, another single row of cover elements being interposed between the second plurality of field vents and the solar panel field.

18. The roof portion of claim 1, wherein the first and second pluralities of field vents are immediately adjacent to the solar panel field.

19. The roof portion of claim 1, further comprising one or more field vents within the solar panel field, the one or more field vents permitting airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

20. The roof portion of claim 1, further comprising a first plurality of fans, each fan being positioned to draw air from the atmosphere above the roof into a region below the roof deck through one of the vents of the first plurality of field vents.

21. The roof portion of claim 20, further comprising a second plurality of fans, each fan of the second plurality of fans being positioned to draw air from the region below the roof deck to the atmosphere above the roof through one of the vents of the second plurality of field vents.

22. The roof portion of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fans, each fan being positioned to draw air from a region below the roof deck to the atmosphere above the roof through one of the vents of the second plurality of field vents.

23. The roof portion of claim 1, further comprising at least one vent member secured at an opening in the roof deck underneath the solar panel field, the at least one vent member permitting airflow through the opening between the gap and a region below the roof deck.

24. The roof portion of claim 1, wherein the solar panel field includes a plurality of solar panels.

25. The roof portion of claim 24, wherein the solar panels substantially mimic the appearance of the cover elements.

26. The roof portion of claim 1, wherein the solar panel field includes only one solar panel.

27. A method comprising: providing a cover layer spaced above a sloped roof deck to form a gap between the roof deck and the cover layer, the cover layer comprising: a layer of cover elements; anda field of one or more solar panels generally within the layer of cover elements;positioning a first plurality of field vents within the cover layer substantially immediately below the solar panel field; andpositioning a second plurality of field vents within the cover layer substantially immediately above the solar panel field;wherein the field vents permit airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein positioning the first and second pluralities of field vents comprises: securing a primary vent member to the roof deck at an opening in the roof deck, the primary vent member permitting airflow through the opening between the gap and a region below the roof deck; andpositioning a secondary vent member above the primary vent member, the secondary vent member permitting airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the secondary vent member mimics an appearance of the cover elements.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the primary and secondary vent members prevent ingress, from above the roof, of water, vermin, and debris through the primary vent member into the region below the roof deck, while facilitating airflow between the atmosphere above the roof and the region below the roof deck through the primary and secondary vent members.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising engaging the cover elements with one another in a manner that produces passages between adjacent cover elements, the passages permitting airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the field vents mimic an appearance of the cover elements.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the cover elements comprise tiles.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the cover elements comprise shingles.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing a radiant barrier layer below the solar panel field and above the roof deck.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the solar panel field comprises a plurality of solar panels, and wherein providing the radiant barrier layer comprises providing a plurality of radiant barrier layer portions each underneath one of the solar panels.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the radiant barrier layer has a bottom surface that reflects radiant heat and a top surface that is less reflective of radiant heat than the bottom surface.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising positioning the radiant barrier layer so that it is spaced below the solar panel field and spaced above the roof deck.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein providing the radiant barrier layer comprises providing aluminum foil.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising interposing a spacer layer between the solar panel field and the radiant barrier layer, the spacer layer including one or more air pockets.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the solar panel field comprises a plurality of solar panels, wherein providing the spacer layer comprises providing a plurality of spacer layer portions each underneath one of the solar panels, wherein providing the radiant barrier layer comprises providing a plurality of radiant barrier layer portions each underneath one of the spacer layer portions.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein providing the spacer layer comprises providing bubble wrap.

43. The method of claim 27, wherein providing the cover layer comprises providing the cover elements in rows, the method further comprising: positioning the first plurality of field vents so that a single row of cover elements is interposed between the first plurality of field vents and the solar panel field; andpositioning the second plurality of field vents so that another single row of cover elements is interposed between the second plurality of field vents and the solar panel field.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein positioning the first and second pluralities of field vents comprises positioning the first and second pluralities of field vents immediately adjacent to the solar panel field.

45. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing one or more field vents within the solar panel field, the one or more field vents permitting airflow between the gap and the atmosphere above the roof.

46. The method of claim 27, further comprising positioning a first plurality of fans so that each fan is positioned to draw air from the atmosphere above the roof into a region below the roof deck through one of the vents of the first plurality of field vents.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising positioning a second plurality of fans so that each fan of the second plurality of fans is positioned to draw air from the region below the roof deck to the atmosphere above the roof through one of the vents of the second plurality of field vents.

48. The method of claim 27, further comprising positioning a plurality of fans so that each fan is positioned to draw air from a region below the roof deck to the atmosphere above the roof through one of the vents of the second plurality of field vents.

49. The method of claim 27, further comprising securing at least one vent member at an opening in the roof deck underneath the solar panel field, the at least one vent member permitting airflow through the opening between the gap and a region below the roof deck.

50. The method of claim 27, wherein the solar panel field includes a plurality of solar panels.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the solar panels substantially mimic the appearance of the cover elements.

52. The method of claim 27, wherein the solar panel field includes only one solar panel.