Patent Application
20140109953
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for integrating and mounting solar photovoltaic modules and arrays, and more specifically, the present invention relates to a lightweight, quick to install and aerodynamic mounting system for integrating solar photovoltaic modules and solar photovoltaic arrays for low-slope rooftops.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solar irradiance is the most ample source of energy on this planet, which maintains the majority of all life on earth. Being able to harness the abundant solar energy and convert it into usable electricity is one of the main contributors behind the growth of the solar photovoltaic industry.
As the industry continues to grow and the technology advances, solar photovoltaic modules (“PV Modules”) become increasingly popular, and so do the means by which they are utilized. Countries all over the world encourage their populace to contribute and generate their own electricity by means of such PV modules and offer them a variety of incentives. Business owners with large low-slope rooftops are particularly attracted to this idea because it is a means by which income is created, savings are procured, and space that is otherwise unused and is in ample supply can be effectively utilized.
The PV modules are typically positioned on rooftops facing either north or south depending on the location of the rooftop with respect to the equator. This direction ensures maximum exposure of the PV modules to the sun throughout the year. Similarly, the tilt angle at which a PV module is inclined directly affects the overall performance thereof throughout each day. This tilt angle is directly proportional to the latitude at which the PV modules are mounted. The correct alignment of these PV modules to the right angle and direction is crucial to their effectiveness.
Therefore, solar photovoltaic mounting systems (“Mounting System”) are vital in the design aspects. It is imperative to develop a mounting system that can effectively aim each PV module at the optimal angle and direction. However, at the same time, it must be able to secure the PV modules to withstand all sorts of forces that may be experienced on an open rooftop; from wind loads and snow loads to seismic loads, among many others. Uplift forces and drag forces are the most crucial of these forces; they are highly dependent on the wind zone of the building and the height. An ideal racking system must be both lightweight and aerodynamic because many rooftops are not designed to carry additional dead loads. If a mounting system is very lightweight, it must be equally as aerodynamic in order to eliminate any compensating ballast.
When PV modules are grouped together, they are referred to as solar photovoltaic arrays (hereinafter referred to as “PV Arrays”). PV arrays are crucial in the solar industry for creating efficient and effective systems. When PV modules are grouped together, they can form an interconnected grid wherein each PV module is connected to its adjacent. PV module and so on, in both directions. This arrangement is crucial because a strong interconnection can allow for system weight and features of components further away to share loading and share aerodynamic qualities. When implemented correctly, this can lead to some PV arrays with little to no extra ballasting at all, and ideally, a system that is entirely self-ballasted. The larger the PV arrays, the larger their averaging areas, and therefore the stiffer the system, the more aerodynamic it becomes, and the more self-dependent it becomes with respects to additional ballast. Determining their averaging area, whether the system is a two-by-two (whereas this would be described as two PV modules north-south and two PV modules east-west), or whether the system is three-by-three, or four-by-four, and so on, is the key to making a PV array self-ballasted.
In light of the foregoing, there exists a need to provide a mounting and installation system for PV modules and PV arrays that is lightweight quick to install, and aerodynamic in nature, in addition, the mounting and installation system should be self-ballasted and should eliminate the above mentioned limitations of the prior art systems.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system for mounting and installing solar photovoltaic modules and solar photovoltaic arrays for low-slope rooftops that is lightweight, quick to install, and aerodynamic. The solar photovoltaic system includes a rail structure which provides a rigid linking platform to interconnect solar photovoltaic modules. The photovoltaic modules are secured atop a bottom and top link member by means of a module mounting clamp, which can additionally ground the solar photovoltaic modules. Forces acting on the solar photovoltaic system can be reduced by means of utilizing a rear and a flanking wind deflector. Linking wind deflector members are secured by means of self-drilling machine thread screws to additionally provide a bonding connection. Interconnecting the present invention into a solar photovoltaic array enables structural strengths and ballasting to be used supportively throughout the army where it may be required.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for mounting and installing of solar photovoltaic modules and arrays that provides an interconnected structural grid throughout the entire solar photovoltaic array using a series of linking members. The structure of the grid is distinguished by a combination of two groupings of members running in perpendicular axis to one another. One grouping of the current embodiment is a series of rail and connector members secured to one another along an axis, traditionally, although not limited to, North-South, with a similar innumerable series of this grouping running in parallel to this axis. The second grouping of the current embodiment is a series of solar photovoltaic modules and module mounting clamps secured to one another along a second axis perpendicular to the first grouping. This interconnected structural grid of groupings form a solar photovoltaic array capable of sharing ballasting effects and structural rigidity.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for mounting, and installing, of solar photovoltaic modules and arrays that provides reduced additional load requirements to an existing roof by means of a self-ballasting. One embodiment of the current invention is a lightweight aluminum alloy, which serves to little any additional loading on the roof than necessary. The method by which this self-ballasting technique is utilized is by means of the interconnectedness of the members throughout the solar photovoltaic array; this can allow the weight of the solar photovoltaic system to ballast itself under the proper circumstances. A self-ballasted solar photovoltaic array will not require ballasting stones anywhere throughout the array, enabling for lightweight system on rooftops that have a low load reserves.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for mounting and installing of solar photovoltaic modules and arrays that provides averaging areas to determine the ballasting scenario and stiffness of a solar photovoltaic array. These averaging areas may be affected by, but are not limited to, the wind exposure and the position within the interconnected grid. One embodiment of this method includes; dividing the solar photovoltaic array into sections deduced from their wind exposure; similarly dividing the sections into zones deduced from the solar photovoltaic module's position within the interconnected grid; allocating respective ballasting values according to their sections and zones.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for mounting and installing, of solar photovoltaic modules and arrays that provides an easy installation by using, a.
“click-in” installation mechanism. One embodiment of this method includes; a rail member and a bottom link member. Another embodiment of this method includes; a rail member and a top link member. In one aspect, a method is disclosed for installing of the click-in technique, the method includes the steps of; obtaining a rail member and a bottom link member; orienting and positioning the rail member atop the desired snake; setting the link member atop the rail member; pressing the link member with adequate downward force into the rail member. In one aspect of the current invention, click-in method ensues subsequent to a series of audible ‘clicking’ sounds coming from the locking of the bottom link member to the rail member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for mounting and installing, of solar photovoltaic modules and arrays that provides a single electrical grounding connection throughout the entire solar photovoltaic array. By means of, but not limited to, bonding a combination of module mounting clamps, self-drilling machine thread screws, the “click-in” mechanism, and the interconnected structural grid of the solar photovoltaic array, the solar photovoltaic system can experience a single grounding/bonding connection.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a solar photovoltaic module integration system includes a roof protection mat, a rail member positioned atop the roof protection mat, a connector member that couples multiple rail members, a bottom link member and a top link member coupled to a rail member, a rear wind deflector coupled to a top link member and a rail member, and a flanking wind deflector coupled to a top link member and a rail member.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a photovoltaic array. The photovoltaic array includes a roof protection mat and a plurality of rail members that are substantially parallel and are disposed at a first predetermined distance from each other atop the roof protection mat. The photovoltaic array further includes a plurality of bottom link members, a plurality of top link members, and a plurality of link members. First bottom and top link members are removably secured atop a first rail member at a second predetermined distance from each other by way of first and second link members respectively, and second bottom and top link members are removably secured atop a second rail member at the second predetermined distance from each other by way of third and fourth link members respectively. A first photovoltaic module of a plurality of photovoltaic modules is removably secured to the first rail member by way of the first bottom and top link members, and to the second rail member by way of the second bottom and top link members. The first photovoltaic module forms a predetermined angle with respect to the first and second rail members, which is between 5 and 25 degrees. A plurality of wind deflectors and flanking wind deflectors is also provided, a wind deflectors conceals a rear portion of the first photovoltaic module and first and second flanking wind deflectors conceal first and second side portions of the first photovoltaic module, respectively.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being used and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be construed as limiting.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of this application.
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term “an article” may include a plurality of articles unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the Figures may be exaggerated, relative to other elements, in order to improve the understanding of the present invention.
There may be additional components described in the foregoing application that are not depicted on one of the described drawings. In the event such a component is described, but not depicted in a drawing, the absence of such a drawing should not be considered as an omission of such design from the specification.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate a system for mounting and installing of solar photovoltaic modules and arrays, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The system for mounting and installing of solar photovoltaic modules and arrays includes a roof protection mat, a rail member positioned atop the roof protection map, a link member that couples multiple rails, a bottom link member and a top link member coupled to a rail member, a rear wind deflector coupled to a top link member and a rail member, a flanking, wind deflector coupled to a top link member and a rail member.
Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Although selected embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it may be understood that various substitutions and alterations are possible. Those haying ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings may recognize additional various substitutions and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
