Patent Application
20210324586
The invention relates to photovoltaic panels and photovoltaic panel systems, and, more particularly, to photovoltaic panel assemblies which may be used in structurally demanding applications such as in walkways or patio hardscapes for example. The invention includes photovoltaic panel assemblies which may be used in structurally demanding applications and to installations of such photovoltaic panel assemblies. The invention also encompasses methods for producing a photovoltaic panel assembly.
A photovoltaic (PV) cell generates electricity in response to light striking a surface of the cell material. In particular, a PV cell may be placed in sunlight to generate electricity from the sunlight striking the cell. Individual PV cells may be arranged in groups in a sheet of material to form a PV panel capable of generating a useful amount of electricity for storage or for immediate use in electrically powered devices. PV generating capacity has grown exponentially within the past few decades and is an ever-increasing percentage of distributed energy production within the United States and around the world.
PV panel arrays are commonly installed on commercial and residential rooftops to make use of that area for power generation. For low-slope roofs (commonly defined as having no more than four inches of rise over every twelve inches of run) a PV panel array may be installed with a racking system that is ballasted with weights to hold it down. There is no need for any rooftop penetrations in these low-slope roofs because the PV panels and racking are held by the weight of the ballast rather than a mechanical attachment to the roof structure. For steep-sloped roofs (commonly defined as having over four inches of rise for every twelve inches of run) PV panel array installation requires a racking system that must be mechanically attached to the roof structure. This mechanical attachment generally requires penetrations to be drilled through the rooftop, so that the system can be bolted to the underlying building structure. The hardware of the penetration is then flashed and waterproofed to the extent possible to prevent leakage.
Both low-slope and steep-sloped roof PV panel installations present problems, both practical and aesthetic. First, any rooftop PV panel installation that requires roof penetrations presents the problem of potential leakage and expensive repairs for leakage damage within the structure and for preventing further leakage. With regard to steep-sloped shingle roofs, the roof penetration and hardware installation may break the mastic sealant which helps hold the rows of shingles in place during high wind events, and thus leave the roof prone to wind damage. While ballasted PV panel racking systems which may be installed on low-slope roofs are typically less expensive to install and may be installed relatively quickly, the ballast weight adds to the load on the roof structure and thus the roof structure must be designed to take the added load. For some buildings a ballasted PV panel racking system may only be added after the building structure is modified to properly support the added weight. Both low-slope and steep-slope roof PV panel installations must also be designed for high and variable wind conditions and dangers from seismic events, and must be tested in order to be certified to UL standards for resistance to wind and seismic events. Additionally, rooftop PV panel installations present relatively dangerous working conditions both for installation work and maintenance since the installations are necessarily at height. The danger for workers is particularly acute for steep-slope installations where a worker may easily slide off the roof and suffer a debilitating or even fatal fall. Rooftop PV panel installations also present problems when maintenance is required for the roof or the roofing material must be replaced. Such roofing repair or replacement may require the entire rooftop PV panel array to be removed and then reinstalled once the roofing repair or replacement is done.
In both low-slope and steep-slope roof installations, the PV panels provide a visual distraction to the roofing surface and the building aesthetic. This is particularly the case for steep-slope roof installations where the PV panels are clearly visible from generally every viewpoint to the building. Even in low-slope PV panel installations, some or all of at least some of the PV panels or the racking system may be visible from at least some points of view to the building and may affect the building aesthetics.
There have been a number of attempts to minimize the visual impact of the PV panel array in rooftop installations. U.S. Pat. No. 8,319,093 discloses a PV module particularly for use in rooftop installations. The PV module, which may include a number of individual PV cells, includes a color layer with pigments that cause the PV module to simulate conventional roofing. Another attempt to make a rooftop PV installation less apparent and visible is to incorporate the PV cells into a roofing material or shingle that is applied into a field of conventional roofing material. This approach is illustrated by Dow Powerhouse® shingles. However, these types of shingles do not blend in well with surrounding roofing shingles, and this may cause the installation to have a negative impact on the building aesthetics. Another drawback of incorporating PV cells into a roofing shingle is that it greatly multiplies the number of electrical connections that must be made in the PV installation, which increases both points of potential failure and installation labor. Yet another drawback of incorporating PV cells into roofing shingles is the heat build-up occasioned by having the PV cells directly on the roof deck and roofing underlayment with no means of cooling the cells. Conventional PV panel array installations rely on air flow beneath each PV panel to isolate the PV cells from the rooftop temperatures which can reach fifty to one hundred degrees hotter than the ground ambient temperature. Preventing undue heat buildup in a PV cell is important because the heat buildup can lead to a large drop in output from the PV cell.
Yet another attempt to hide PV rooftop installations has been developed by Tesla Corporation where the PV cells are incorporated into glass shingles of tiles and these PV-integrated shingles or tiles are installed together with “blank” shingles or tiles which do not incorporate PV cells. This arrangement is intended to provide a single continuous appearance across the entire roofing installation. However, this system requires a large number of electrical connections and also suffers from the heat buildup problem described above. In addition, the shingles or tiles are relatively heavy and require that the underlying structure be designed to accommodate the additional weight of the roofing material. The labor to install such a system is also more than a standard roof and the economics of the roofing material and labor may make it cost prohibitive.
All rooftop PV device installations also have the disadvantage of having to meet strict code requirements of electrical, fire, mechanical, and other regulations that are triggered when they are placed upon rooftops. If one does not want to deal with the restrictions, limitations and costs associated with mounting a PV panel array on a rooftop, one could consider a ground mounted system where the array is placed on elevating poles or other structures on adjacent ground area to the building. However, a major limitation of such elevated ground installations is that residential homes have limited area that is typically reserved for lawns, patios, sidewalks and other features demanded by residential homeowners. Commercial properties too may have limited free ground area for such elevated ground PV panel array installations. Furthermore, elevated ground PV panel arrays in a residential or commercial setting can be more aesthetically distracting than a roof mounted array.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0199282 by Oleinick et al. and U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2018/0102730 by Brusaw et al. both disclose PV panel assemblies which may be used for paving roads, driveways, and walkways. These panel assemblies, however, have a distinctively non-traditional appearance and do not provide a cost-effective or aesthetically pleasing installation that would be readily accepted by commercial building owners or home owners. These panel assemblies leave the PV panel prone to damage from forces which may be applied in a given installation.
It is an object of the invention to provide devices and systems which overcome the above-noted problems and others associated with PV panel installations. These problems are addressed by providing PV panel assemblies which are suitable for structurally demanding applications such as in ground installations. By facilitating the installation of PV panels in structurally demanding settings such as in walkways and patio hardscapes, for example, the PV panel assemblies and installations according to the present invention allow these settings to be used for electrical power generation without interfering with the property aesthetics and without taking up property area only for such power generation.
A PV panel assembly according to one aspect of the present invention includes a PV panel and a frame, the frame being defined by a first lateral side component and a second lateral side component. The PV panel has a panel first surface and a panel second surface each bounded by a panel peripheral edge, with the panel peripheral edge defined by a first side peripheral edge and a second side peripheral edge lying opposite to each other. The PV panel includes one or more PV cells and is operable to provide electrical power at a panel output terminal in response to operating light incident on the panel first surface. The first lateral side component extends along the first side peripheral edge of the panel and defines a first lateral side inside surface. The second lateral side component extends along the second side peripheral edge of the panel and defines a second lateral side inside surface lying opposite to the first lateral side inside surface so that the two (first and second) lateral side inside surfaces together with the panel second surface, define a base volume. A molded base material is located in the base volume. This molded base material comprises a material solidified from a flowable material placed in the base volume and molded against at least a portion of the panel second surface and against at least a portion of the first and second lateral side inside surfaces. A light-transmissive cover material extends over the panel first surface.
In a PV panel assembly according to this first aspect of the invention, the molded base material provides a rigid support for the PV panel which allows the paver to be placed on the ground or a prepared sand bed. The frame made up of the first and second lateral side components provides a form for receiving the base material in the manufacture of the paver. The light-transmissive cover material extending over the panel first surface provides a tough and wear-resistant material to protect the panel first surface from footsteps and the weight of objects placed on the installed panel assembly. However, light and sunlight in particular may still penetrate through the cover material to reach the PV panel first surface and cause the panel to generate electricity. Thus a PV panel assembly according to this first aspect of the invention may be installed in a structurally demanding setting such as a landscape, and the panel output terminals connected to provide electrical generation for current use or storage in an electrical storage system such as a battery system.
As used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, the designation “PV panel” refers to a device having one or more PV cells which produce a photovoltaic effect in response to operating light incident on a surface of the cell. “Operating light” is used herein to refer to the level of light needed for the PV cell to produce the photovoltaic effect. Such PV cells may be formed in any fashion using any photovoltaic material technology now known or developed in the future. For example, a solar cell which may be used in a PV panel in accordance with the present invention may comprise a monocrystalline, polycrystalline, or amorphous silicon cell, thin film PV cell, multi junction PV cell, or any other type of PV cell. In accordance with current manufacturing techniques, a number of PV cells which individually provide a small light collection area are typically connected together to form a PV panel which overall provides a large light collection area. However, the designation “PV panel” as used in this disclosure and accompanying claims is not limited to such multiple PV cell arrangements. Also, a PV panel as used in this disclosure will commonly include a sheet of backing material and a sheet of transparent upper surface material in the PV panel structure. These backing and upper surface materials serve to protect the PV cells, conductor traces, and other electronic elements which may be included with the PV cells.
The designation “light-transmissive” as used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims means that the material or structure is capable of transmitting operating light to the collection surface of a PV cell, that is, sufficient light to, when the light is incident on the surface of a PV cell, cause the PV cell to generate electricity. A light-transmissive material need not transmit all wavelengths equally, and may essentially block or greatly attenuate some wavelengths in the spectrum of sunlight. Regardless of any such wavelength transmissivity preference, sufficient light at a given wavelength may pass through the light-transmissive material in the thicknesses used in the structures described herein to cause a PV cell operable on that wavelength to produce the photovoltaic effect to generate electricity. Of course, implementations according to the various aspects of the invention may use highly light-transmissive materials to allow for higher levels of electricity generation from installations according to the present invention.
The present disclosure and accompanying claims may use terms such as top, bottom, side, lateral, upper, and lower in reference to a certain feature or structure. These relative positional terms are used with reference to the orientation of the example PV panel assemblies and installations shown in the drawings.
In some implementations of a PV panel assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, the first and second lateral side components each include a panel capture flange having a capture surface facing the panel first surface in an area adjacent to the panel peripheral edge. Since the molded base material is molded against the first and second lateral side components to connect the molded base material to these lateral side components, the capture flange serves to couple the PV panel to the molded base material. That is, the first and second lateral side components are fixed to the molded base material by virtue of the molding, and the PV panel is fixed relative to the two lateral side components by abutment against the capture flange. This coupling of the PV panel to the molded base material via the two lateral side components is addition to the coupling provided by molding the base material against the panel second surface.
The first and second lateral side components making may each also include a base material capture flange located at an end of the component opposite to the end having the panel capture flange. The base material capture flange is in position to help retain the molded base material in position relative to the first and second lateral side components and the PV panel.
Regardless of how the PV panel is positioned or connected to the frame prior to introduction of the material which forms the molded base material of a PV panel assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, a portion of the frame made up of the first and second lateral side components may be exposed on a bottom surface of the PV panel assembly. Where the frame is formed from an electrically conductive material, this exposed portion of the frame provides a grounding point for the PV panel assembly.
Implementations of a PV panel assembly according to the first aspect of the invention may also include reinforcing elements embedded in the molded base material to enhance the strength of the composite structure made up of the PV panel, frame (made up of the first and second lateral side components), molded base material, and cover material. Such reinforcing elements may be included in spaced apart layers of reinforcing fibers or other elements within the thickness of the molded base material and may extend substantially parallel to the panel plane defined by the PV panel first surface. Embedding features may also be included protruding from the inside surface of each of the first and second lateral side components in position to be embedded in the molded base material. The embedding features may help to retain the position of the first and second lateral side components and the PV panel coupled to the molded base material.
The cover material included in PV panel assemblies according to the first aspect of the invention may be a material molded on to the PV panel and frame. In this case, a layer of the molded cover material defines a lower cover material surface which is molded against the panel first surface and defines a cover material upper surface facing away from the panel first surface. Also in these molded cover material embodiments, a cover material inside lateral surface may be molded against an outside surface of each of the first and second lateral side components.
A PV panel assembly according to the first aspect of the invention may include at least one reduced light transmissivity layer located in the cover material between a load receiving surface and the panel first surface. Any such reduced light transmissivity layer is formed from a light-transmissive material in which is included low-light-transmissivity granular material. “Low-light-transmissivity” in this sense and as used elsewhere in this disclosure and the accompanying claims means that the granular material transmits less than approximately 50% of incident light in the operating spectrum of the given PV panel. This low-light-transmissivity granular material serves to provide an appearance to the PV panel assembly that may mimic a traditional landscape paver of concrete, stone, or other traditional paver material. The appearance may be enhanced by the color presented by the panel first surface visible through the light transmissive cover material and by granular material which exhibits a light transmissivity greater than a low-light-transmissivity material and may be included in the reduced light transmissivity layer or elsewhere in the PV panel assembly above the PV panel. In some cases, the low-light-transmissivity granular material may be suspended in the reduced light transmissivity layer below the load receiving surface. In any event the low-light-transmissivity granular material is preferably present in such a concentration that it reduces the light transmissivity of the reduced light transmissivity layer by no more than approximately 10%. That is, the concentration of low-light-transmissivity material in the reduced light transmissivity layer is preferably limited to a concentration in which the low-light-transmissivity material reduces the light transmissivity of the layer by no more than approximately 10% as compared to a case in which no low-light-transmissivity material was included in the layer. Also, the grains which make up the low-light-transmissivity granular material may be limited to a certain size ranges to produce the desired appearance while avoiding undue impact on the amount of light which may reach the PV panel.
A second aspect of the invention encompasses a PV panel installation which may employ PV panel assemblies according to the first aspect of the invention. A PV panel installation according to this second aspect of the invention includes a PV panel supporting bed and two or more PV panel assemblies as described above supported on the supporting bed. Some implementations may further include a moisture introduction arrangement in fluid communication with the PV panel supporting bed. The PV panel supporting bed in these installations may be formed as a layer of granular material such as a layer of paver sand which produces a porous and permeable layer of material above a suitable subgrade.
The moisture introduction arrangement allows water to be released into the porous and permeable layer formed by the granular material making up the PV panel supporting layer. This introduced water and the evaporation of the water serves to moderate the temperature of the PV panel supporting bed and thereby moderate the temperature the PV panel in the installation. This moderation of temperature allows the PV panel to operate more efficiently and compensates for any loss of efficiency cause by the reduction of light incident on the panel through the cover material. In particular, the moderation of temperature helps compensate for the reduction of light reaching the PV panel occasioned by any reduced light transmissivity layer in the PV panel assemblies.
In installations according to this second aspect of the invention which include the moisture introduction arrangement, the moisture introduction arrangement may include at least one conduit extending through the volume defined by the PV panel supporting bed. The conduit incorporates suitable emitters or is formed at least partially from a water-permeable material to facilitate the communication of water from the conduit to the porous and permeable layer comprising the PV panel supporting bed.
A third aspect of the present invention encompasses methods of producing a PV panel assembly having a PV panel such as that described above in connection with the first aspect of the invention. Methods according to this aspect of the invention include supporting the PV panel on a support surface in a first molding position in which the panel second surface faces upwardly away from the support surface. The methods further include defining a base volume of the PV panel assembly. This base volume comprises a volume defined by the panel second surface and a peripheral transverse surface extending along the entire length of the panel peripheral edge where the peripheral transverse surface extends transverse to a plane defined by the panel second surface. While supporting the PV panel in the first molding position, methods according to this aspect of the invention further include placing a flowable base-forming material within at least a portion of the base volume so that the flowable base-forming material is molded against at least a portion of the panel second surface and at least a portion of the peripheral transverse surface. The flowable base-forming material is then caused to solidify while molded against the panel second surface and peripheral transverse surface to thereby form a molded base material within the base volume and being molded against the portion of the panel second surface and the portion of the peripheral transverse surface. One the flowable base-forming material is solidified the PV panel is removed from the first molding position together with the molded base material. A light-transmissive cover material is then molded against substantially the entire panel first surface.
An installation as described above and in further detail below in connection with the drawings, functions to provide a PV panel array that may be identical or very similar in appearance to that of a conventional construction feature such as a landscape paver patio, walkway or drive way while simultaneously providing solar generated electricity. The sun energy moves through the atmosphere and strikes the top surface of the PV panel assemblies and travels through the light-transmissive cover materials and then into the PV panel where the electricity is generated. Where included in the installation, the moisture introduction arrangement (which may comprise low volume drip irrigation lines) provides cooling to the PV panels including any associated electronics, such as batteries and micro-inverters, through the heat absorbing capacity of the water and through the cooling occasioned by evaporation of the introduced water. The PV panel assemblies can be installed in a configuration to form areas of a patio, walkway, or drive of uniform appearance which blends in well or is even indistinguishable from adjacent areas formed from traditional, non-PV generation enabling, materials.
The PV panel installation according to the various aspects and feature of the invention has the following advantages:
These and other aspects of the invention and advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of representative embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.
In the following description,
It should be appreciated that the square shape of paver 100 is simply provided as an example and that pavers according to the present invention may be formed in any desired shape. Pavers according to the invention may provide a top surface in the shape of an elongated rectangle or other polygonal shape, or a circle, oval, or other non-polygonal shape. Also, although
The section view of
Cover material 203 extends over the panel first surface 205 and preferably, but not necessarily, over at least a portion of the frame outside surface 212. In this example, cover material 203 extends over substantially all of the frame outside surface 212 to define all of the sides 102 of paver 100. Cover material 203 is comprised of a light transmissive material at least in portions extending over one or more areas of panel first surface 205 and preferably over the entire panel first surface. As will be discussed below, cover material 203 may include a material which is molded over the PV panel and frame to define a lower cover material surface molded against the panel first surface and a cover material inside lateral surface molded against the frame outside surface 212, that is, against the outside surface of the frame elements 104a-d making up the first and second lateral side components of the PV panel assembly comprising paver 100.
In the example of
In order to produce an appearance approximating a traditional landscape paver, paver 100 includes a reduced light transmissivity layer 221 shown in
The alternative paver construction shown in
The example of
The alternate PV panel assembly construction shown in
Numerous types of materials may be used for forming the frame, such as frames 104 and 401, shown in
Base material such as that shown at 202 and 405 in
The cover material which may be used in a composite PV panel assembly according to the present invention may comprise a suitable clear polymer resin, epoxy, pourable clear plastic polymer, or any clear, moldable material which provides the desired light transmissivity when the material is cured or hardened.
It should also be appreciated that any of the features shown in the two example configurations of
The composite PV panel assemblies shown for example in
Once the base material is placed in the above-noted upwardly opening receptacle formed by the frame and PV panel, and solidifies appropriately, the resulting intermediate structure of PV panel, frame, and base material may be placed in a suitable mold which allows the cover material to be molded on to the structure. For example, the intermediate structure may be placed PV panel side down into a mold which leaves a gap into which the cover material may be poured, injected, or otherwise placed. It is also possible to partially prefill the mold and press the intermediate structure into the partially filled mold to form the desired cover layer. Once the cover material has hardened sufficiently, the resulting structure may be removed from the mold for any further processing or assembly.
Any low-light-transmissivity granular material desired for a given implementation may be introduced into the structure in a number of ways within the scope of the present invention. For example, the granular material may be spread out across the bottom of the mold used to mold the cover material onto the intermediate structure. This process produces a reduced light transmissivity layer generally as shown in the example of
The view of
The example of
Regardless of how the PV panels in the composite PV panel assembly pavers are connected to equipment for extracting power from the array, the paver provides cover material 203 as a light transmissive layer above each panel so that light, especially sunlight, incident on the paver may pass through to the PV panel. The light transmissive layer also serves to protect the relatively fragile PV panel surfaces from contact and also serve as a carrier for the granular material described above which provides the desired appearance for the pavers. Meanwhile, the molded base material 202 in each paver 100 supports the respective PV panel 200 to prevent any bending forces in the panel which might damage the panel structure. Base material 202 also functions to transfer any forces applied to the light transmissive load bearing surface 101 of the PV panel assembly paver to the material making up the PV panel supporting bed 501 below. Water may be introduced into the granular material making up the PV panel supporting bed 501, and this introduced water together with the evaporation of that water helps moderate the temperature of pavers 100 and PV panels 200 incorporated in the pavers. Aside from the water which may be introduced into PV panel supporting bed 501, the thermal mass of the bed 501 and subgrade 502 in which it is formed also helps moderate temperature swings in PV panels 200 due to incident sunlight and atmospheric conditions.
In the example paver 600 shown in
While example paver 600 includes three layers of material, layers 609, 610, and 612, it will be appreciated that a light transmissive paver in accordance with the aspects of the invention may include more than three layers. Also, it is possible that a bottom elastomer layer may be omitted from the paver and instead applied in an installation as a separate layer of material. In this case a light transmissive paver may include only the reduced light transmissivity layer and one additional layer, or even a single layer of material incorporating low-light-transmissivity granular material. The various layers of material included in the upper assembly 606 of paver 600 may include any of the light transmissive materials described above in connection with the composite pavers shown in
The light transmissive paver 600 in this installation is placed with the bottom surface 602 formed by elastomer material 612 facing the upwardly facing panel first surface 701 while the panel second surface 702 is supported by the granular material making up the PV panel supporting bed 801. This support from PV panel supporting bed 801 below prevents the relatively fragile PV panel 700 from bending significantly under loads which may be placed on the top surface of the installation comprising the load receiving surfaces 601 of pavers 600.
The example installation 800 of
The PV panel installation shown schematically in
Light transmissive landscape pavers 1000 in this example embodiment include a glass container 1007 with an optical, highly light-transmissive coating 1008 on the upper surface, contained within or below the glass container 1007 upper surface 1009. Within glass container 1007 is a water clear to clear polyurethane rubber 1012 which substantially fills the glass container and extends down to the upper surface of PV panel 1001. There may be a grout fill material 1013 which is in between adjacent light-transmissive landscape pavers 1000. Sun rays 1014 pass through the atmosphere 1015 above pavers 1000, through the light transmissive landscape pavers 1000, and strike the PV panel 1001, allowing solar electric energy to be produced from an aesthetically pleasing landscape paver installation such as a walkway or patio.
The installations according to the preferred embodiments shown in
Once the base of sand, optional landscape fabric and irrigation drip tubing is established and the PV panels are laid on top and connected up, the light-transmissive landscape pavers can be laid down over the modules to form the upper patio, walkway or drive surface. The light permeable landscape pavers can be laid in any pattern and extend out past the area of the solar panel modules to create a landscape feature independent of the geometry of the solar array beneath it. In areas of landscape feature where there are no solar modules below the light permeable landscape pavers can be directly laid on a sand base with water permeable landscape fabric on it.
The light permeable landscape pavers can be designed and fit tightly so that no filling grout material is needed between the pavers or they can have an appropriate grout material filled in between the pavers.
The schematic representation of
The integrally molded composite light-transmissive landscape paver may be installed by placing the unit over a sand base like a conventional paver, connecting the leads from the PV panels embedded in the composite light-transmissive landscape pavers, and routing the connections to a string inverter and/or appropriate electrical or panel connections. The electrical inverter could also be located on the back of the PV module and embedded in the concrete on the backside of the composite unit paver.
As used herein, whether in the above description or the following claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Also, it should be understood that the terms “about,” “substantially,” and like terms used herein when referring to a dimension or characteristic of a component indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude variations therefrom that are functionally similar. At a minimum, such references that include a numerical parameter would include variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.
Any use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the following claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).
The term “each” may be used in the following claims for convenience in describing characteristics or features of multiple elements, and any such use of the term “each” is in the inclusive sense unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, if a claim defines two or more elements as “each” having a characteristic or feature, the use of the term “each” is not intended to exclude from the claim scope a situation having a third one of the elements which does not have the defined characteristic or feature.
The above-described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. More generally, the various features described herein may be used in any working combination.
This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/803,898 filed Feb. 27, 2020 entitled “LANDSCAPE PAVERS FOR GROUND INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS,” which claimed the benefit of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/US2019/045251 filed Aug. 6, 2019 and entitled “LANDSCAPE PAVERS FOR GROUND INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS, LANDSCAPE PAVER INSTALLATIONS, AND INSTALLATION METHODS,” which claimed the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/764,495 filed Aug. 6, 2018 and entitled “APPARATUS AND METHOD OF LIGHT PERMEABLE LANDSCAPE PAVER FOR GROUND INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE ARRAY.” The entire content of each of these prior patent applications is incorporated herein by this reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62764495 | Aug 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16803898 | Feb 2020 | US |
| Child | 17365836 | US | |
| Parent | PCT/US2019/045251 | Aug 2019 | US |
| Child | 16803898 | US |
