Reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate(s) and photovoltaic panel(s)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11495698-B2
Application number	US-201916376776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 6, 2018
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

Reconfigurable PV panels can have features that include cut lines for separating full panels into smaller subpanels, connector ribbons for assembling several reconfigurable PV panels into a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array and can be stacked upon each other and unstacked by rotating them about a shared connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic (PV) system comprising:
a plurality of PV laminates each comprising:
a PV cell circuit including a plurality of PV cells connected in series between a negative cell terminal lead and a positive cell terminal lead;
a return ribbon between a negative homerun terminal and a positive homerun terminal;
wherein each of the PV laminates of the plurality of PV laminates comprises a first peripheral side and a second peripheral side, the first peripheral side touching the second peripheral side,
wherein each of the PV laminates in the plurality of PV laminates are arranged in an array such that adjacent PV laminates are overlapped to connect positive and negative homerun terminals of at least one of a PV laminate of the plurality of PV laminates with a positive and negative homerun terminal of an adjacent PV laminate, and
a turn box positioned and configured to close an open circuit of the array, the turn box positioned to electrically connect a positive homerun terminal of a first PV laminate of the plurality of PV laminates and a negative homerun terminal of a second PV laminate of the plurality of PV laminates, adjacent the first PV laminate, and one of a positive or negative terminal lead of a third PV laminate of the plurality of PV laminates.

2. The PV system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a string box including a negative system lead and a positive system lead, the string box connecting to a homerun terminal of one or more PV laminates of the plurality of PV laminates at a first peripheral side of the array.

3. The PV system according to claim 2 , wherein the negative and positive system leads output power from the PV laminates of the plurality such that all PV laminate wiring is internal to the PV laminates.

4. The PV system according to claim 1 , wherein connections between cell terminal leads and homerun terminal are snap-in electrical connections.

5. The PV system according to claim 1 , wherein the PV laminates are flexible.

6. The PV system according to claim 1 further comprising a diode between the negative cell terminal lead and the positive cell terminal lead.

7. The PV system according to claim 1 , wherein each PV laminate comprises edge spacing regions sized for PV laminate tiling, and wherein at least one negative cell terminal lead and at least one positive cell terminal lead is electrically connected to each other via a single jumper connector.

8. A reconfigurable photovoltaic (PV) laminate system comprising:
a plurality of separable PV laminate subpanels, each of the PV laminate subpanels comprising a positive connection terminal, a negative connection terminal, and a homerun terminal;
a first PV laminate subpanel of the plurality electrically connected to a second PV laminate panel of the plurality via a first mated connection terminal from each of the first PV laminate subpanel and the second PV laminate subpanel, the first and second PV laminate subpanel positioned in a first row and overlapping at the first mated connection terminal from each of the first PV laminate subpanel and the second PV laminate subpanel;
a third PV laminate subpanel of the plurality connected to the second PV laminate subpanel of the plurality via a second mated connection terminal from each of the second PV laminate subpanel and the third PV laminate subpanel, the third PV laminate subpanel positioned in a second row, the second row adjacent the first row;

and,
a turn box electrically connecting a homerun connection terminal from the first, the second, or the third PV laminate subpanel, to a positive or negative connection terminal of the other remaining two connection terminals and spanning a peripheral side of each of the first, second and third PV laminate subpanels,
wherein each connection terminal for each PV laminate subpanel of the plurality is resident in laminate of their respective PV laminate subpanel.

9. The reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate system of claim 8 wherein connection terminals of each of the PV laminate subpanels are electrically connected via embedded ribbon connectors.

10. The reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate system of claim 9 wherein at least one embedded ribbon connector from each of the PV laminate subpanels comprises an intervening diode.

11. The reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate system of claim 8 further comprising a rigidity bar, the rigidity bar comprising at least two connectors configured to electrically connect with at least one PV laminate subpanel of the plurality of PV laminate subpanels.

12. The reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate system of claim 9 wherein the jumper connector is positioned perpendicular to an embedded ribbon connector.

13. The reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate system of claim 8 wherein each of the PV laminate subpanels of the plurality include a pair of connection ribbons running parallel to each other and positioned along a peripheral side of its respective PV laminate subpanel, the connection ribbons electrically connecting connection terminals located on its respective PV laminate subpanel.

14. The reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate system of claim 8 further comprising a converter, the converter configured to receive electrical voltage from a first PV laminate subpanel when the first PV laminate subpanel is electrically coupled to a first grouping of PV laminate subpanels of the plurality and a second grouping of PV laminate subpanels, the second grouping containing fewer PV laminate subpanels than the first grouping.

15. The reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate system of claim 8 further comprising a line interface unit (LIU), the LIU configured to accept series AC power from the plurality of PV laminate subpanels and provide electrical filtering and line interface management to an electrical output.

16. A reconfigurable photovoltaic (PV) panel system comprising:
a plurality of separable PV laminate subpanels,
each of the PV subpanels of the plurality of separable PV subpanels comprising in-laminate trace connectors spanning between and electrically connecting positive and negative connection terminals and a homerun connection terminal,
a turn box electrically connecting a connection terminal on a first, second, and third PV subpanel of the plurality and the turn box spanning a peripheral side of each of the first, second and third PV subpanels, and
each of the PV subpanels electrically connected to at least one other PV subpanel of the plurality a connection of its own and a positive or negative connection terminal of an adjoining PV subpanel of the plurality,
wherein at least one of the PV subpanels of the plurality comprises a jumper connector electrically connecting positive or negative connection terminals with a homerun connection terminal from the at least one PV subpanel of the plurality.

17. The reconfigurable photovoltaic (PV) panel system of claim 16 wherein the connection terminals are positioned along adjoining perimeter sides of their respective PV subpanels.

18. The reconfigurable photovoltaic (PV) panel system of claim 16 wherein PV subpanels of the plurality overlap with an adjacent PV subpanel when electrically connected via connection terminals to an adjacent PV subpanel.

19. The reconfigurable photovoltaic (PV) panel system of claim 16 wherein the jumper connector is removable.

20. The reconfigurable photovoltaic (PV) panel system of claim 16 wherein each of the PV subpanels has a tiling edge, the tiling edge configured without PV cells, the tiling edg

Assignees

• Sunpower Corp

Inventors

• Judkins Zachary S
• Okawa David C
• Wares Brian S
• Lance Tamir
• Chapman Patrick L

Classifications

• H02S20/23

  specially adapted for roof structures · CPC title

• H02S40/36

  characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• Y02B10/10

  Photovoltaic [PV] · CPC title

• H01L31/02167 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic