Roof integrated photovoltaic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9273885-B2
Application number	US-201414298416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A roof integrated photovoltaic system includes a plurality of photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge. A right end coupler is secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels and a left end coupler is secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels. The right end couplers and the left end couplers are configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement with each other. At least one front edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof and at least one back edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof. The front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into edge-to-edge engagement and a seal is positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjoined panel. Panels are installed on a roof in end-to-end and front edge to back edge relationship to form a photovoltaic array and are electrically interconnected to produce electricity when exposed to sunlight. Flashing and gap filling faux panels are provided as part of the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic element for joining with like photovoltaic elements on a roof to form a roof integrated photovoltaic system, the photovoltaic element comprising:
a photovoltaic panel having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
a right end coupler secured to the right end of the photovoltaic panel;
a left end coupler secured to the left end of the photovoltaic panel;
the right end coupler and the left end coupler being configured so that when the photovoltaic element is slid on the roof into end-to-end engagement with a like photovoltaic element on the roof, the right and left end couplers interlock and form a seal in response to being slid into end-to-end engagement;
at least one front edge coupler affixed to the front edge of the photovoltaic panel;
at least one back edge coupler affixed to the back edge of the photovoltaic panel;
the front edge coupler and the back edge coupler being configured so that when the photovoltaic element is slid on a roof into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement with a like photovoltaic element on the roof, the front and back edge couplers of the photovoltaic elements interlock in response to being slid into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement.

2. A photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the front edge coupler and the back edge coupler are further configured so that the front edge of the photovoltaic element is elevated above the back edge of a like photovoltaic element and then drops onto the back edge of the like photovoltaic element in response to being slid on the roof into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement with the like photovoltaic element.

3. A photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a seal positioned on the photovoltaic element and configured so that the seal becomes compressed between the front edge of the photovoltaic element and the back edge of a like photovoltaic element when the front edge of the photovoltaic element drops onto the back edge of the like photovoltaic element.

4. A photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a seal on at least one of the right end coupler and the left end coupler, the seal being configured and positioned to be compressed when the left and right end couplers interlock to seal a junction between the left end coupler and the right end coupler.

5. A photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a cable tray beneath the photovoltaic panel for supporting cables associated with the photovoltaic element.

6. A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:
a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
a left end coupler secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
the right end couplers and the left end couplers configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement;
at least one front edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof;
at least one back edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof;
the front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement;
a seal positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjacent interlocked panel;
each photovoltaic panel producing a voltage at output terminals when the photovoltaic panel is exposed to sunlight;
a cable having ends and being disposed beneath each photovoltaic panel, the output terminals being electrically coupled to the cable with at least one of the ends of the cable being electrically coupled to the end of a cable of an adjacent photovoltaic panel of the system to aggregate the electrical energy of the plurality of photovoltaic panels; and
a cable tray disposed beneath at least some of the photovoltaic panels, cables of the photovoltaic panels being at least partially supported by the cable trays.

7. A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:
a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
a left end coupler secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
the right end couplers and the left end couplers configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement;
at least one front edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof;
at least one back edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof;
the front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement;
a seal positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjacent interlocked panel;
each photovoltaic panel producing a voltage at output terminals when the photovoltaic panel is exposed to sunlight;
a cable having ends and being disposed beneath each photovoltaic panel, the output terminals being electrically coupled to the cable with at least one of the ends of the cable being electrically coupled to the end of a cable of an adjacent photovoltaic panel of the system to aggregate the electrical energy of the plurality of photovoltaic panels; and
wherein the back edge couplers are configured to define a cable race, the cables of the photovoltaic panels being at least partially supported in the cable race of at least one back edge coupler.

8. A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:
a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
a left end coupler secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
the right end couplers and the left end couplers being configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement;
at least one front edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof;
at least one back edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof;
the front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement;
a seal positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjacent interlocked panel;
the left end and right end couplers being profiled such that one of the couplers is elevated relative to the other coupler and then drops onto the other coupler into locking relationship as two like photovoltaic panels are urged together end-to-end; and
at least one gasket extending along the left end coupler or the right end coupler and being positioned to be compressed between the couplers when the one coupler drops onto the other coupler to form a water inhibiting seal.

9. A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:
a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of

Assignees

• Building Materials Invest Corp

Inventors

• Rodrigues Tommy F
• Railkar Sudhir
• Boss Daniel E
• Gennrich David J
• Boudreau Cory
• Nett Daniel Roger
• Kallsen Kent J
• Duque Luis

Classifications

• H02S30/10

  Frame structures · CPC title

• H02S20/25

  Roof tile elements · CPC title

• F24S2020/13

  Overlaying arrangements similar to roof tiles · CPC title

• F24S25/67

  for coupling adjacent modules or their peripheral frames (for fixing modules or their peripheral frames to supporting elements F24S25/63) · CPC title

• H02S40/32

  comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules · CPC title