Building integrated photovoltaic system for tile roofs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9966898-B1
Application number	US-201715399712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays that can be aesthetically pleasing to an observer, with minimal visible difference between photovoltaic and non-photovoltaic areas of the BIPV system. BIPV systems can be incorporated as part of roof surfaces as built into the structure of the roof, particularly as roofing tiles that have photovoltaic elements embedded or incorporated into the body of the roofing tiles. BIPV systems can also include mimic or dummy tiles that appear similar to tiles with photovoltaic elements, but do not collect solar energy. In some configurations, the appearance of BIPV tile roof systems can be generally uniform to an observer at ground level, where the blending and distribution of photovoltaic and non-photovoltaic elements generate a consistent and elegant appearance that camouflages any differences between photovoltaic tile or non-photovoltaic tiles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing system comprising:
at least one full PV tile;
at least one left-half PV tile;
at least one right-half PV tile;
at least one blank non-PV roof tile;
at least one full PV mimic tile;
at least one left-half PV mimic tile; and
at least one right-half PV mimic tile;
wherein a plurality of full PV tiles, left-half PV tiles, right-half PV tiles, and blank non-PV roof tiles are arranged together in a non-regular pattern over a first section of a roof that receives incident solar energy at a specific power production rating per unit of roof area resulting in a first pattern density and corresponding to an aggregate power production capability ranging from 3,000 kW to 12,600 kW;
wherein a plurality of full PV mimic tiles, left-half PV mimic tiles, right-half PV mimic tiles, and blank roof tiles are arranged on a second section of the roof in a non-regular pattern at the first pattern density and are not electrically coupled,
thereby providing a consistent visual aesthetic to the first and second sections of the roof.

2. The roofing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of full PV mimic tiles, left-half PV mimic tiles, right-half PV mimic tiles are disposed over other sections of the roof.

3. The roofing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of full PV roof tiles, left-half PV roof tiles, and right-half PV roof tiles are electrically coupled via wiring positioned underneath the plurality of full PV tiles, left-half PV tiles, right-half PV tiles, and blank roof tiles.

4. The roofing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of full PV roof tiles, left-half PV roof tiles, and right-half PV roof tiles are electrically coupled via power bus bars positioned underneath the plurality of full PV tiles, left-half PV tiles, right-half PV tiles, and blank roof tiles.

5. The roofing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of full PV tiles, left-half PV tiles, right-half PV tiles, and blank roof tiles having the first pattern density are randomly distributed over the first section of the roof.

6. The roofing system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of full PV mimic tiles, left-half PV mimic tiles, right-half PV mimic tiles, and blank roof tiles having the first pattern density are randomly distributed over the second section of the roof.

7. A solar roof comprising:
a first photovoltaic roof tile, having two solar cell modules;
a second photovoltaic roof tile, having only one solar cell module biased toward a left side of the second photovoltaic roof tile;
a third photovoltaic roof tile, having only one solar cell module biased toward a right side of the third photovoltaic roof tile;
a non-photovoltaic roof tile;
a series of electrical connectors electrically coupling the first photovoltaic roof tile, the second photovoltaic roof tile, and the third photovoltaic roof tile on a common string via a wire harness;
a first photovoltaic dummy tile, having two silicon members;
a second photovoltaic dummy tile, having one silicon member biased toward a left side of the second photovoltaic dummy tile; and
a third photovoltaic dummy tile, having one silicon member biased toward a right side of the third photovoltaic dummy tile,
wherein the first photovoltaic roof tile, the second photovoltaic roof tile, the third photovoltaic roof tile, and the non-photovoltaic roof tile are adjacent one another and coupled to a common support surface to form a first section of a solar roof surface and distributed on the roof surface in at a solar cell density to provide a desired load of power production capability,
wherein the solar cell modules cover from 70% to 80% of the first section of the roof surface, and
wherein the first photovoltaic dummy tile, the second photovoltaic dummy tile, the third photovoltaic dummy tile, and the non-photovoltaic roof tile are mechanically coupled to each other to form a second section of the roof surface.

8. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein the a plurality of first photovoltaic roof tiles, second photovoltaic roof tiles, third photovoltaic roof tiles carry an energy production load ranging from 3,000 kW to 12,600 kW.

9. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of the first photovoltaic roof tile, the second photovoltaic roof tile, the third photovoltaic roof tile, and the non-photovoltaic roof tile are arranged in horizontal courses, where vertically adjacent horizontal courses are offset from each other by about half a photovoltaic tile width.

10. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein the electrically connected solar cell modules build up to have a voltage at the end of the wire harness of about from 50 V to about 80 V.

11. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein the electrically connected solar cell modules build up to have a voltage at the end of the wire harness of about 300 V.

12. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein one or more non-photovoltaic roof tiles are cut to fit around an obstacle in the roof surface.

13. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein the distribution and arrangement of the first photovoltaic roof tile, the second photovoltaic roof tile, the third photovoltaic roof tile, and the non-photovoltaic roof tile provide for a consistent visual aesthetic of the roof surface.

14. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein the distribution and arrangement of the first photovoltaic dummy tile, the second photovoltaic dummy tile, the third photovoltaic dummy tile, the first photovoltaic roof tile, the second photovoltaic roof tile, the third photovoltaic roof tile, and the non-photovoltaic roof tile provide for a consistent visual aesthetic of the roof surface.

15. The solar roof of claim 7 , wherein:
the first photovoltaic roof tile, the second photovoltaic roof tile, the third photovoltaic roof tile, and the non-photovoltaic roof tile are assembled as a string of structural elements for an energy production region of the roof surface; and
wherein the first photovoltaic dummy tile, the second photovoltaic dummy tile, the third photovoltaic dummy tile and a further non-photovoltaic roof tile are assembled as a string of structural elements for an non-production region of the roof surface.

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Flanigan Daniel Preston
• West Jack Raymond

Classifications

• H02S40/36

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

• H02S20/25 Primary

  Roof tile elements · CPC title

• H02S40/34

  comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes · CPC title

• H10F19/80

  Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• E04D1/12

  Roofing elements shaped as plain tiles or shingles, i.e. with flat outer surface (E04D1/28, E04D1/30 take precedence) · CPC title