Skirt for Photovoltaic Arrays

• US 20120301661A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolarCity Corporation (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: West, John Raymond, Hudson, Tyrus Hawkes, Johansen, Emil, Atchley, Brian, Capsuto, Ian, Medcroft, Chad, Coleman, Nate
• Granted Patent: US 9,291,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/99
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/67 in the form of roof constructions in the form of shingles or tiles F24S20/69
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/014 Methods for installing support elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/021 Sealing means between support elements and mounting surface
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6004 by clipping, e.g. by using snap connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/807 having undercut grooves
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/20 Peripheral frames for modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/61 for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/632 Side connectors; Base connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/65 for coupling adjacent supporting elements, e.g. for connecting profiles together
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/10 Protective covers or shrouds; Closure members, e.g. lids transparent coverings F24S80/50
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/70 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/00 Supporting structures for PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/10 Frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24008 including fastener for attaching to external surface

Abstract

A skirt for photovoltaic arrays provides a screen portion, a groove portion, and a separate coupling adapted to couple the skirt to the skirt of an adjacent photovoltaic array and to a photovoltaic module. Another embodiment provides a screen portion comprising an angled louver and is adapted to partially obscure an area substantially beneath a PV module in a PV array. A further embodiment provides an edge blocking skirt for a PV array comprising a screen portion adapted for mounting a bottom of the screen portion substantially close to a roof.

Claims

1. A PV array skirt comprising:

a screen portion, a groove portion, and a separate coupling;

said coupling adapted to couple said PV array skirt to an adjacent PV array skirt and to a PV module.

2. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said PV array skirts are substantially collinear.

3. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said coupling is a single device.

4. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein a bottom of said skirt is substantially close to a support surface.

5. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said screen portion is adapted to block a spread of flame.

6. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said screen portion is located substantially along a front edge of said PV array.

7. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said PV array comprises a plurality of PV modules and said PV array skirt further comprises a plurality of complementary screens such that substantially all edges of said PV modules along a perimeter of said PV array comprise at least one of a screen portion and a complementary screen.

8. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said screen portion further comprises a flexible portion for following a contour of a support surface.

9. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said screen portion further comprises a scalloped portion for following a curve of a roof tile.

10. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said coupling rigidly couples said PV array skirts together.

11. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said PV array skirt further comprises an anti-rotation component.

12. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said skirt comprises a bracket portion for attaching said screen portion to a PV module.

13. The PV array skirt of claim 12 wherein said bracket portion connects to a groove in an outside surface of a PV module in said PV array.

21. The PV array skirt of claim 1 wherein said PV array comprises a plurality of PV modules and said PV array skirt further comprises a plurality of complementary screens such that substantially all edges of said PV modules along a perimeter of said PV array comprise at least one of a screen portion and a complementary screen.

14. A PV array skirt comprising:

a screen portion comprising a plurality of perforations and adapted to partially obscure an area substantially beneath a PV module in said PV array, wherein said plurality of perforations comprise an angled louver.

15. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said skirt is height adjustable.

16. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein a plane of said louver is at an acute angle relative to a plane of said screen portion, said acute angle adapted to allow air flow and substantially obscure objects behind said screen portion when viewed from a position substantially in front of said PV array.

17. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said plurality of perforations comprise a total area substantially greater than 10% of a surface area of said screen portion.

18. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein a bottom of said skirt is substantially close to a support surface.

19. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said screen portion is adapted to block a spread of flame.

20. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said screen portion is located substantially along a front edge of said PV array.

22. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said screen portion further comprises a flexible portion for following a contour of a support surface.

23. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said screen portion further comprises a scalloped portion for following a curve of a roof tile.

24. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said PV array skirt further comprises an anti-rotation component.

25. The PV array skirt of claim 14 wherein said skirt comprises a bracket portion for attaching said screen portion to a PV module.

26. The PV array skirt of claim 25 wherein said bracket portion connects to a groove in an outside surface of a PV module in said PV array.

27. An edge blocking skirt for a PV array comprising:

a screen portion adapted for mounting a bottom of said screen portion substantially close to a roof.

28. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said skirt is height adjustable.

29. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said screen portion is adapted to block a spread of flame.

30. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said screen portion is located substantially along a front edge of said PV array.

31. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said PV array comprises a plurality of PV modules and said edge blocking skirt further comprises a plurality of complementary screens such that substantially all edges of said PV modules along a perimeter of said PV array comprise at least one of a screen portion and a complementary screen.

32. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said screen portion further comprises a flexible portion for following a contour of a support surface.

33. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said screen portion further comprises a scalloped portion for following a curve of a roof tile.

34. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said edge blocking skirt further comprises an anti-rotation component.

35. The edge blocking skirt of claim 27 wherein said skirt comprises a bracket portion for attaching said screen portion to a PV module.

36. The edge blocking skirt of claim 35 wherein said bracket portion connects to a groove in an outside surface of a PV module in said PV array.