PV-thermal solar power assembly

• US 6,295,818 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sunpower Corporation (Totalenergies Se)
• Original Assignee: PowerLight Corp. (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Dinwoodie, Thomas L., Botkin, Jonathan D., Ansley, Jeffrey H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG M
• Application Number:
  US09/606,657
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 664/18, 664/111, 664/115, 126/624, 126/625, 126/626
• US Class Current: 60/641.8
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/55 made of flexible materials
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/44 Means to utilise heat energy, e.g. hybrid systems producing warm water and electricity at the same time directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H01L31/0525
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/60 Thermal-PV hybrids

Abstract

A flexible solar power assembly includes a flexible photovoltaic device attached to a flexible thermal solar collector. The solar power assembly can be rolled up for transport and then unrolled for installation on a surface, such as the roof or side wall of a building or other structure, by use of adhesive and/or other types of fasteners.

Claims

1. A solar power assembly comprising:

a flexible thermal solar collector;

a photovoltaic (PV) device mounted to the thermal solar collector to create a solar power assembly; and

the solar power assembly having sufficient flexibility to be transported in a roll to use site, unrolled and attached to a support at the use site.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the thermal solar collector comprises a plurality of fluid passageways.

3. The assembly according to claim 2 wherein the fluid passageways have open ends, and further comprising fluid couplers mountable to the open ends of the fluid passageways so to permit said fluid passageways of plurality of said thermal solar collectors to be fluidly connected to one another.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 further comprising:

a unitary thermal solar collector; and

a plurality of said PV devices, said PV devices being interconnected with one another and mounted to the unitary thermal solar collector.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the solar power assembly is sufficiently flexible to be transported in a roll having a minimum diameter of about 60 cm or smaller.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a flexible PV device laminate, joined to the flexible thermal solar collector, comprising a flexible substrate carrying a plurality of said PV devices.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 where said PV device is flexible.

8. The assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a collapsible glazing mounted above the PV device for movement between an upright, inflated condition and a collapsed, deflated condition.

9. A solar power assembly comprising:

a flexible thermal solar collector comprising a plurality of fluid passageways;

a flexible photovoltaic (PV) device laminate, mounted to the thermal solar collector to create a solar power assembly having sufficient flexibility to be transported in a roll to a use site, unrolled and attached to a support at the use site;

the flexible PV device laminate comprising a flexible substrate carrying a plurality of interconnected PV devices;

the solar power assembly being sufficiently flexible to be transported in a roll having a minimum diameter of about 60 cm or smaller.

10. The assembly according to claim 9 further comprising a collapsible glazing mounted above the PV device for movement between an upright, inflated condition and a collapsed, deflated condition, the collapsible glazing fluidly coupleable to a source of fluid to permit the collapsible to be selectively inflated or deflated.

11. A hybrid solar power system comprising:

a solar power assembly according to claim 9,

an external heated fluid receiver fluidly coupled to the thermal solar collector; and

an external device electrically coupled to the interconnected PV devices.

12. A hybrid solar power system comprising:

a solar power assembly comprising;

a flexible thermal solar collector; and

a photovoltaic (PV) device mounted to the thermal collector to create a solar power assembly having sufficient flexibility to be transported in a roll to a use site, unrolled and attached to a support at the use site,

an external heated fluid receiver fluidly coupled to the thermal solar collector; and

an external device electrically coupled to the interconnected PV devices.

13. The system according to claim 12 further comprising a collapsible glazing mounted above the PV device for movement between an upright, inflated condition and a collapsed, deflated condition, the collapsible glazing fluidly coupleable to a source of fluid to permit the collapsible glazing to be selectively inflated or deflated.

14. The system according to claim 12 wherein the external device comprises a regulated power supply.

15. The system according to claim 12 wherein:

the thermal solar collector comprises a plurality of fluid passageways; and

the external heated fluid receiver comprises a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the plurality of fluid passageways.

16. The system according to claim 15 further comprising a continuous loop fluid path defined in part by the plurality of fluid passageways and the heat exchanger.

17. The system according to claim 12 wherein the external heater receiver comprises a swimming pool.

18. A method for making a solar power assembly comprising:

joining a flexible thermal solar collector to a photovoltaic (PV) device to create a flexible solar power assembly; and

rolling the flexible solar power assembly into a solar power assembly roll for transport to a use site.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the joining step is carried out by joining the flexible thermal solar collector to a flexible PV device laminate comprising a plurality of interconnected photovoltaic devices.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the rolling step is carried out with the roll having a minimum diameter of about 60 cm or smaller.

21. The method according to claim 18 further comprising joining an inflatable/deflatable, flexible glazing to the solar power assembly so the flexible glazing overlies the PV device.

22. A method for installing a solar power assembly on a support at a use site comprising:

unrolling a solar power assembly from a solar power assembly roll, the solar power assembly comprising a flexible thermal collector and a photovoltaic (PV) device mounted to one another; and

attaching the solar power assembly to a support with the flexible thermal collector located between the support and the PV device.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the attaching step is carried out using an adhesive to provide at least a majority of the hold-down strength holding the solar power assembly to the support.

24. The method according to claim 22 wherein the attaching step is carried out using an adhesive to provide at least substantially all of the hold-down strength holding the solar power assembly to the support.

25. The method according to claim 22 wherein the unrolling step comprises unrolling a plurality of said solar power assemblies.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the attaching step is carried out so said solar power assemblies at least substantially cover the entire support.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein:

the attaching step is carried out with the support being a roof; and

the plurality of solar power assemblies constitutes a weather barrier.

28. The method according to claim 25 further comprising interconnecting fluid passageways of one thermal collector to fluid passageways of an adjacent thermal collector.

29. The method according to claim 22 wherein the attaching step is carried out using clips to provide at least substantially all of the hold-down strength holding the solar power assembly to the support.

30. The method according to claim 22 further comprising selectively fluidly coupling an inflatable/deflatable, flexible glazing, which overlies the PV device, to a source of fluid so said glazing assumes an upright, inflated condition spaced-apart from the PV device from a collapsed, deflated condition.

31. A solar power assembly comprising:

a polymer thermal solar collector, the polymer thermal solar collector being made at least substantially of a flexible polymer; and

a photovoltaic (PV) device mounted to the polymer thermal solar collector to create a solar power assembly.

32. A solar power assembly 31 wherein the flexible polymer comprises EPDM.

33. A solar power unit comprising:

a thermal solar collector;

a photovoltaic (PV) device mounted to the thermal solar collector to create a solar power assembly; and

a collapsible glazing mounted to the solar power assembly to overlie the PV device for movement between an upright, inflated condition and a collapsed, deflated condition.