Protective system for a solar module

• US 6,650,031 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shell Solar GmbH
• Original Assignee: Siemens And Shell Solar GmbH
• Inventors: Goldack, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): DeBeradinis, Robert L
• Application Number:
  US09/806,109
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 307/149, 307/85, 340/825.6, 361/68
• US Class Current: 307/149
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for protecting a solar module against theft or unauthorized use by an authorized consumer. Said system comprises an interruption device on the solar module side and a release device on the consumer side. The interruption device transmits a first signal to the release device via a power line and interrupts the transfer, via a power line, of energy generated by the solar module to the consumer if the interruption device does not receive, via said power line, a second signal from the release device within a specified first period. This permits the secure and economical protection of the solar module, since a solar module protected in the manner described above is of no value without the second signal.

Claims

1. A security system for a solar module, which is adapted to provide power to a consumer via a power transfer line that extends between a power output terminal of the solar module and a power input terminal of the consumer, the security system comprising:

a solar module-sited disabling device, adapted to be coupled to the power output terminal of the solar module, that transmits a first signal;

a consumer-sited enabling device adapted to be coupled to the power input terminal of the consumer, and adapted to receive the first signal and to transmit a second signal to the solar module-sited disabling device when the receipt of the first signal is detected;

wherein the power transfer line carries the first and second signals, and wherein the solar module-sited disabling device is configured to disable transfer of the power generated by the solar module to a consumer when the solar module-sited disabling device fails to receive the second signal within a predetermined time period.

2. The security system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar module-sited disabling device comprises a switching device that generates the first signal by short-circuiting the power transfer line, and wherein the consumer-sited enabling device comprises a switching device that generates the second signal by short-circuiting the power transfer line.

3. The security system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar module-sited disabling device comprises a switching device that disables a power output of the solar module by short-circuiting the power transfer line, and wherein the consumer-sited enabling device comprises a switching device that generates the second signal by short-circuiting the power transfer line.

4. The security system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the solar module-sited disabling device further comprises an energy storage element, and wherein the power output of the solar module is disabled by the switching device until substantially all of an amount of energy stored by the energy storage element is dissipated.

5. The security system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar module-sited disabling device is integrally formed with the solar module.

6. A method of transferring power from a solar module to a consumer, comprising acts of:

transmitting a first signal to the consumer;

transmitting a second signal to the solar module when the receipt of the first signal is detected, the second signal comprising a user authorization code;

forming the first and second signals by a pulsed disabling of the transferring of power between the solar module and the consumer;

verifying that the consumer is authorized to obtain power from the solar module, based on the second signal; and

enabling power transfer from the solar module to the consumer; and

disabling the power transfer when any one of the second signal is not received within a predetermined time period and the consumer is not authorized to obtain power.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the acts of transmitting the first signal and the second signal comprise short-circuiting a power transfer line, the first signal and the second signal being transmitted via the power transfer line.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the act of disabling the power transfer comprises maintaining a short-circuit of a power transfer line for a predetermined time period.

9. A disabling device, disposed at a power output terminal of a solar module, the power output terminal being coupled to a power input terminal of a consumer via a power transfer line which enables power transfer from the solar module to the consumer, comprising:

an emitter that transmits a first signal via the power transfer line;

a detector that receives a second signal via the power transfer line;

a switching device that disables the power output of the solar module when activated; and

an activator device that activates the switching device when the detector fails to receive the second signal within a predetermined time period.

10. The disabling device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first signal and the second signal each comprise at least one pulse formed by a pulsed disabling of the power output of the solar module.

11. The disabling device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the activator device comprises an energy storage element coupled to the switching device, and wherein the activator device activates the switching device for a time period based on an amount of energy stored by the energy storage element.

12. The disabling device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the switching device disables the power output of the solar module by short-circuiting the power output terminal of the solar module.

13. The disabling device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the disabling device is integrally formed with the solar module.

14. The disabling device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the disabling device is formed in a laminate of the solar module.

15. An enabling device, disposed at a power input terminal of a consumer, the power input terminal being coupled to a power output terminal of a solar module via a power transfer line that enables power transfer from the solar module to the consumer, comprising:

a detector adapted to detect receipt of a first signal from the solar module via the power transfer line; and

an emitter adapted to transmit a second signal to the solar module via the power transfer line when the detector detects receipt of the first signal.

16. The enabling device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first signal and the second signal each comprise at least one pulse formed by a pulsed disabling of the power output of the solar module.

17. The enabling device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the emitter comprises a switching device that short-circuits the power input terminal of the solar module to generate the second signal.