Lightweight, self-ballasting photovoltaic roofing assembly
DCFirst Claim
1. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
- a building rooftop;
a photovoltaic module having sides and having upper and lower surfaces; and
a spacer secured to the lower surface of the photovoltaic module and supported by the building rooftop;
said spacer sized and configured to define;
an open region beneath said lower surface, said open region extending between and in contact with the lower surface and in direct contact with the building rooftop, and including access openings formed therein for fluidly coupling said open region to said upper surface;
said access openings extending along at least two sides of said photovoltaic module;
whereby wind uplift forces are resisted when said photovoltaic assembly is mounted to a support surface the building rooftop.
4 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
A photovoltaic roofing assembly comprises a roofing membrane (102), a plurality of photovoltaic modules (104, 106, 108) disposed as a layer on top of the roofing membrane (102), and a plurality of pre-formed spacers, pedestals or supports (112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) which are respectively disposed below the plurality of photovoltaic modules (104, 106, 108) and integral therewith, or fixed thereto. Spacers (112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) are disposed on top of roofing membrane (102). Membrane (102) is supported on conventional roof framing, and attached thereto by conventional methods. In an alternative embodiment, the roofing assembly may have insulation block (322) below the spacers (314, 314′, 315, 315′). The geometry of the pre-formed spacers (112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 314, 314′, 315, 315′) is such that wind tunnel testing has shown its maximum effectiveness in reducing net forces of wind uplift on the overall assembly. Such construction results in a simple, lightweight, self-ballasting, readily assembled roofing assembly which resists the forces of wind uplift using no roofing penetrations.
87 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
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a building rooftop;
a photovoltaic module having sides and having upper and lower surfaces; and
a spacer secured to the lower surface of the photovoltaic module and supported by the building rooftop;
said spacer sized and configured to define;
an open region beneath said lower surface, said open region extending between and in contact with the lower surface and in direct contact with the building rooftop, and including access openings formed therein for fluidly coupling said open region to said upper surface;
said access openings extending along at least two sides of said photovoltaic module;
whereby wind uplift forces are resisted when said photovoltaic assembly is mounted to a support surface the building rooftop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 58, 67, 73, 74)
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31. A photovoltaic roofing assembly, comprising:
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a plurality of insulation blocks disposed as a layer on top of a roofing membrane;
a plurality of spacers configured for disposal on top of said insulation blocks;
a plurality of photovoltaic modules having first, second, third and fourth sides and disposed on top of said spacers to form a photovoltaic array; and
said spacers;
being arranged in a geometry which generally follows the sides of said photovoltaic modules; and
having openings that are between 5% and 50% of the length of at least two each of the first, second, third and fourth sides of each photovoltaic module;
whereby said geometry enables said photovoltaic assembly to resist forces of wind uplift. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 68, 75)
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36. A photovoltaic roofing assembly comprising:
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a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, each said photovoltaic assembly comprising;
a photovoltaic module having upper, lower, and lateral sides and having upper and lower surfaces; and
a variable-height spacer secured to the lower surface of the photovoltaic module so to orient said photovoltaic module at an angle with said lateral sides extending downwardly from said upper side to said lower side, said angle being about 5°
-30°
from horizontal;
said spacer sized and configured to define;
a tapered open region beneath said lower surface; and
access openings along said upper and lower sides fluidly coupling said open region to said upper surface;
whereby wind uplift forces are resisted when said photovoltaic assembly is mounted to a support surface; and
means for interengaging adjacent photovoltaic assemblies into an array of photovoltaic assemblies, said array defining a perimeter. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 57, 59, 63, 76)
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41. A method of making a photovoltaic roofing assembly, comprising the following steps:
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joining a spacer to a photovoltaic module having first, second, third and fourth sides;
sizing and positioning said spacer to provide an open region beneath said photovoltaic module and openings into said open region on at least two , the openings extending along about 5% to 50% of each of the first, second, third and fourth sides of said photovoltaic module to reduce wind uplift forces on the photovoltaic module;
joining an insulation layer to said spacer to create a three-part integral assembly; and
installing in the field said three-part integral assembly as a layer on top of a roofing membrane without forming penetrations through a roof surface;
whereby the completed assembly resists the forces of wind uplift. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method of making a photovoltaic roofing assembly, comprising the following steps:
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joining a spacer to a photovoltaic module to create a two-part integral assembly;
sizing and positioning said spacer to provide an open region beneath said photovoltaic module and openings into said open region to reduce wind uplift forces on the photovoltaic module;
configuring said spacer to support said photovoltaic module in a manner to form said open region as a tapered open region;
positioning said openings on at least two sides of said photovoltaic module, said two sides being opposite sides of said photovoltaic module, said tapered open region tapering between said openings on said two opposite sides;
installing in the field said two-part integral assembly as a layer above a roofing membrane;
whereby the completed assembly resists the forces of wind uplift. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 60, 64, 69, 77)
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52. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
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an array of interlocking photovoltaic units, said array having a perimeter, each said photovoltaic unit comprising;
a photovoltaic module having an upper surface and first, second, third and fourth sides;
an insulation layer;
a spacer coupling the photovoltaic module and the insulation layer and defining an open region therebetween, the spacer extending along each of the first, second, third and fourth sides; and
an access opening fluidly coupling said upper surface of said photovoltaic module and the open region, the openings extending along about 5% to 50% of each of the first, second, third and fourth sides; and
said array having a weight of about two to four pounds per square foot;
whereby the configuration of the photovoltaic assembly resists wind uplift without the need for roof surface penetrating elements. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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54. A method for making a photovoltaic roofing assembly comprising the following steps:
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selecting a photovoltaic unit having an outer photovoltaic module, an insulation layer, and a spacer coupling the photovoltaic module and insulation layer to define an open region therebetween, the outer photovoltaic module having an outer surface and first, second, third and fourth sides;
the selecting step comprising the step of selecting a photovoltaic unit weighing no more than about four pounds per square foot;
placing a plurality of said photovoltaic units on a roof surface without securing the units to the roof surface to form an array of said photovoltaic units;
said selecting and placing steps further comprising the step of providing at least one access opening extending along about 5% to 50% of each of the first, second, third and fourth sides for each said photovoltaic unit thereby fluidly coupling the outer surface of said photovoltaic module and said open region; and
surrounding the array with a perimeter assembly without securing the perimeter assembly to the roof surface. - View Dependent Claims (70)
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55. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
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a photovoltaic module having sides and having upper and lower surfaces; and
a spacer secured to the lower surface of the photovoltaic module, the spacer being mountable directly to a building rooftop;
said spacer sized and configured to define;
an open region beneath said lower surface, said open region extending between and in contact with the lower surface and in direct contact with the building rooftop, and including access openings formed therein for fluidly coupling said open region to said upper surface;
said access openings extending along at least two sides of said photovoltaic module;
whereby wind uplift forces are resisted when said photovoltaic assembly is mounted to the building rooftop. - View Dependent Claims (61, 65, 71, 78)
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56. A photovoltaic/building rooftop assembly comprising:
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a building rooftop;
a photovoltaic module having sides and having upper and lower surfaces; and
a spacer secured to the lower surface of the photovoltaic module to create a photovoltaic assembly, the spacer being mounted directly to the building rooftop to create a photovoltaic/building rooftop assembly;
said spacer sized and configured to define;
an open region beneath said lower surface, said open region extending between and in contact with the lower surface and in direct contact with the building rooftop, and including access openings formed therein for fluidly coupling said open region to said upper surface;
said access openings extending along at least two sides of said photovoltaic module;
whereby wind uplift forces are resisted when said photovoltaic assembly is mounted to the building rooftop. - View Dependent Claims (62, 66, 72, 79)
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80. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
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a building rooftop;
a photovoltaic module having sides and having upper and lower surfaces; and
a plurality of spacers secured to the lower surface of the photovoltaic module and supported by the building rooftop;
said spacers sized and configured to define;
an open region beneath said lower surface, said open region extending between and in contact with the lower surface and in direct contact with the building rooftop, and including access openings formed therein for fluidly coupling said open region to said upper surface;
said access openings extending along at least two sides of said photovoltaic module;
whereby wind uplift forces are resisted when said photovoltaic assembly is mounted to the building rooftop.
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Specification