Solar roof panel system with edge and surface treatments

A roof-mounted solar power system for generating electrical power from sunlight, the system comprising:

• a plurality of solar modules mounted on a deck of a roof to form a bank of solar modules adapted for generating electrical power from sunlight, each of the plurality of solar modules having a same size and a same aspect ratio and including:
• a frame having a lower side, an upper side, and a thickness between the lower side and the upper side;
• a solar element supported on the upper side of the frame and including a plurality of photovoltaic cells arranged in side-by-side relationships with spaces between at least some of the photovoltaic cells, the plurality of photovoltaic cells being covered by a clear panel having a top surface, the clear panel being formed from a transparent material that allows sunlight to pass through the clear panel and impinge upon the plurality of photovoltaic cells located below;
• the top surfaces of the clear panels comprising at least one surface treatment thereon, the surface treatment comprising a first plurality of linear grooves in the top surface extending in a first direction and a second plurality of linear grooves in the top surface extending an a second direction different from the first direction, the surface treatment extending over the plurality of side-by-side photovoltaic cells and over the spaces between photovoltaic cells below the clear panels and being configured to simulate visually the edges of a plurality of roofing shingles or tiles and thereby to break up or hide the true size of the solar modules.

A roof-mounted solar power system for generating electrical power from sunlight, the system comprising:

• a plurality of solar modules mounted on a deck of a roof to form a bank of solar modules adapted for generating electrical power from sunlight, each of the plurality of solar modules having a size and an aspect ratio and including:
• a frame having a lower side, an upper side, and a thickness between the lower side and the upper side;
• a solar element supported on the upper side and including a plurality of photovoltaic cells arranged in side-by-side relationship with spaces between at least some of the photovoltaic cells, the plurality of photovoltaic cells being covered by a clear panel having a top surface, the clear panel being formed from a transparent material that allows sunlight to pass through the clear panel and impinge upon the plurality of photovoltaic cells located below;
• the top surfaces of the clear panels including surface treatments formed thereon the surface treatments overlying the side-by-side photovoltaic cells and the spaces between photovoltaic cells and being configured to simulate visually a plurality of roofing shingles or tiles and thereby to break up visually the true size of the solar modules, the surface treatments including:
• a first plurality of linear grooves extending in a first direction and configured to suggest horizontal edges of individual roofing shingles or tiles and a second plurality of linear grooves extending in a second direction different from the first direction and configured to suggest vertical edges of individual roofing shingles or tiles;
• and
• a plurality of frosting elements configured to suggest shading and/or shadowing of individual roofing shingles or tiles.