UL Compliant Building Integrated Photovoltaic Conversion System
AssigneeArchitectural Glass and Aluminum Corporation, Inc.
InventorJoe Brescia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A UL compliant power generating system is integrated within an exterior shell or façade of a building structure. The energy generating devices (which can be photovoltaic), control units and associated power/signal wiring are incorporated and integrated within individual unitized curtain wall units making up the façade, and are adapted to be UL compliant.
Claims20
A building integrated power generating system compliant with a set of product safety certification requirements that are prerequisites to operation of such system at a designated site, the system comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units defining an exterior shell for at least a portion of a building structure;
- said interconnected unitized curtain wall units including a plurality of energy conversion devices integrated into and isolated with isolators from said exterior shell;
- wherein said isolators are compliant with the set of product safety certification requirements;
- wherein each of said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units includes wiring and control circuitry for said energy conversion devices;
- said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units further defining a plurality of integrated vertical and horizontal electrical conduits adapted to carry wiring for said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units;
- said plurality of integrated vertical and horizontal electrical conduits also being compliant with said set of product safety certification requirements.
An Underwriters Laboratories (UL) compliant building integrated photovoltaic power generating system comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units defining an exterior shell for a building structure;
- a plurality of photovoltaic energy conversion devices integrated and isolated from said exterior shell with UL compliant isolators within said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units;
- said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units further defining a plurality of integrated UL compliant vertical and horizontal electrical conduits adapted to carry electrical cabling for said plurality of photovoltaic energy conversion devices situated in said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units;
- wherein the UL compliant building integrated photovoltaic power generating system is integrally incorporated within said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units.
An Underwriters Laboratories (UL) compliant building integrated photovoltaic power generating system comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units defining an exterior shell for a building structure;
- wherein each of said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall elements includes a framing element that is electrically grounded;
- a plurality of photovoltaic energy conversion devices integrated and isolated from said exterior shell with UL compliant isolators embedded in said framing element within said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units;
- wherein at least some of said photovoltaic energy conversion devices are oriented vertically with respect to said building structure;
- said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units being arranged as interlocked pairs which define a plurality of mullion spaces;
- wherein said mullion spaces are UL compliant conduits adapted to carry electrical cabling for said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall elements;
- wherein the UL compliant building integrated photovoltaic power generating system is integrally incorporated entirely within said plurality of interconnected unitized curtain wall units.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.