# US 2019/0173416 A1 · Solar Roof Panel System with Edge and Surface Treatments > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0173416 A1 - Document ID: US20190173416A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/202,414 - Filed: 2018-11-28 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-10-01 - Assignees: Building Materials Investment Corporation - Applicants: Building Materials Investment Corporation - Inventors: Tommy F. Rodrigues; Sudhir Railkar; Daniel E. Boss; David J. Gennrich; Cory Boudreau; Daniel R. Nett; Kent J. Kallsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173416A1 ## CPC - H02S 20/23: specially adapted for roof structures - H02S 20/25: Roof tile elements - H02S 30/10: Frame structures - H10F 77/707: {of the substrates or of layers on substrates, e.g. textured ITO layer on a glass substrate} - H10F 77/00: Constructional details of devices covered by this subclass (constructional details of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) - Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV] - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A roof-mounted solar power system for generating electrical power that includes a plurality of solar modules adapted for generating electrical power from sunlight, and with each of the plurality of solar modules having substantially the same size, aspect ratio and surface coloring. The plurality of solar modules are mounted on the deck of a roof to form a bank of solar modules having at least one irregular edge. The solar power system further includes one or more non-power generating edge treatments having substantially the same size, aspect ratio and surface coloring as the solar modules and that are adapted for installation along the irregular edge. Each edge treatment is adapted for a cutting away of at least one corner thereof to smooth the irregular edge of the bank of solar modules to a regular edge. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -19. (canceled) ### Claim 20 A roof-mountable solar energy system for generating electricity when exposed to sunlight, the solar energy system comprising: a plurality of solar modules configured to be arranged on a roof in an interconnected array of solar modules; each solar module comprising at least a supporting structure, a plurality of photovoltaic cells mounted atop the supporting structure with spaces defined between adjacent photovoltaic cells, and a protective covering overlying the plurality of photovoltaic cells and the spaces therebetween; the protective covering having an upper exposed surface and being made of a material that protects the photovoltaic cells below from environmental damage while allowing solar energy impinging on the upper exposed surface of the protective covering to pass through the protective covering and illuminate the photovoltaic cells below; the top surface of the protective covering having one or more surface treatments thereon, the one or more surface treatments being configured to produce the appearance from a distance of a plurality of smaller solar modules, shingles, or roofing tiles in order to break up or hide visually the true size of the solar modules. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the material from which the protective coating is made comprises glass. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the one or more surface treatments comprises shapes or textures or both etched on the upper exposed surfaces of the protective coverings. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the shapes or textures or both include elements that simulate the appearance of shadows or shading of shingles or tiles. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the shapes or textures or both include elements that simulate edges of shingles or tiles. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the shapes or textures or both include first elements that simulate the appearance of shadows or shading of shingles or tiles and second elements that simulate edges of shingles or tiles. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the one or more surface treatments comprise paint applied to the upper exposed surfaces of the protective coverings, the paint being applied in such a way that the paint creates the appearance of frosting elements representing shadows or shading of shingles or tiles and linear elements representing edges of shingles or tiles. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 26 wherein the paint is applied in the formed of individual dots and wherein the density of the dots is varied to create the appearance of frosting elements and linear elements. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the one or more surface treatments comprises channels or grooves or both formed across the expanse of the upper exposed surfaces of the protective coverings. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the channels or grooves or both mimic horizontal edges and vertical edges of the solar modules to break up the panels visually into apparent smaller segments. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 28 wherein one group of the channels or grooves or both extend in a first direction and another group of the channels or grooves or both extending in a second direction different from the first direction. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the channels or grooves or both extend only in a horizontal direction to create the appearance of elongated strips of shingles or tiles. ### Claim 32 (depends on 20) A roof-mountable solar energy system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the one or more surface treatments comprise channels or grooves or both formed in the upper exposed surfaces of the protective coverings visually emulating edges of shingles or tiles and shapes or textures or both etched on the upper exposed surfaces of the protective coverings visually emulating shadows or shading of shingles or tiles.