Panel Equipped with a Photovoltaic Device

A plurality of photovoltaic devices comprising:

• a plurality of panels, each panel including a substrate made of a formed metal sheet which defines an even number of longitudinally extending ribs, the substrate defining a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension of the panel, the substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first longitudinally extending edge, a second longitudinally extending edge, a first transversely extending edge and a second transversely extending edge;
• each panel including a column longitudinally arranged on the top surface of each longitudinally extending rib, each column including at least one photovoltaic module and a pair of electrical poles connected to each column, the pair including a first electrical pole located on a first longitudinal end of the column and a second electrical pole located at a second longitudinal end of the column, the first longitudinal end at the first transversely extending edge or longitudinally spaced apart from the first transversely extending edge, the second longitudinal end at the second transversely extending edge or longitudinally spaced apart from the second transversely extending edge, the second electrical pole having a polarity inverse to that of the first electrical pole, the pair of electrical poles of two adjacent columns being of inverse polarity, each electrical pole vertically extending from the top surface or the bottom surface of the substrate;
• and
• each of the plurality of panels being interconnectable with another of the plurality of panels by marginal overlapping the first transversely extending edge of said each panel with the second transversely extending edge of said another panel, or vice versa, such that the first electrical pole of each column of said each panel is connected to the second electrical pole of a corresponding column of said another panel, thereby electrically connecting each column of said each panel to the corresponding column of said another panel.

A plurality of photovoltaic devices comprising:

• a plurality of panels, each panel including a substrate made of a formed metal sheet which defines a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension of the panel, the substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first longitudinally extending edge, a second longitudinally extending edge, a first transversely extending edge and a second transversely extending edge;
• each panel having an even number of columns on the top surface of the substrate, each column extending longitudinally along the top surface of the panel and including a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end and having at least one photovoltaic module arranged on the substrate between the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end, the columns being aligned with the first and second longitudinally extending edges of the panel, a single pair of electrical poles connected to each column, the single pair of electrical poles including an electrical pole located on the first longitudinal end and a further electrical pole of inverse polarity located on the second longitudinal end, the first longitudinal end at the first transversely extending edge or longitudinally spaced apart from the first transversely extending edge, the second longitudinal end at the second transversely extending edge or spaced apart from the second transversely extending edge, each electrical pole vertically extending from-the top or bottom surface of the substrate, the pair of electrical poles of two adjacent columns being of inverse polarity;
• each of the plurality of panels interconnectable with another of the plurality of panels by marginal overlapping the first transversely extending edge of said each panel with the second transversely extending edge of said another panel, or vice versa, such that the first electrical pole of each column of said each panel is connected to the second electrical pole of a corresponding column of said another panel, thereby electrically connecting each column of said each panel to the corresponding column of said another panel.