Integrated photovoltaic module mounting system for installation on a sloped surface
AssigneeWatershed Solar LLC
InventorsMichael R. Ayers, S. Kyle Ehman, Neta Reef, Sharone Zehavi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mounting system 180 for a solar panel 11 includes a rail 114 having an elongated mounting slot 116 secured to a flexible attaching connector 188 with fasteners and the flexible attaching connector for welding to a geomembrane overlying a slope surface, and a photovoltaic module 11 connected with fasteners to the rail, and optionally a ballast system 145 that includes a ballast tray 146 and ballast 152 coupled with fasteners to the rail.
Claims18
A solar photovoltaic module mounting system for installation on a sloped surface, comprising:
- a geomembrane sheet for overlaying on a sloped surface;
- a pair of elongate flexible strips for disposing in spaced-apart parallel relation to the geomembrane;
- a pair of elongate rails, each for securing to a respective one of the flexible strips;
- and
- at least one solar photovoltaic module for attaching to the rails,
- whereby the flexible strips being secured to the rails and attached to the geomembrane in spaced-apart parallel relation, support the solar photovoltaic module attached with fasteners to the rails while resisting sliding movement relative to the geomembrane and resisting wind uplift.
A method of installing a solar photovoltaic module on a sloped surface, comprising the step of:
- (a) providing a geomembrane sheet that overlays a sloped surface;
- (b) attaching a pair of elongate flexible strips in spaced-apart parallel relation to the geomembrane, the flexible strip each including an elongate rail secured thereto;
- and
- (c) attaching at least one solar photovoltaic module to the rails,
- whereby the flexible strips being secured to the rails and attached to the geomembrane in spaced-apart parallel relation, support the solar photovoltaic module attached with fasteners to the rails while resisting sliding movement relative to the geomembrane and resisting wind uplift.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.