Anchoring structure for ground mounting of solar photovoltaic system
AssigneesSolatics Ltd., Watershed Geosynthetics LLC
InventorsBenjamin Keren, Neta Reef, S. Kyle Ehman, Michael R. Ayers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ground mounting system for supporting solar photovoltaic panels on a planar or inclined having an array of soil fasteners in spaced-relation driven through a geomembrane overlying a greenfield ground site and connected with a respective one of a plurality adapting regulating apparatus to racks to which solar photovoltaic panels mount securely, which soil fasteners communicate compressive loads to the ground while resisting tension forces from wind uplift on the planar field of solar photovoltaic panels.
Claims18
A ground mounting system for mounting solar photovoltaic panels on a sloped surface of a greenfield comprising:
- (a) an array of soil fasteners, for inserting into ground of a greenfield;
- (b) a plurality of adapting regulating apparatus, each secured to a respective soil fastener;
- and
- (c) a plurality of elongated racks connected to the regulating apparatus and for receiving and supporting solar photovoltaic modules, for resisting wind uplift forces on the field of solar photovoltaic modules while generating electrical current upon exposure to ambient light.
A method for mounting solar photovoltaic panels to a greenfield site, comprising the steps of:
- laying a covering layer on a greenfield ground surface;
- inserting soil fasteners through said covering layer inwardly into the greenfield ground,
- creating an array of spaced soil fasteners;
- installing regulating apparatus for interconnecting each respective soil fastener to a rail;
- mounting solar photovoltaic panels to the rails,
- whereby the soil fasteners support the solar photovoltaic panels for generating energy while resisting wind uplift loading.
A utility-scale ground mounting system for mounting solar photovoltaic panels on sloped ground, comprising:
- (a) a geomembrane, opaque to light, for covering a sloped ground;
- (b) a plurality of soil fasteners for embedding in spaced relation as an array in the sloped ground, wherein each one of said soil fasteners comprising an elongated rod for embedding in the sloped ground for communicating loading thereto;
- (c) a plurality of regulating apparatuses, each attached respectively to a soil fastener;
- and
- (d) a plurality of supporting racks, respectively coupled by the regulating apparatus with said array of soil fasteners configured for attaching a plurality of solar photovoltaic panels for generating energy upon exposure to ambident light,
- wherein the mounted solar photovoltaic panels have bottoms 5-50 cm away from the geomembrane, and
- wherein the elongated rod of the soil fastener has a diameter ranging between 5 mm to 30 mm. and
- wherein said geomembrane has a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 3 mm.
A method of securing exposed geomembrane overlying a ground site, comprising the steps of:
- driving a soil fastener through a geomembrane overlying a ground site;
- seating a resilient washer on the soil fastener in contact with an upper surface of the geomembrane;
- seating a cover washer on the resilient washer;
- attaching a clamp enragedly to the soil fastener for securing the adjacent reliant washer and cover washer against the geomembrane,
- whereby the engaged resilient washer and cover washer restrict the soil fastener from sinking into the ground under periodically occurring wet ground and precipitation load on solar photovoltaic modules supported by the soil fastener while holding said geomembrane in overlying relation to a ground surface, restricting infiltration of ambient environment water into the ground via an opening through which the soil fastener extends while restricting vegetation growth therethrough to reduce site maintenance requirements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.