Greenfield low-profile dense-spaced solar panel array energy system
AssigneeWatershed Geosynthetics LLC
InventorsS. Kyle Ehman, Carl M. Davis, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar energy racking system for a plurality of solar panels for generation of electrical energy comprising a pair of opposing elongated rails for disposing in spaced-apart relation on a surface and secured thereto with a pair of anchors for each elongated rail, said anchors for connecting to the surface and to respective opposing portions of the elongated rail; and a solar photovoltaic module for securing to the pair of rails with a plurality of clips. A plurality of solar panels mount to the rails in a dense-space array having a Slow-profile relative to the surface. Optionally an intermediate engaging member attached to the rails intermediate the anchors further secures the rails to the surface.
Claims26
An energy generation system, comprising:
- a plurality of photovoltaic modules for disposing over a land site;
- a racking system for supporting the plurality of the photovoltaic modules on a surface, comprising:
- an elongate rail to which the photovoltaic modules attach in spaced-apart relation as a linear array having a leading perimeter photovoltaic module and a trailing perimeter photovoltaic module at opposing ends of the array and at least one intermediate photovoltaic module therebetween;
- two ground supports, each comprising a ground engaging member and an opposing connector for engaging to a respective one of a leading and trailing end of the rail proximate a respective one of the leading and trailing perimeter photovoltaic modules in the array;
- and
- a friction strip having a plurality of projecting members extending from a bottom surface and the friction strip attached on an upper surface to a bottom surface of the elongate rail,
- whereby the ground supports being engaged by the ground engaging members to the ground and the projecting members being frictionally engaged to the surface below the friction strip cooperatively restrict the racking system from movement relative to the surface and resist shear wind uplift forces.
A solar energy racking system, comprising:
- a pair of opposing elongated rails for disposing in spaced-apart relation on a surface;
- a pair of anchors for each elongated rail, said pair of anchors for connecting to the surface and to respective opposing portions of said elongated rail;
- and
- a solar photovoltaic module for securing to the pair of rails with a plurality of clips, each said clip for fixedly attaching to a respective rail and for engaging the solar photovoltaic module,
- whereby the solar photovoltaic module being secured with the clips to the opposing elongated rails fastened to the surface for electrical generation.
A method of securing solar photovoltaic modules to a surface with a racking system, comprising the steps of:
- (a) attaching a friction strip to a bottom surface of an elongated rail, said friction strip having a plurality of projecting members extending from a bottom surface;
- (b) fastening said rail to a surface with a pair of ground supports, each ground support comprising a ground engaging member for engaging the surface and an opposing connector for engaging to a respective end of said rail, whereby the friction strip engages the surface;
- and
- (c) attaching a pair of solar photovoltaic modules to the rail in adjacent spaced-apart relation with a plurality of clips,
- whereby the ground supports being engaged by the ground engaging members to the surface and the projecting members being frictionally engaged to the surface below the friction strip cooperatively restrict the solar photovoltaic modules from movement relative to the surface and resist shear wind uplift forces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.