Photovoltaic array

A photovoltaic array comprising:

• a plurality of elongated rails for being mounted on a support surface projecting upwardly therefrom and extending in a spaced and parallel relationship to each other;
• each rail having an extruded resin construction including a lower base and an upper cap that are secured to each other and cooperate to define a pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other;
• the lower base including a lower flange for mounting on the support surface, a stem that projects upwardly from the lower flange, and an upper extremity of a T shape that cooperates with the stem to define an upwardly opening slot extending along the elongated length of the elongated rail;
• the upper cap having a T shape including a stem that projects downwardly and is received by the slot in the upper extremity of the lower base, and the upper cap having an upper cross bar that extends in opposite directions from the stem thereof to cooperate with the T-shaped upper extremity of the lower base in defining the pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other;
• rectangular photovoltaic modules having edges that are received by the grooves of the rails so as to be mounted above the support surface in a spaced relationship therefrom, the photovoltaic modules being arranged in pairs with the modules of each pair abutting each other, and each pair of photovoltaic modules being spaced along the elongated lengths of the rails from each adjacent pair of modules to provide openings therebetween;
• and
• cross members that extend between the lower bases of the photovoltaic modules to space the rails from each other, and the cross members being located within the openings between adjacent pairs of the modules.

A photovoltaic array comprising:

• a plurality of elongated rails for being mounted on a support surface projecting upwardly therefrom and extending in a spaced and parallel relationship to each other;
• each rail having an extruded resin construction including a lower base and an upper cap that are secured to each other and cooperate to define a pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other;
• the lower base including a lower flange for mounting on the support surface, a stem that projects upwardly from the lower flange, and an upper extremity of a T shape that cooperates with the stem to define an upwardly opening slot extending along the elongated length of the elongated rail, and the T-shaped upper extremity having a pair of upwardly projecting stops respectively located on opposite sides of the slot;
• the upper cap having a T shape including a stem that projects downwardly and is received by the slot in the upper extremity of the lower base, the upper cap having an upper cross bar that extends in opposite directions from the stem thereof to cooperate with the T-shaped upper extremity of the lower base in defining the pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other;
• rectangular photovoltaic modules having edges that are received by the grooves of the rails so as to be mounted above the support surface in a spaced relationship therefrom, the photovoltaic modules being arranged in pairs with the modules of each pair abutting each other, and each pair of photovoltaic modules being spaced along the elongated lengths of the rails from each adjacent pair of modules to provide openings therebetween;
• and
• cross members that are supported by and extend between the T-shaped upper extremities of the lower bases of the photovoltaic modules to space the rails from each other, and the cross members being located within the openings between adjacent pairs of-the modules.

A photovoltaic array comprising:

• a plurality of elongated rails for being mounted on a support surface projecting upwardly therefrom and extending in a spaced and parallel relationship to each other;
• each rail having an extruded resin construction including a lower base and an upper cap that are secured to each other and cooperate to define a pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other;
• the lower base being extruded entirely from a first resin and including a lower flange for mounting on the support surface, a stem that projects upwardly from the lower flange, and an upper extremity of a T shape that cooperates with the stem to define an upwardly opening slot extending along the elongated length of the elongated rail, and the T-shaped upper extremity having a pair of upwardly projecting stops respectively located on opposite sides of the slot;
• the upper cap having a T shape including a stem that projects downwardly and is received by the slot in the upper extremity of the lower base, the upper cap having an upper cross bar that extends in opposite directions from the stem thereof to cooperate with the T-shaped upper extremity of the lower base in defining the pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other, and the upper cap being coextruded from the first resin and the second resin that is softer than the first resin and providing pads on the upper cross bar within the grooves;
• rectangular photovoltaic modules having edges that are received by the grooves of the rails so as to be mounted above the support surface in a spaced relationship therefrom, the photovoltaic modules being arranged in pairs with the modules of each pair abutting each other, and each pair of photovoltaic modules being space along the elongated lengths of the rails from each adjacent pair of modules to provide openings therebetween;
• and
• cross members that are supported by and extend between the T-shaped upper extremities of the lower bases of the photovoltaic modules to space the rails from each other, the cross members being located within the openings between adjacent pairs of the modules, the cross members having upwardly opening shapes, and electrical wiring received by the cross members.