Solar panel clip and method for attaching a solar panel

A system for securing solar panels to a purlin framing support member, comprising:

• a purlin framing support member having a cross-sectional shape;
• a solar panel clip having a cross-sectional shape that is the same as the cross-sectional shape of said purlin framing support member and being slideable over said purlin framing support member, said clip further having an upper solar panel spacing section having a washer mount at a top of said upper solar panel spacing section and having first and second parallel, vertical faces extending downwardly from said top, said first and second parallel, vertical faces having a gap therebetween;
• first and second solar panel bearing platforms, said first solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of said first parallel, vertical face, and said second solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of said second parallel, vertical face;
• a first key extending from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second key extending from said second solar panel bearing platform;
• and
• a first locking surface extending perpendicularly from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second locking surface extending perpendicularly from said second solar panel bearing platform, wherein said first and second locking surfaces are abuttable against a purlin framing support member surface and each of said first and second locking surfaces include a bore for attachment to the purlin framing support member surface.

A method for attaching a first solar panel to an attachment support structure using a solar panel clip, said first solar panel including a frame having a set of frame holes, said attachment support structure including a first horizontal purlin member and a second horizontal purlin member, the method comprising:

• positioning a first solar panel clip on said first horizontal purlin member and a second solar panel clip on said second horizontal purlin member, wherein said first solar panel clip and said second solar panel clip are aligned and secured;
• positioning said frame of said first solar panel on said first solar panel clip such that a first key on said first solar panel clip is inserted into a first frame hole of said set of frame holes, and a first key on said second solar panel clip is inserted into a second frame hole of said set of frame holes;
• positioning a third solar panel clip on said first horizontal purlin member and a fourth solar panel clip on said second horizontal purlin member, wherein said third solar panel clip and said fourth solar panel clip are aligned and secured;
• positioning said frame of said first solar panel on said third solar panel clip and said fourth solar panel clip such that a first key on said third solar panel clip is inserted into a third frame hole of said set of frame holes, and a first key on said fourth solar panel clip is interested into a fourth frame hole of said set of frame holes;
• positioning a fifth solar panel clip on a third horizontal purlin member;
• aligning said fifth solar panel clip with said second solar panel clip and securing said fifth solar panel clip to said third horizontal purlin member;
• providing a second solar panel including a frame with a set of frame holes;
• positioning said frame of said second solar panel on said second solar panel clip and said fifth solar panel clip such that a second key on said second solar panel clip is inserted into a first frame hole of said set of frame holes of said second solar panel, and a first key on said fifth solar panel clip is inserted into a second frame hole of set of frame holes of said second solar panel, wherein the second solar panel is spaced apart from the first solar panel by a width of an upper solar panel section of the second clip;
• positioning a sixth solar panel clip on a third horizontal purlin member, aligning said sixth solar panel clip with said fourth solar panel clip and securing said sixth solar panel clip to said third horizontal purlin member;
• and
• positioning said frame of said second solar panel on said fourth solar panel clip and said sixth solar panel clip such that a second key on said fourth solar panel clip is inserted into a third frame hole of said set of frame holes of said second solar panel, and a first key on said sixth solar panel clip is inserted into a fourth frame hole of set of frame holes of second solar panel, wherein the second solar panel is spaced apart from the first solar panel by a width of an upper solar panel spacing section of the fourth clip.

A system for securing solar panels to a purlin framing support member, comprising:

• a purlin framing support member having a cross-sectional shape;
• a washer;
• a clip supporting the washer and adjacent solar panels, the clip including,
• a first key and a second key extending outwards from a top surface of the clip, the first and second keys mating with bottom surfaces of the adjacent solar panels,
• a third key and a fourth key extending outwards from the top surface, the third and fourth keys limiting movement of the washer along a gap between the adjacent solar panels, and
• a bottom surface defined to be slideable over the purlin framing support member;
• the clip having a cross-sectional shape that is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the purlin framing support member and being slideable over the purlin framing support member, the clip further having an upper solar panel spacing section having a washer mount at a top of the upper solar panel spacing section and having first and second parallel, vertical faces extending downwardly from the top, the first and second parallel, vertical faces having a gap therebetween;
• first and second solar panel bearing platforms, the first solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of the first parallel, vertical face, and the second solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of the second parallel, vertical face;
• the first key extending from the first solar panel bearing platform and the second key extending from the second solar panel bearing platform;
• and
• a first locking surface extending perpendicularly from the first solar panel bearing platform and a second locking surface extending perpendicularly from the second solar panel bearing platform, wherein the first and second locking surfaces are abuttable against a purlin framing support member surface and each of the first and second locking surfaces include a bore for attachment to the purlin framing support member surface.