Support assembly for supporting photovoltaic modules

A support assembly for supporting one or more photovoltaic modules on a support surface, said support assembly comprising:

• a body portion, said body portion including a base portion with an upward-facing recess for accommodating one or more ballasts, said body portion consisting of polymer;
• integrated grounding means comprising one or more conductive components coupled to said body portion, at least one of said one or more conductive components configured to engage and directly connect to adjacent photovoltaic modules, said integrated grounding means configured to provide integrated grounding between said adjacent photovoltaic modules;
• and
• at least one clamp subassembly, said at least one clamp subassembly coupled to said body portion, said at least one clamp subassembly configured to be coupled to one or more photovoltaic modules;
• wherein said support assembly is configured to bridge multiple rows of photovoltaic modules wherein said upward-facing recess of said base portion is configured to be disposed at least partially between a first row of said multiple rows of photovoltaic modules and a second row of said multiple rows of photovoltaic modules when said support assembly bridges said first and second rows;
• and
• wherein a portion of said body portion is disposed below said integrated grounding means.

A mounting system for supporting a plurality of photovoltaic modules on a support surface, said mounting system comprising:

• a plurality of photovoltaic modules disposed in an array, said array including a plurality of rows of said photovoltaic modules;
• and
• a plurality of separate support assemblies supporting and orienting said photovoltaic modules in said array, each of said plurality of support assemblies comprising:
• a body portion, said body portion including a base portion with an upward-facing recess for accommodating one or more ballasts, said body portion consisting of polymer;
• and
• integrated grounding means comprising one or more conductive components coupled to said body portion, at least one of said one or more conductive components configured to engage and directly connect to adjacent photovoltaic modules, said integrated grounding means configured to provide integrated grounding between said adjacent photovoltaic modules, and a portion of said body portion being disposed below said integrated grounding means;
• wherein one or more of said plurality of support assemblies are configured to bridge two of said plurality of rows of said photovoltaic modules without being directly secured to any other of said plurality of support assemblies in a structural manner, and wherein said upward-facing recesses of said base portions of said one or more of said plurality of support assemblies are configured to be disposed at least partially between a first row of said plurality of rows of said photovoltaic modules and a second row of said plurality of rows of said photovoltaic modules when said one or more of said plurality of support assemblies bridge said first and second rows.