Roof integrated photovoltaic system

A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:

• a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
• a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• a left end coupler secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• the right end couplers and the left end couplers configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement;
• at least one front edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof;
• at least one back edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof;
• the front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement;
• a seal positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjacent interlocked panel;
• each photovoltaic panel producing a voltage at output terminals when the photovoltaic panel is exposed to sunlight;
• a cable having ends and being disposed beneath each photovoltaic panel, the output terminals being electrically coupled to the cable with at least one of the ends of the cable being electrically coupled to the end of a cable of an adjacent photovoltaic panel of the system to aggregate the electrical energy of the plurality of photovoltaic panels;
• and
• a cable tray disposed beneath at least some of the photovoltaic panels, cables of the photovoltaic panels being at least partially supported by the cable trays.

A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:

• a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
• a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• a left end coupler secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• the right end couplers and the left end couplers configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement;
• at least one front edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof;
• at least one back edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof;
• the front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement;
• a seal positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjacent interlocked panel;
• each photovoltaic panel producing a voltage at output terminals when the photovoltaic panel is exposed to sunlight;
• a cable having ends and being disposed beneath each photovoltaic panel, the output terminals being electrically coupled to the cable with at least one of the ends of the cable being electrically coupled to the end of a cable of an adjacent photovoltaic panel of the system to aggregate the electrical energy of the plurality of photovoltaic panels;
• and
• wherein the back edge couplers are configured to define a cable race, the cables of the photovoltaic panels being at least partially supported in the cable race of at least one back edge coupler.

A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:

• a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
• a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• a left end coupler secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• the right end couplers and the left end couplers being configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement;
• at least one front edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof;
• at least one back edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof;
• the front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement;
• a seal positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjacent interlocked panel;
• the left end and right end couplers being profiled such that one of the couplers is elevated relative to the other coupler and then drops onto the other coupler into locking relationship as two like photovoltaic panels are urged together end-to-end;
• and
• at least one gasket extending along the left end coupler or the right end coupler and being positioned to be compressed between the couplers when the one coupler drops onto the other coupler to form a water inhibiting seal.

A roof integrated photovoltaic system comprising:

• a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge;
• a right end coupler secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• a left end coupler secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels;
• the right end couplers and the left end couplers configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are slid on a roof into end-to-end engagement;
• at least one front edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof;
• at least one back edge coupler affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof;
• the front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are slid on a roof into top-edge-to-bottom-edge engagement;
• a seal positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjacent interlocked panel;
• the front and back edge couplers being profiled such that the front edge of a photovoltaic panel is elevated above the back edge of a like panel and then drops down onto the back edge of the like panel in response to the two photovoltaic panels being slid together front edge to back edge on a roof.

A photovoltaic panel assembly for installation on a deck with like photovoltaic panel assemblies to form a photovoltaic array for converting sunlight to electrical energy, the photovoltaic panel assembly comprising:

• a solar panel having a peripheral frame surrounding a solar collector that produces DC voltage when exposed to sunlight, the solar panel having left and right ends and front and back edges;
• a left end coupler extending along the left end of the solar panel;
• a right end coupler extending along the right end of the solar panel;
• at least one front edge coupler secured at the front edge of the solar panel;
• at least one back edge coupler secured at the back edge of the solar panel;
• the left and right end couplers being configured to lock into sealing engagement when the ends of two like panels are urged together in an end-to-end relationship;
• the at least one front edge coupler and the at least one back edge coupler being configured to lock into engagement when the bottom edge of the photovoltaic panel assembly is urged toward the top edge of a like photovoltaic panel assembly;
• and
• electrical wiring beneath the photovoltaic panel assembly for coupling the electrical energy produced by the panel assembly with electrical energy produced by like panel assemblies in an array;
• one of the left and right end couplers comprising a ramp and the other one of the left and right couplers comprising a ramp follower, the ramp and ramp follower being configured to engage one another as the ends of two like photovoltaic panel assemblies are urged together to elevate the end coupler of one of the photovoltaic panel assemblies and then to allow the elevated end coupler to drop onto the end coupler of the other one of the photovoltaic panel assemblies.

A photovoltaic panel assembly for installation on a deck with like photovoltaic panel assemblies to form a photovoltaic array for converting sunlight to electrical energy, the photovoltaic panel assembly comprising:

• a solar panel having a peripheral frame surrounding a solar collector that produces DC voltage when exposed to sunlight, the solar panel having left and right ends and front and back edges;
• a left end coupler extending along the left end of the solar panel;
• a right end coupler extending along the right end of the solar panel;
• at least one front edge coupler secured at the front edge of the solar panel;
• at least one back edge coupler secured at the back edge of the solar panel;
• the left and right end couplers being configured to lock into sealing engagement when the ends of two like panels are urged together in an end-to-end relationship;
• the at least one front edge coupler and the at least one back edge coupler being configured to lock into engagement when the bottom edge of the photovoltaic panel assembly is urged toward the top edge of a like photovoltaic panel assembly;
• and
• electrical wiring beneath the photovoltaic panel assembly for coupling the electrical energy produced by the panel assembly with electrical energy produced by like panel assemblies in an array;
• one of the front edge coupler and the back edge coupler comprising a ramp and the other one of the front edge coupler and the back edge coupler comprising a ramp follower, the ramp and ramp follower being configured and positioned to engage one another as the front edge of the photovoltaic panel assembly is urged toward the back edge of a like photovoltaic panel assembly and then to allow the front edge of the photovoltaic panel assembly to drop onto the back edge of the like photovoltaic panel assembly in overlying relationship.