Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
  • H02S20/00—Supporting structures for PV modules
  • H02S20/20—Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object
  • H02S20/22—Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object specially adapted for buildings
  • H02S20/23—Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object specially adapted for buildings specially adapted for roof structures
  • H02S20/25—Roof tile elements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
  • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
  • H01L31/054—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means
  • H01L31/0543—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means comprising light concentrating means of the refractive type, e.g. lenses
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
  • Y02B10/10—Photovoltaic [PV]
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
  • Y02E10/52—PV systems with concentrators

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a modular photovoltaic element for building roofs.
• Modular elements of clay material are known for forming building roofs. They are commonly known as plain tiles or single-lap tiles depending on their shape, the present description using exclusively the term "tile", even though the invention also relates to modular elements different from plain tiles.
• photovoltaic modules have been proposed as a replacement for traditional clay tiles, they being hence known as photovoltaic tiles. They have generally lost their traditional shape, which is often incompatible with the connections required between one tile and the next, and incompatible with the need for a surface transparent to the sun's rays and the ability to define with the remaining part of the tile a chamber for housing the photovoltaic cells. Consequently the roofs made with these photovoltaic tiles have lost the appearance of classical roofs and integrate unsatisfactorily within an environmental context.
• An object of the invention is to eliminate these drawbacks by providing photovoltaic tiles which are totally similar externally to classical tiles but which on installation are able to establish the necessary connections with the adjacent tiles and/or with conductors for transferring the electrical energy generated thereby to the outside.
• FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a modular photovoltaic element according to the invention
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of its base seen from below
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of its lower support part seen from above
• Figure 4 is a perspective view thereof with a positionable support for the photovoltaic cells applied
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of just the support for the photovoltaic cells
• Figure 6 is a perspective view thereof seen from below
• Figure 7 is a detailed perspective view of the connection between two tiles of the same row.
• Figure 8 is an enlarged partial cross-section through the tile cover element of transparent material.
• the tile of the invention comprises three basic elements, consisting of a base 2 for fixing to the structural element of the underlying building roof (not shown), a tile lower part 4 and an upper convex element 6 defining with the underlying lower part 4 a chamber for receiving the tile functional elements, and in particular the photovoltaic cells 8.
• the base 2 is made of moulded plastic and is overall of tray shape, with the two longitudinal sidepieces 10 projecting upwards, and from which two appendices 12 extend downwards for its fixing to the roof structural elements, preferably by screws.
• Each appendix 12 has its end bent outwards to define a portion shaped in a manner complementary to that of the other appendix (see Figure 2), to facilitate insertion connection to the corresponding tile of the adjacent row, the term "row” meaning the succession of tiles extending along the sloping line from the roof ridge.
• the bent end of all the appendices 12 comprises a hole which, when the appendices are insertedly engaged, faces the hole of the corresponding appendix to enable the bases 2 of two adjacent tiles to be fixed together by a single screw, ensuring regular mutual positioning of the tiles.
• Each upwardly projecting edge 10 of the base 2 also comprises seats 14 to be engaged by teeth 16 of the overlying tile lower part 4, and by centering appendices 18 of adjacent bases 2 of the same row.
• the lower part 4 of the tile of the invention is also made of moulded plastic and presents a pehmetral edge similar to the frusto- conical shape of a traditional tile, but in contrast thereto comprises in its central part a sunken portion forming the lower portion of a chamber to receive the photovoltaic cells 8 and provided with aeration appendices 19.
• the photovoltaic cells 8 can be directly fixed to the part 4 or can be mounted on a support 20 hinged to the part 4 to enable the inclination of the support to said part 4 to be adjusted both transversely and longitudinally to optimise exposure of the photovoltaic cells to the sunlight.
• This inclination adjustment can be continuous or stepwise.
• Seats 24 are provided along the longitudinal edges of the part 4, to be engaged by teeth 26 provided in the transparent cover element 6.
• the cavity of the part 4 does not extend for the entire length of the part but leaves two end bands free to lie between the parts 4 of adjacent tiles pertaining to the same row. More specifically, the downstream end of the part 4, i.e. that end which when installed lies at a lower level, projects beyond the corresponding end of the base 2 and comprises an appendix 28 housing a watertight male connector 30 for electrical connection to the downstream tile pertaining to the same row.
• the upstream end of the part 4 comprises a cavity 32 housing a watertight female connector 34 for connection to the upstream tile pertaining to the same row.
• the contacts of the male connector 30 and female connector 34 are intended to connect to cables 36 and 38 connected to a watertight integrated circuit 40 for controlling tile operation, other contacts being provided to connect to the female connector 34 and male connector 30 of adjacent tiles, as described hereinafter.
• Connection strips 22 already connected to the photovoltaic cells 8 are connected to the integrated circuit 40 via cables housed in watertight sheaths.
• Two smaller cavities 42 are provided to the side of the cavity 32 in the part 4 to cooperate with appendices 44 of the part 4 of the adjacent tile pertaining to the same row, to provide correct mutual mechanical connection.
• the cover element 6 is made of transparent material and is of frusto-conical shape matching the frusto-conical shape of the edge of the part 4, to give the tile the shape of a traditional tile.
• the cover element 6 presents a plurality of lower stiffening ribs and also a plurality of teeth 26 for engaging in the seats 24 of the part 4, to fix the cover element 6 to the part 4.
• the part 4 defines with the cover element 6 a chamber for housing the photovoltaic cells and made impermeable to water by interposing a continuous gasket 46 between the two.
• the lower surface of the cover element 6 also defines a plurality of lenses 48 the purpose of which is to concentrate the sun's rays onto smaller portions of the photovoltaic cells (see Figure 6) in order to reduce the quantity of photosensitive material used to produce the cells and consisting for example of crystalline silicon, mono or triple-junction amorphous silicon, thin tellurium, cadmium, arsenic or gallium films, etc.
• fresnel lenses can be used, or an intermediate element (not shown in the drawings) for concentrating the sun's rays be interposed between the cover element 6 and the photovoltaic cells 8.
• the integrated circuit 40 which is watertight, is able to perform a plurality of functions, and in particular of monitoring the external temperature in proximity to the tile, monitoring the solar radiation, automatic exclusion of any damaged or shaded photovoltaic cells 8, feeding data to the overall electronic control unit relative to non-operation and to the position coordinates of the non-operating component.
• the tile of the invention constitutes a self-sufficient unit able to perform the necessary functions of electrical energy generation when the photovoltaic cells 8 are struck by sunlight, of automatic connection to other tiles on installation, and of controlling their regular operation.
• Each tile is installed in substantially traditional manner, in the sense that their mechanical connection to the structural components of the building roof takes place tile by tile, this also determining the electrical connection between one and another tile.
• laying the bottom tile of each row also determines the connection to the cables for transporting the generated direct current electrical energy into the building for its use.
• the first tiles of each row have at their end the exit for two cables, of positive and negative polarity respectively, which carry the direct current electrical energy into the building.
• the two cables which emerge from each first tile one is connected to the first tile of the adjacent row, to form in this manner a series connection between the various rows.
• the two terminals of the series formed in this manner are connected to an inverter positioned inside the building, to convert the direct current into alternating current.
• the various cables are also connected to the overall electronic control unit for transmitting the data originating from the integrated circuit 40 of each tile.
• this lower part surmounts a portion of the part 4 of the previously laid tile, hence causing the male connector 30 of this subsequently laid part 4 to connect into the female connector 34 of the previously laid part 4, and determining the electrical connection between the two adjacent tiles.
• the closure of the seat 32 can be advantageously sealed by interposing a continuous gasket 50 between the two surmounted portions of the two adjacent parts 4.
• the operator lays the adjacent corner, being careful to couple the appendices 12 of two adjacent bases and then stabilize the bases in their correct position by engaging a single fixing screw.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
• Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
• Roof Covering Using Slabs Or Stiff Sheets (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38752544

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (30)

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• 2007
  • 2007-07-30 EP EP07802424A patent/EP2087528A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-07-30 US US12/312,242 patent/US20100064605A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-07-30 WO PCT/EP2007/057822 patent/WO2008052816A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-07-30 CA CA002667400A patent/CA2667400A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-07-30 AU AU2007316329A patent/AU2007316329A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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