JP2020114983A - Panel with photovoltaic device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an exterior covering panel for a building with a photovoltaic device that minimizes a cable length and facilitates wiring while preventing the formation of an adverse induction loop.SOLUTION: A panel with a photovoltaic device constituted by an even number of photovoltaic modules, the panel including rows aligned essentially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the panel, each of the rows having an electrode at each of its ends, the polarity of the electrode at one end being the opposite of that of the electrode at the other end, two adjacent rows having the opposite polarities; and it is provided with an electrical device comprising a panel assembly and capable of connecting to a converter, and a method of electrically connecting constituent panels of the assembly to the converter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to exterior cladding panels for buildings comprising photovoltaic devices. This type of panel is primarily intended for the construction of photovoltaic roofs, but is not limited to this application.

It is known to provide the roof of a building with a set of photovoltaic modules electrically connected to each other so that electrical energy can be generated.

The photovoltaic module is formed by a set of photovoltaic cells connected in series. More specifically, the cells are arranged in rows and the rows are connected to each other to form a folded ribbon-like one. Each module has, on its periphery, two electrodes located close to each other in the form of + and-terminals.

During the assembly of the roofing module, it is desirable, on the one hand, to minimize the length of the cable and, on the other hand, to prevent the cable from forming inductive loops that interfere with the production of energy.

To do this, it is known to wire the modules "horizontally", as shown in FIG. 1, especially from CN103151409. In the first row, the modules whose electrodes are located on top are connected in series. This row is connected in series with each other and to the upper row, whose electrodes are composed of modules located in the lower part. This type of wiring allows for smaller inductive loops, but has some drawbacks:
-The connection of two consecutive modules is on the rear side, which may require access to the shingles,
-If you try to install a non-even row of modules as a roof, the wiring becomes more complicated and requires a large amount of cables,
The cable is on the side of the roof, which also requires access to the shingles in order to connect the cable to the electric grid.

Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 103151409

It is an object of the present invention to utilize exterior cladding panels for buildings with photovoltaic devices that minimize cable length and facilitate wiring while preventing the wiring from forming harmful inductive loops. Is to improve the above problems.

To this end, a first object of the invention is a panel comprising a photovoltaic device constituted by an even number of rows of photovoltaic modules, the rows being essentially at one longitudinal edge of the panel. Aligned parallel to each other, each column having an electrode at each of its ends, the polarity of the electrode at one end being the opposite of the polarity of the electrode at the other end, and the poles of two adjacent columns being opposite. It is the polarity of the panel.

The panel according to the invention also comprises the following optional features, considered individually or in combination:
-The panel is made of molded metal plate,
The photovoltaic module is a flexible ribbon glued to the panel,
The photovoltaic module is deposited directly on the panel by successive deposition of layers of suitable type by vacuum deposition.
The columns are not electrically connected to each other,
The rows are of the same length and their ends are aligned essentially parallel to the transverse edges of the panel,
The electrode is in the form of a male connector when it is of one polarity and in the form of a female connector when it is of the opposite polarity,
The rows of male and female connectors are arranged such that they connect to each other when the lower lateral edge of the upper panel overlaps the upper lateral edge of the lower panel.

A second object of the invention is the book juxtaposed by the overlap of the edges of their longitudinal edges and/or their lateral edges so as to form rows of photovoltaic modules in the longitudinal direction. It consists of an assembly of panels according to the invention.

A third object of the invention is constituted by an electrical device which is inclined along a given inclination and which comprises an assembly according to the invention and which can be connected to a converter, for which:
At the bottom of the slope of the assembly, the lower terminal electrode of the first row is electrically connected to the lower terminal electrode of the second row, and so on;
-At the level of overlap of the edges of two adjacent panels in a given row, the lower terminal electrode of each column of the upper panel is connected to opposite electrodes of opposite polarity on the lower panel,
-In the roof ridge, the electrodes at the upper ends of the rows are connected to the converter or between them in a manner similar to that done at the bottom of the slope.

A fourth object of the invention is a method of electrical connection to a converter of a constituent panel of an assembly according to the invention which is inclined along a slope:
At the bottom of the slope of the assembly, the electrode at the lower end of the first row is electrically connected to the electrode at the lower end of the second row, and so on;
-At the level of overlap of the edges of two adjacent panels in a given row, the lower terminal electrode of each column of the upper panel is connected to opposite electrodes of opposite polarity on the lower panel;
-In the roof ridge, the electrodes at the upper ends of the rows are connected to the converter or between the electrodes in a manner similar to that done at the bottom of the slope; To be done.

Other features and advantages of the invention are described in more detail below.

The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, which is intended to be illustrative and not limiting with reference to the accompanying figures.

1 is a schematic view of an assembly of panels according to the prior art. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a panel according to a modification of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an assembly of panels according to a variation of the present invention.

In each of the figures, the same reference numbers represent the same elements.

Throughout the text, panel means an element that is flat in shape, ie its thickness is small compared to other dimensions. The panel may be in the form of a plate or sheet made of a single material or composite assembly. In the latter case, the panel is a stack of layers of the same or different materials. The material may be, inter alia, a metallic material, a polymer or a ceramic. Metallic materials, steel, aluminum, copper, zinc can be cited as non-limiting examples. The panel is preferably a metal sheet. It is preferably made of pre-galvanized, painted steel to protect it from corrosion. The panel may optionally be foamed on the underside, thereby forming the exterior of the sandwich panel.

Within the framework of the invention, the panel is preferably preformed using any known forming method, including, by way of non-limiting example, bending, roll forming, stamping, molding. There is.

This molding forms, among other things, ribs on the surface of the panel. Throughout the text, ribs mean protrusions formed on the surface of the panel. The ribs may have a trapezoidal shape, as in the exemplary embodiments shown below, or a rectangular, corrugated, sinusoidal or even omega-shaped. The rib has a central upper end and two lateral wings.

To form a roof or facade, the panels are assembled by overlapping the edges of their longitudinal edges with their transverse edges and by means of fasteners such as screws, nails or even rivets, the supporting structure of the building. Fixed to.

Referring to FIG. 2, the panel 1 is mainly composed of a first longitudinal edge 2, a central portion 3 at least partially covered by a photovoltaic device, and a second longitudinal edge 4. There is.

The photovoltaic device is comprised of an even number of photovoltaic modules in rows 5 located on the top surface of the panel. Each of the columns comprises at least one photovoltaic module, in other words at least an assembly of photovoltaic cells 6 connected to each other, preferably in series, and insulated from the outside by a protective barrier. As a non-limiting example, it is a module in the form of a flexible ribbon adhered to the center of the panel, or by using a vacuum deposition method to deposit layers of the appropriate type sequentially, The module may be directly attached to the center of the panel.

The arrangement and mechanism of these photovoltaic cells within each photovoltaic module is not limiting. As a non-limiting example, the cells may be arranged in a row on top of each other or arranged in multiple rows that are connected to each other, such as folded ribbons. Is forming. Preferably, and also using vacuum evaporation techniques, the cells are arranged in rows to facilitate direct attachment of the photovoltaic modules to the panel.

The row 5 of photovoltaic modules is therefore either monolithic, in other words made of a single piece or composed of a plurality of photovoltaic modules arranged end to end. Good. Two consecutive photovoltaic modules provide an electrical connection between the last photovoltaic cell of one module and the first photovoltaic cell of the other module so that the two cells are connected in series. Are placed end to end by establishing physical contact.

The rows are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the panel. Preferably, the rows are of the same length and their ends are aligned essentially parallel to the lateral edges of the panels, facilitating the connection of the rows of two adjacent panels.

To facilitate the wiring of the panel assembly, the photovoltaic device also has the following features, as described below:
Each row comprises an electrode 7 on each of its ends, the polarity of one end electrode being the reverse of the polarity of the other end electrode,
The two adjacent example poles have opposite polarities.

The presence of electrodes on the top side of the panel facilitates connecting the modules together when the panel is installed on a building. Installation of wiring no longer requires access to the roof of the roof.

Preferably, the rows of panels are not electrically connected to each other. The electrical connection between the columns is made only after the panel is assembled, as will be explained later. This simplifies the fabrication of the panels in the factory and allows the wiring to be adapted to the assembly specifics at the construction site.

Preferably, each row comprises at one of its ends a male connector acting as a first electrode and at its other end a female connector acting as a second electrode, the two connectors being They are arranged to connect to each other when the lower lateral edge of the panel overlaps the upper lateral edge of the lower panel. This type of connection facilitates panel assembly on the building and simplifies wiring of photovoltaic installations. This type of connector is known to the person skilled in the art and the person skilled in the art will adapt them accordingly.

The panels of the present invention are preferably factory manufactured and then shipped to the site, as described below and shown in FIG. 3, prior to assembly. On the one hand, the production of the entire panel in the factory guarantees its quality and correct operation, while on the other hand, the installation of the outer coating of the building and the photovoltaic assembly in a single step allows Minimal assembly work in.

Preferably, the panels intended for a given assembly each have a first row 5 in which each of the poles 7 is associated with a corresponding pole of the first row of another panel. Have the same polarity. However, the dimensions of the panel and the number of rows of photovoltaic modules in the panel may vary.

In the structure 8 of the building to be covered, the first panel 1 is put in place by fastening means such as screws, nails or even rivets. Preferably, the panel is oriented such that its longitudinal edges extend in the direction of the slope. This orientation facilitates drainage of rainwater on the assembly and maintains its watertightness.

One or more panels are arranged around the first panel and assembled together:
-The overlap of the lateral edges of the adjacent panels causes the electrodes of the lower end of the row of photovoltaic modules of the upper panel to oppose the electrodes of opposite polarity at the top of the row of the lower panel. Forming rows of photovoltaic modules,
And/or double the number of rows by overlapping the edges of the vertical edges of adjacent panels.

Thus, a row of photovoltaic modules is defined as a vertical juxtaposition of columns of photovoltaic modules. Depending on the shape of the structure to be covered and local constraints such as the presence of windows, doors or chimneys, the rows of panels may be of variable length.

In this way, the panel assembly is obtained to form a plurality of rows 9 of photovoltaic modules. Each panel has an even number of columns of photovoltaic modules, so the number of rows is even. The number of photovoltaic modules per row depends on the number of panels adjacent to each other in a given row, and thus can vary from row to row. In the case of a panel that does not show edge overlap of its lateral edges, the rows of photovoltaic modules merge with the columns of photovoltaic modules.

Each row comprises an electrode on each of its ends, the polarity of the electrode at one end is opposite that of the electrode at the other end, and the poles of two adjacent rows are of opposite polarity. In other words, each row couples at its lower end with the electrode at the lower end of the first column of this row, and at its upper end with the electrode at the upper end of the last example of this row, And electrodes of opposite polarity. The two adjacent columns of the panel are of opposite polarity, and the reversal of this pole is also found at the level of two adjacent rows.

The rows 5 of photovoltaic modules in each panel are then electrically connected as described below.

At the bottom of the slope 10 of the assembly, the lower terminal electrode 7 of the first row 9 is electrically connected to the lower terminal electrode of the second row and the lower terminal electrode of the third row is 4 is electrically connected to the lower terminal electrode of row 4, and so on.

In practice, this electrical connection is made using a lateral connector 11, such as, by way of non-limiting example, a flexible electrical cable or a rigid electrical connecting strip. If the electrodes at the end of the row are equipped with male and female connectors, the wire or connecting strips are stretched by equivalent male and female connectors to wire or connect the connector at the end of the row. Allows to connect to strips.

Lateral connector 11 may also include diodes oriented to block the passage of current from the positive electrode to the negative electrode and allow passage of current in the opposite direction. This diode can short the bad row when needed.

At the level of overlap 12 of the edges of two adjacent panels in a given row, the electrodes at the lower end of each column of the upper panel are opposite electrodes of opposite polarity on the lower panel, in other words the counterparts of the lower panel. Connected to the electrode at the upper end of the column.

In fact, this electrical connection is such that if the rows of photovoltaic modules are equipped with male and female connectors at their ends, simply connecting them at the same time as the panels are installed. Done by Alternatively, a vertical connector 13 similar to the lateral connector described above may be used.

In the ridge 14, the electrodes at the upper ends of the rows are connected to each other in a manner similar to the connection at the bottom of the ramp, depending on the converter or on the acceptable input voltage for the converter. This input voltage is adjusted by adapting the number of columns connected in series between them. The person skilled in the art can adapt this connection principle to the particular case. FIG. 3 shows one type of connection possible in the roof ridge. The upper electrode of the first row is connected to the converter. The upper electrodes of the second row are connected to the upper electrodes of the third row with a lateral connector 15, similar to that used at the bottom of the ramp. The upper electrode of the fourth row is similarly connected to the upper electrode of the fifth row. Finally, the upper electrode of the sixth row is connected to the converter circuit. The n photovoltaic modules of the first six rows are thus connected in series, delivering to the converter a voltage equal to n times their nominal voltage.

Subsequent columns are then connected using the same method.

Therefore, the output of the cables towards the converter is provided at the roof ridge, which is easy to access and facilitates their installation or repair.

In the second exemplary embodiment of the panel assembly, the method of connecting the modules at the bottom of the slope and at the ridge of the roof may be reversed so that the wiring output is located at the bottom of the slope.

Therefore, thanks to the delivery of the panels according to the invention on the construction site, it is very easy to put the panels in place and to connect the photovoltaic modules at the same time or later.

To this end, a first object of the invention is a panel comprising a photovoltaic device constituted by an even number of rows of photovoltaic modules, the rows being essentially at one longitudinal edge of the panel. Aligned parallel to each other, each column having an electrode at each of its ends, the polarity of the electrode at one end being the opposite of the polarity of the electrode at the other end, and the poles of two adjacent columns being opposite. It is the polarity of the panel.

A second object of the present invention, so as to form a row of photovoltaic modules in the longitudinal direction, juxtaposed by overlapping the edges of their longitudinal edges and / or lateral edges thereof, the It consists of an assembly of panels according to the invention.

To form the roof or facade, the panels are assembled by overlapping the edges of their longitudinal edges with their transverse edges, and by means of fasteners such as screws, nails or even rivets the supporting structure of the building. Fixed to.

Referring to FIG. 2, the panel 1 is mainly composed of a first longitudinal edge 2, a central portion 3 at least partially covered by a photovoltaic device, and a second longitudinal edge 4. There is.

The rows are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the panel. Preferably, the rows are of the same length and their ends are aligned essentially parallel to the lateral edges of the panels, facilitating the connection of the rows of two adjacent panels.

In the structure 8 of the building to be covered, the first panel 1 is put in place by fastening means such as screws, nails or even rivets. Preferably, the panel is oriented such that its longitudinal edges extend in the direction of the slope. This orientation facilitates drainage of rainwater on the assembly and maintains its watertightness.

One or more panels are arranged around the first panel and assembled together:
-The overlap of the lateral edges of the adjacent panels causes the electrodes of the lower end of the row of photovoltaic modules of the upper panel to oppose the electrodes of opposite polarity at the top of the row of the lower panel. Forming rows of photovoltaic modules,
And/or double the number of rows by overlapping the edges of the longitudinal edges of adjacent panels.

Thus, a row of photovoltaic modules is defined as a longitudinal juxtaposition of columns of photovoltaic modules. Depending on the shape of the structure to be covered and local constraints such as the presence of windows, doors or chimneys, the rows of panels may be of variable length.

Claims (11)

A panel (1) comprising photovoltaic devices constituted by an even number of rows (5) of photovoltaic modules, the rows being aligned essentially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the panel, each The column comprises an electrode (7) at each of its ends, the polarity of the electrode at one end being the opposite of that of the electrode at the other end, and the poles of two adjacent columns being of opposite polarity. .. The panel of claim 1 made from a molded metal sheet. A panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the photovoltaic module is a flexible ribbon adhered to the panel. Panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the photovoltaic module is deposited directly on the panel by vacuum deposition, by successive deposition of layers of suitable type. Panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rows (5) are not electrically connected to each other. A row according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rows (5) are of equal length and their ends are aligned essentially parallel to the transverse edges of the panel. panel. 7. The electrode (7) is in the form of a male connector when it is of one polarity and when it is of the opposite polarity it is in the form of a female connector. The panel according to any one of 1. The male and female connectors of a row are arranged such that they connect to each other when the lower lateral edge of the upper panel overlaps the upper lateral edge of the lower panel. The panel described. The panel is juxtaposed by the overlap of the edges of their longitudinal edges and/or their lateral edges so as to form rows (9) of photovoltaic modules in the longitudinal direction. 9. An assembly of panels according to any one of 1 to 8. An electrical device connectable to a converter, comprising an assembly according to claim 9, tilted along a given tilt, comprising:
At the bottom of the assembly ramp (10), the lower terminal electrode (7) of the first row (9) is electrically connected to the lower terminal electrode of the second row, and so on. Yes,
-At the level of overlap (12) of the edges of two adjacent panels in a given row, the electrodes at the lower end of each column of the upper panel are connected to opposite electrodes of opposite polarity on the lower panel. ,
An electrical device in which, in the ridge of the roof (14), the electrodes at the upper ends of the rows are connected to the converter or between them in a manner similar to that done at the bottom of the slope. A method of electrical connection to a converter of a component panel of an assembly according to claim 9 which is inclined along an inclination.
At the bottom of the assembly ramp (10), the lower terminal electrode (7) of the first row (9) is electrically connected to the lower terminal electrode of the second row, and so on. Steps,
-At the level of overlap (12) of the edges of two adjacent panels in a given row, the electrodes at the lower end of each column of the upper panel are connected to opposite electrodes of opposite polarity on the lower panel. When,
-In the ridge of the roof (14), the electrodes at the upper ends of the rows are connected to the converter or between them in a manner similar to that done at the bottom of the slope, Method.

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