NL1037010C2

NL1037010C2 - A method of mounting a multitude of devices for hanessing solar energy, a positioning body for use in said method, a clamp guiding body, and a prefab roof element.

Info

Publication number: NL1037010C2
Application number: NL1037010A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Peter Wieriks; Marco Willem Jansen; Brecht Tabe Laan; Jasper Beekmann
Original assignee: Ecofys Netherlands B V
Priority date: 2009-06-03
Filing date: 2009-06-03
Publication date: 2010-12-08
Also published as: WO2010140878A2; WO2010140878A3

Description

A method of mounting a multitude of devices for harnessing solar en ergy, a positioning body for use in said method, a clamp guiding body, and a prefab roof element 5 The present invention relates to a method of mounting a multi tude of devices for harnessing solar energy.

A method of mounting devices for harnessing solar energy, such as PV solar panels, is known in the art. For example, EP0949686 discloses a device and a method of mounting PV solar panels to a slant-10 ing roof. The method comprises using the device, the device comprising a plastic plate having a peripheral profile to overlap with other plates like roof tiles so as to form a layer impermeable to rain. The peripheral profile has grooves to drain rainwater. The device also has support profiles, for supporting a solar panel via U-shaped (alu-15 minium) profiles attached to the support profiles. The device itself is attached to tile laths.

The above method and device offer a fair amount of flexibility. However, nowadays devices for harnessing solar energy come in more and more diverse sizes, for which reason an alternative is needed. 20 Also, solar power is still relatively expensive and any cost-saving - be it in material or work involved - has a significant effect on the time it takes to reach break-even.

To this end, the invention provides a method of mounting a multitude of devices for harnessing solar energy wherein 25 - at least one planar body comprising a material in which a screw can be driven is provided with a plate impermeable to liquid water, said plate having a front side and a back side, wherein the front side of the plate has parallel grooves and parallel elevated areas between the parallel grooves, such that 30 - at locations where clamps for clamping the devices for har nessing solar energy are to be attached to the material in which a screw can be driven, said material in which a screw can be driven is present, - at least two grooves immediately adjacent to a parallel ele-35 vated area rest on top of and against the at least one planar body, and a multitude of parallel elevated areas having two adjacent grooves resting on top of and against the at least one planar body exist, 1037010 2 - the devices for harnessing solar energy are clamped to the at least one planar body, said clamping involving placing the devices for harnessing solar energy over the plate and driving screws through the plate into the at least one planar body at said parallel elevated ar-5 eas of the plate which each have two adjacent grooves resting on top of and against the planar body.

This allows for a flexible, cost-effective mounting of solar panels - be they PV panels or for heating of a fluid. In contrast to the method of EP0949686, the water-impermeable plate does not pass on 10 pulling force exerted by a device for harnessing solar energy (as may be caused by strong winds) and is merely sandwiched between the clamps and the planar body comprising a material in which a screw can be driven. Generally, the whole planar body is of a material in which a screw can be driven, such as wood or MDF. Typically, the centre-to-15 centre distance between two adjacent parallel elevated areas is less than 8 cm. The device for harnessing solar energy may have lips with holes, and the screw is inserted in hole of the lip and clamps the device to the planar body.

According to a preferred embodiment, the centre-to-centre dis-20 tance between the parallel grooves is less than 5 cm.

Thus a high degree of precision is possible in choosing a desired location for a clamp. Generally, the distance will be at least 1 cm.

According to a preferred embodiment, the plate is nestable.

25 This allows for more cost-effective storage and transport.

According to a very favourable embodiment, the nestable plate is a corrugated plate.

Corrugated plates are easy to manufacture and offer a maximum of flexibility because there is a large number of positions that the 30 positioning body can occupy. It also provides for a large degree of rigidity, which is of particular benefit if planks are used to support the corrugated plates.

An important embodiment is characterized in that a positioning body is used having a screw insertion point to facilitate driving in 35 a screw at a parallel elevated area on the plate, the positioning body having a back side for facing the plate and a front side, the back side being provided with protrusions to mesh with the two parallel grooves adjacent to the parallel elevated areas, restricting the 3 position of the screw insertion point to a point over the parallel elevated area having two adjacent parallel grooves resting on top of and against the at least one planar body.

The screw insertion point is for example a marking, which en-5 sures that the craftsman mounting the device for harnessing solar energy will attach the clamp to the planar body comprising a material in which a screw can be driven at an elevated area, which in turn ensures that no liquid water will reach the backside of the plate.

In accordance to a preferred embodiment, the screw insertion 10 point is a hole for the screw.

This makes it even easier and quicker to mount the device for harnessing solar energy, which is in particular important if the mounting has to be done on top of a building.

Ά much preferred embodiment of the method according to the in-15 vention is characterized in that the front side of the positioning body comprises a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending walls, at least one of the walls of the pair being provided with a flange member, the walls and the flange member capable of - retaining a first threaded connection organ between the 20 walls, - allowing translational movement of said first threaded connection organ between the walls, but - preventing rotation of said first threaded connection organ, wherein a device for harnessing solar energy is clamped using clamps, 25 a clamp comprising a clamp base and a top clamp part, wherein the clamp base comprises a hole for clamping the clamp base to the positioning body using the first threaded connection organ and a second threaded connection organ capable of cooperating with said first connection organ; 30 the mounting of the device for harnessing solar energy involving - engaging the first and second threaded connection devices to prohibit the translational movement of the first threaded connection organ when the clamp base has been clamped at a desired location; and - sandwiching the device for harnessing solar energy between the 35 clamp base and the top clamp part.

This provides for a very satisfactory flexibility when mounting with relatively few parts.

4

Another highly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that a clamp guiding body comprising a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending walls, at least one of the walls of the pair being provided with a flange member, the 5 walls and the flange member capable of - retaining a first threaded connection organ between the walls, - allowing translational movement of said first threaded connection organ between the walls, but 10 - preventing rotation of said first threaded connection organ; on top of the positioning body is attached to the planar body by driving screws through the positioning body at the locations of screw insertion points, wherein a device for harnessing solar energy is clamped to the clamp guiding body using clamps, a clamp comprising a 15 clamp base and a top clamp part, wherein the clamp base comprises a hole for clamping the clamp base to the positioning body using the first threaded connection organ and a second threaded connection organ capable of cooperating with said first connection organ; the clamping of the device for harnessing solar energy involving 20 - clamping the clamp guiding body to the positioning body by engag ing the first and second threaded connection devices to prohibit the translational movement of the first threaded connection organ when the clamp base has been clamped at a desired location; and - sandwiching the device for harnessing solar energy between the 25 clamp base and the top clamp part.

This provides for a very satisfactory flexibility when mounting with still relatively few parts.

Preferably the clamp guiding body is rotatably connected to the positioning body or connectable at the front side of the positioning 30 body in two orientations that are perpendicular to each other.

This allows the person that is to mount the devices to take only one clamp assembly, and the assembly can be used for both landscape and portrait, so the person always has the right clamp assembly available to him.

35 A preferred method is characterized in that - a clamp base for attaching a top clamp part is placed on top of the positioning body, the clamp base comprising a slot to serve as a guiding for the screw inserted into the slot and partially driven 5 through the positioning body into the planar body of the material in which a screw can be driven, said guiding allowing for movement of the clamp base in a lateral direction with respect to the parallel grooves of the plate, 5 - the screw is driven deeper into the material in which a screw can be driven, fixing the clamp base with respect to the positioning body, and - the top clamp part is attached to the clamp base so as to clamp a device for harnessing solar energy to the planar body.

10 This allows for very flexible mounting in portrait orientation, allowing for accurate positioning in a direction perpendicular to the parallel grooves, of the device for harnessing solar energy, which generally is harder to achieve.

According to a preferred method, the positioning body comprises 15 a clamp base, and the positioning body comprising the clamp base is attached to the planar body comprising a material in which a screw can be driven by driving a screw into the plate at the screw insertion point.

The use of a positioning body with an integrated clamp base is 20 suitable for landscape mounting of devices for harnessing solar en ergy, and saves time and money because fewer components are necessary and less assembly is required.

It is preferred that in the method according to the invention, the plate is a plastic plate.

25 Plastic plates can be manufactured cheaply and allow for a long life span.

According to a favourable embodiment, the at least one planar body is attached to a member chosen from i) a building, such that the parallel grooves slope downwardly, and ii) a prefab roof element.

30 In accordance with an important area of application of the method according to the present invention, the at least one planar body is attached to and on top of tile laths. In the present application, the term "prefab roof element" comprises a prefab roof. A prefab roof may comprise one or more prefab roof elements.

35 According to a favourable embodiment, a plurality of planar bodies is used and the planar bodies being downwardly sloping planks connecting tile laths, and the plate being rigid in at least one di 6 rection of the plate, said direction corresponding to the direction of the planar bodies.

Thus the amount of material needed for flexible mounting is reduced, while sagging and concomitant risk of leakage of water is re-5 duced.

In accordance with an important field of application, the device for harnessing solar energy is a PV solar panel.

The invention also relates to a positioning body suitable for use in the method according to the invention, wherein said position-10 ing body has a first side provided with at least four protrusions defining at least one first groove to mesh with a plate impermeable to liquid water, said plate having parallel grooves and parallel elevated areas between the parallel grooves, and at least one second groove perpen-15 dicular to the at least one first groove for meshing with said plate, - a second side having a screw insertion point to facilitate driving in a screw, which screw insertion point is located over the at least one of the first groove and the second groove.

Such a positioning body is very convenient as it may be used 20 for mounting of devices for harnessing solar energy both in landscape and portrait orientation, and only requires rotation over 90°. It guarantees that a screw driven through the screw insertion point of the positioning body passes through the plate impermeable to liquid water below it at an elevated area thereof. The centre-to-centre dis-25 tances of the grooves are generally in the range of 1 to 8 cm, preferably 2 to 5 cm. The screw insertion point is preferably a recess with reduced material thickness - allowing for both positioning of the point of the screw and quick penetration of the positioning body - and more preferably a hole.

30 The invention also relates to a clamp guiding body suitable for use in the method according to the invention, wherein said clamp guiding body comprises a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending walls, at least one of the walls of the pair being provided with a flange member, the walls and the flange member capable of 35 - retaining a nut between the walls, - allowing translational movement of said nut between the walls, but - preventing rotation of said nut.

7

Preferably, the clamp guiding body is rotatably connected to a positioning body as defined above or connectable at the front side of a positioning body as defined above in two orientations that are perpendicular to each other.

5 Finally, the invention relates to a prefab roof element pro vided with devices for harnessing solar energy comprising at least one planar body comprising a material in which a screw can be driven and a corrugated plate impermeable to liquid water, said corrugated plate having a front side and a back side and the at least one planar 10 body is provided at the back of the corrugated plate, wherein - at locations where clamps for clamping the devices for harnessing solar energy are attached to the material in which a screw can be driven, said material in which a screw can be driven is present, 15 - at least two parallel grooves immediately adjacent to a par allel elevated area of the corrugated plate rest on top of and against the at least one planar body, and a multitude of parallel elevated areas having two adjacent grooves resting on top of and against the at least one planar body exist, 20 the devices for harnessing solar energy being clamped to the at least one planar body with screws through the plate into the at least one planar body at said parallel elevated areas of the corrugated plate which have two adjacent grooves resting on top of and against the planar body, as can be manufactured using the method according to the 25 invention.

Such prefab roof elements can be transported to a building under construction or being renovated such as a house, and mounted. An important advantage is that less time needs to be spent in, what could be, adverse weather conditions. The prefab roof element itself 30 can be constructed in a factory, and at reduced height, improving the speed and working safety. If there is a plurality of planar bodies, they will be interconnected to form a frame.

The present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the drawings, wherein 35 Fig. la-f depict a method of mounting a multitude of PV panels to the roof of a house;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a part of a roof provided with PV panels mounted in landscape orientation; 8

Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of a clamp used for the method according to the invention;

Fig. 4 shows a top view of a positioning body with a clamp base of a clamp suitable for portrait oriented mounting of a PV panel; 5 Fig. 5 shows a side view of a positioning body together with a part of a clamp comprising the clamp base of fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a positioning body, a clamp guiding body and a clamp with two different clamp tops; 10 Fig. 7 shows a top view on the embodiment of fig. 6 without the top clamp parts;

Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of fig. 7 along line VIII-VIII;

Fig. 9 shows a top view of a clamp clamping two devices for 15 harnessing solar energy;

Fig. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of fig. 9 along line X-X used for portrait orientation of a device for harnessing solar energy with clamped solar panels attached to a plank; and 20 Fig. 11 shows a prefab roof element according to the invention.

Fig la shows a part of a slanting roof 100 of a house to be fitted with PV panels, the roof 100 being stripped of roof tiles T, revealing tile laths 101. The tile laths 101 are provided (fig. lb) with planar bodies comprising a material in which a screw can be 25 driven, here wooden planks 102 that run substantially perpendicular to the substantially horizontal tile laths 101. A suitable thickness of the planks 102 is, for example, 19 mm and a convenient width is, for example, 12 cm. Instead of wooden planks 102 a large plate such as multiplex board could have been used, but most of the surface area 30 and strength of the large plate would not be used, which would constitute a waste of material. The planks 102 are covered (fig. lc) by a plate impermeable to liquid water, in this case a corrugated plastic plate 103. The corrugated plastic plate 103 has parallel grooves 104 and parallel elevated areas 105 between the parallel grooves 104, 35 and the grooves 104 are substantially perpendicular to the tile laths 101, allowing drainage of any water such as rain water that is collected on the corrugated plastic plate 103. To make sure that any water collected on the corrugated plastic plate 103 is passed to the 9 tiles T, a lead plate 169 is provided before the corrugated plastic plate 103 is attached (the contour of the lead plate 169 behind the corrugated plastic plate 103 is shown with a broken line in fig. lc). In general, before actual mounting of PV panels is performed, the 5 corrugated plastic plate 103 will be attached to the planks 102 provisionally using screws 106 which will be driven through the parallel elevated areas 105 to avoid that any water may reach the tile laths 102. A suitable height of the corrugated plastic plate 103 is, for example, 9 mm. If a corrugated metal plate was used, it may be advan-10 tageous to have a rubber ring between the head of the screw and the corrugated metal plate to reduce the likelihood of water passing below the plate via the screw hole.

The location of the planks 102 was chosen such that - at locations where clamps 107 (fig. ld-f; fig. 2) for clamp- 15 ing the PV panels 108 are to be attached to the material in which a screw can be driven, said planks 102 are present, - at least two parallel grooves 104 immediately adjacent to a parallel elevated area 105 rest on top of and against the plank 102.

20 The PV panels 108 are attached to the planks 102 using clamps 107 (fig. ld-f). These clamps 107 are attached to a positioning body 109 having protrusions 110 (fig. 3) facing the corrugated plastic plate 103 and meshing with the parallel grooves 104. The positioning body 109 has two screw insertion points (holes 111) to facilitate 25 driving in a screw at a parallel elevated area 105 on the corrugated plastic plate 103. The holes 111 lie between the protrusions 110, as a result of which the position of a screw driven through a hole 111 is restricted to a point over the parallel elevated area 105 having two adjacent parallel grooves 104. All the person in charge of mount-30 ing PV panels 108 has to do is to choose a position for the positioning body 109 such that it rests on top of and against a plank 102 (with the corrugated plastic plate 103 sandwiched in between), Generally two clamps 107 will be used per long side of a PV panel, each clamp 107 being positioned at approximately l/4th of the length of 35 the PV panel from a short edge of the PV panel. With a width of the plank 102 of, for example 12 cm, and the distance between two parallel grooves 104 of, for example 32 mm, a plank 102 offers ample opportunity to select a suitable position for the positioning body 109, 10 even if by coincidence a screw used to attach the plank 102 to a tile lath 101 is present at the exact spot of a hole 111. In the direction of the parallel grooves 104, the positioning body 109 can be selected at will. A clamp 107 comprises a clamp base 120, and a top part 121.

5 The clamp base 120 comprises two holes 122, through which screws 123 (fig. 3) are driven that pass the holes 111. Thus, the corrugated plastic plate 103 and the positioning body are sandwiched between the clamp base 120 and the plank 102. Now, an edge 130 of a PV panel 108 is placed over the positioning body 109, and the top part 121 of the 10 clamp 107 is attached to the clamp base 120 using a socket screw 131. The top part 121 has wings 128 at at least one side thereof, which wings 128 are over the edge 130 of the PV panel 108, with a piece of rubber 132 to prevent any damage to the PV panel 108. Fig. Id and le show the roof during mounting of a PV panel 108, while fig. If shows 15 the finished roof, provided with 4 PV panels 108.

Fig. 2 shows this in a cross-sectional view through part of a slanting roof provided with PV panels 108 in landscape orientation, the edges 130 of PV panels 108 being clamped between clamp 107 and the plank 102.

20 Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the positioning body 109 with holes 111, the clamp base 120 which is to be screwed to a plank 102, and the top part 121 which is to be bolted to the clamp base 120 us ing socket screw 131. The protrusions 110 of the positioning body 109 have been designed to accommodate for grooves of the corrugated plas-25 tic plate 103 in two perpendicular directions, allowing this positioning body 109 to be used for both landscape and portrait mounting of PV panels 108.

If it is desired to mount PV panels in portrait orientation, the clamp base of the clamp may be provided with slots 333 (fig. 4) 30 in foot members 334 of a clamp base 320 to allow continuous positioning of the clamp base 320 before it is fixed to the plank 102. This is shown in fig. 4, which displays the clamp base 320 on top of 1 positioning body 309 only. This figure also shows a threaded hole 353 for a socket screws used to connect the top clamp part (not shown) to 35 the clamp base 320. Fig. 5 shows a side view through a clamp base 320 placed on top of a positioning body 309. In fig. 5 the clamp base 320 has been moved to the far left to demonstrate the freedom of positioning allowed by the slots 333 (fig. 4). The screw 323 is driven 11 through the slot 333 into the plank 102 (not shown). The protrusions 310 of the positioning body 309 have been designed to accommodate for grooves of the corrugated plastic plate 103 in two perpendicular directions, allowing this positioning body to be used for both land-5 scape and portrait mounting of PV panels 108.

As with existing systems, aluminium profiles may be used to cover any gap to the right and/or left of the array of devices for harnessing solar energy for drainage of rain water and to ensure fire safety. To reduce the distance between the solar panels and the tiles 10 above or below the array of devices for harnessing solar energy, clamps may be used with only one wing (such as shown in fig. 6; 668a), the basis of the positioning body will have accordingly smaller dimensions.

Fig. 6 shows a positioning body 609 having protrusions 610 at a 15 first side thereof, and with screw insertion points (holes) 611. A

clamp guiding body 661 will be placed over the second side of the positioning body 609. The clamp guiding body 661 has screw insertion points (holes) 662 also, and these coincide with those of the positioning body 609, irrespective of whether the clamp guiding body 661 20 is in the orientation shown in fig. 6 or rotated over 90" in the plane of the second side of the positioning body 609. In the orientation shown in fig. 6 the set-up is in particular suitable for devices in landscape orientation. When a device for harnessing solar energy is to be mounted, the clamp guiding body 661 is screwed to the mate-25 rial in which screws can be driven (shown in fig. 8), sandwiching the corrugated plate and positioning body between the material and the clamp guiding body 661. The clamp guiding body 661 has pairs of parallel, longitudinally extending walls 663, 663' and in the embodiment shown each of the walls 663, 663' of the pair of walls is provided 30 with a longitudinally extending flange 664, 664' respectively. Thus a guiding is created capable of retaining a nut 665 (as the first threaded organ in the claim), and while it can move between the walls 663, 663', it is retained between those walls 663, 663' by the flanges 664, 664' and the walls 663, 663' . The walls 663, 663' also 35 prevent the nuts 665 from rotating, the reason for which will become clear shortly.

A clamp base 666 is placed on top of the clamp guiding body 661. Second threaded bodies, bolts 667, are used to clamp the clamp 12 base 666 to the clamp guiding body 661. While the bolts 667 and nuts 665 are only slightly engaged, the clamp guiding body can be moved to the required position. Because the nuts 665 are not readily accessible, the walls 663, 663' prevent the nuts 665 from rotating, allowing 5 easy engaging. Then the bolts 667 and nuts 665 are further engaged, clamping the clamp 666 to the guiding body 661.

To mount a device for harnessing solar energy, a top clamp part 668 with two wings 671, 672 (or 688a in case the top clamp part 668 has to hold only 1 device for harnessing solar energy and therefore 10 needs only one wing 671a will be bolted to the clamp base 666 using bolt 669 (fig. 9 and 10). To this end, the clamp base 666 is provided with a thread in any manner known in the art.

In Fig. 9 a top view is visible of two devices for harnessing solar energy D1 and D2 (partially shown), clamped in portrait orien-15 tation to a plank 602. Fig. 9 shows the top clamp part 668 with wings 671 and 672.

In fig. 10 a cross-sectional view is shown of the complete stack (along line X-X in fig. 9), comprising a plank 602 (material in which a screw can be driven), the plastic corrugated plate 603, the 20 positioning body 609 on top of the plastic corrugate plate 603, the clamp guiding body 661 on top of the positioning body 609 affixed to the plank 602 with screws 606, the clamp base 666 on top of the clamp guiding body 661, the top clamp part 668 connected to the clamp base 666 by bolt 669, and the devices for harnessing solar energy D1 and 25 D2 are sandwiched between the wings 671, 672 of the top clamp part 668.

Fig. 6 and fig. 8 show a connecting device 690 that allows the positioning body 609 and clamp guiding body 661 to be rotated with respect to each other while being connected. This makes it more con-30 venient to handle on rooftops and is also logistically convenient.

Top clamp part 668 does not need to engage the clamp base 666, but if the top clamp part 668a is used, it is preferred that it does engage the clamp base 666 to prevent tilting of the top clamp base part 668a.

35 Fig. 11 shows a prefab roof element comprising a planar multi plex plate 202 covered with a corrugated plastic plate 103, and four PV panels 108 attached to the planar multiplex plate 202. The planar multiplex plate 202 will be bolted or screwed to a roof.

1037010

Claims

A method for mounting a plurality of devices for obtaining solar energy (108) wherein - at least one planar body (102) comprising a material in which a screw can be turned is provided with a liquid water impermeable plate (103), said plate (103) having a front side and a rear side, the front side of the plate 10 (103) having parallel grooves (104) and parallel raised areas (105) between the parallel grooves such that - at locations where clamps (107) for clamping the solar energy devices must be attached to the material in which a screw can be turned, said material in which a screw can be turned is present, - at least two grooves (104) immediately abutting a parallel raised area (105) on top and against the at least one planar body (102), and a plurality of parallel raised gears bidding (105) is with two adjacent grooves resting on top of and against the at least one planar body (102), - the solar energy generating devices are clamped against the at least one planar body (102), the said clamps placing the solar energy devices (108) above the plate (103) and rotating screws (106) through the plate (103) in the at least one planar body (102) on site of said parallel raised areas (105) of the plate that have two adjacent grooves resting on top of and against the planar body.

The method of claim 1, wherein the center-to-center distance between the parallel grooves is less than 5 cm.

The method of claim 2, wherein the plate (103) is nestable. The method of claim, wherein the nestable plate is a corrugated plate. 1 0370 1 0

Method according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein a positioning body (109) is used which has a screw insertion point (111) for screwing in a screw (106) at a parallel raised area (105) to facilitate the plate (103), wherein the positioning body has a rear face and a front face, the rear face being provided with protrusions (110) which are adjacent the parallel raised regions (110) on the two parallel grooves (104) 105) can fall, limiting the position of the screw insertion point (111) to a point above the parallel raised area (105) with two adjacent parallel grooves resting on top of and against the at least one planar body (102).

The method of claim 5, wherein the screw insertion point (111) is a hole for the screw.

7. Method as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the front side of the positioning body comprises a pair of parallel, elongated walls, at least one of the walls of the pair is provided with a flange element, the walls and the flange element being able to to hold a first threaded connector between the walls, - allow a translational movement of said first threaded connector between the walls, but - prevent rotation of said first threaded connector wherein a solar energy recovery device is clamped using clamping, a clamp comprising a clamping base and an upper clamping part, the clamping base having a hole for clamping the clamping base against the positioning body below using the first threaded connector and a second threaded connector 35 member capable of cooperating with said first connector; wherein mounting the solar energy-generating device comprises - engaging the first and second threaded connection devices to one another in order to translate the translation movement of the first threaded connection member when the clamping base is clamped at a desired place to be prevented; and - sandwiching the solar energy-generating device between the clamping base and the upper clamping part.

8. Method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a clamping guide body comprising a pair of parallel, elongated walls and at least one of the walls of the pair is provided with a flange element, the walls and the flange element being able to hold a first threaded connector between the walls, 15. allow a translational movement of said first threaded connector between the walls, but prevent rotation of said first threaded connector; 20 is fastened on top of the positioning body against the planar body by rotating screws at the location of screw insertion points through the positioning body, a solar energy recovery device being clamped against the clamping guide body using clamps, a clamp a clamping base 25 and a clamping base upper clamping part, wherein the clamping base has a hole for clamping the clamping base against the positioning body using the first threaded connector and a second threaded connector that can cooperate with said first connector; Wherein the clamping of the solar energy-generating device comprises - clamping the clamping guide body against the positioning body by causing the first and second threaded connecting devices to engage with each other to prevent the translation movement of the first threaded connector when the clamping base is clamped at a desired location; and - sandwiching the solar energy-generating device between the clamping base and the upper clamping part.

9. Method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the clamping guide body 5 is rotatably connected to the positioning body or connectable at the front of the positioning body in two orientations that are perpendicular to each other.

The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein a clamping base (120) for attaching an upper clamping member (121) is placed on top of the positioning body (109), the clamping base comprising a slot (333) serving as a guide for the screw (106) inserted into the slot and partly screwed by the positioning body into the planar body (102) of the material in which a screw can be rotated, said guide guiding the movement of the clamp base (120) in a lateral direction with respect to the parallel grooves (104) of the plate (103), - the screw (106) is turned deeper into the material in which a screw can be turned, whereby the clamping base (120) with respect to the positioning body (109) ) is fixed, and - the upper clamping part (121) is attached to the clamping base in order to clamp a solar energy recovery device (108) to the planar body. 25

11. Method as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the positioning body comprises a clamping base, and the positioning body which comprises the clamping base to the planar body which comprises a material in which a screw can be turned is secured by a screw in the position of the screw insertion point turn the plate.

A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plate is a plastic plate.

A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one planar body is attached to an element selected from i) a building such that the parallel grooves slope downwards, and ii) a prefab roof element.

The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one planetary body (102) is attached to and on top of slats (101).

The method of claim 12, wherein a plurality of planar bodies (102) is used and the planar bodies are downwardly sloping boards connecting pan slats (101), and the plate (103) is rigid in at least one direction of the plate, which direction corresponds to the direction of the planar bodies. 10

A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device for generating solar energy is a PV solar panel.

A positioning body (109) suitable for use in the method according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein said positioning body - has a first side provided with at least four protrusions (110) which have at least one first groove engaging a liquid water impermeable plate, said plate having parallel grooves and parallel raised regions between the parallel grooves, and defining at least a second groove perpendicular to the at least one first groove for engaging said plate (103), - has a second side with a screw insertion point (111) to facilitate screwing in of a screw (106), said screw insertion point (111) being above the at least one of the first groove and the second groove. Positioning body suitable for use in the method according to claim 7, wherein said positioning body has 30. a first side provided with at least two protrusions defining a groove engaging corrugated plate (103), - a second side with a screw insertion point (111 ) to facilitate screwing in a screw (106), which screw insertion point (111) is above the at least one of the first groove 35, the second side of the positioning body comprising a pair of parallel, elongated walls, and at least one of the walls of the pair is provided with a flange element.

19. Clamping guide body suitable for use in the method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said clamping guide body comprises a pair of parallel, elongated walls, at least one of the walls of the pair is provided with a flange element, the walls 5 and the flange element being be able to - hold a nut between the walls, - allow a translational movement of said nut between the walls, but - prevent rotation of said nut. 10

20. A clamping guide body according to claim 19, wherein the clamping guide body is rotatably connected to a positioning body as defined in claim 18 or connectable at the front of a positioning body as defined in claim 18 in two orientations that are perpendicular to each other.

21. Prefab roof element provided with solar energy recovery devices (108), comprising at least one planar body (202) comprising a material in which a screw can be turned and a liquid water impermeable corrugated plate (103) wherein said corrugated sheet has a front side and a back side and the at least one planar body is provided at the rear side of the corrugated sheet, wherein - at locations where clamps (107) for clamping the devices for winning solar energy is attached to the material in which a screw can be turned, said material in which a screw can be turned is present, - at least two parallel grooves (104) immediately adjacent a parallel raised area of the corrugated sheet on top and resting against the at least one planar body, and a plurality of parallel raised regions (105) with two abutting grooves (104) on top and against the at least one planar body, the devices for solar energy being clamped by plate (103) with screws (106) against the at least one planar body in the at least one planar body (202) at said location parallel raised regions of the corrugated sheet having two adjacent grooves resting on top of and against the planar body, as can be manufactured using the method of any of claims 1 to 16. 1 037010