Expandable Solar Power System
Modular solar systems comprise one or more module units that are connectable into a system/assembly for convenient installation on a roof or other surface that receives solar insolation. The modules are adapted for electrical, and preferably also mechanical, connection into a module assembly, with the number of modules and types of modules selected to handle the required loads. Each module is adapted and designed to handle the entire power of the assembly and to provide or receive control signals for cooperative performance between all the modules and for monitoring and communication regarding the assembly performance and condition.
1 . A solar-powered modular system comprising:
a plurality of modules, each module comprises:
a housing;
a solar panel on at least one outer surface of the housing that produces power;
an energy-storage device;
a charge controller;
a processor and a memory;
one or more electrical relays;
electrical wiring and one or more outlets;
wherein two or more modules of the plurality of modules comprise a compatibility based on a predetermined number of modules and load capacity of the connected modules;
wherein the two or more modules are electrically connected in parallel to form a module assembly of the plurality of modules to power one or more electrical loads; and
wherein logic stored in the memory allows only the compatible modules of the plurality of modules to be electrically connected to each other via the one or more relays.
2 . A solar-powered modular system comprising:
a plurality of modules wherein each module comprises:
a housing;
a solar panel on at least one outer surface of the housing that produces power;
an energy-storage device;
a charge controller;
electrical wiring and one or more outlets;
wherein two or more modules of the plurality of modules are electrically connected in parallel to form a module assembly to power one or more electrical loads;
wherein each module in a group of modules of the plurality of modules has a system load capacity equal to or greater than a sum of the maximum power capacity of the group of modules;
wherein the group of modules is connected to a first module;
wherein the first module of the plurality of modules comprises first electrical conductors with a cross-sectional area at least five times the area required for the amperage serving a first electrical load connected to the first module; and
wherein a second module of the plurality of modules has electrical conductors with a cross-sectional area at least double the area of the first electrical conductors.
3 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface device in communication with the processor and memory allowing monitoring and control of the system.
4 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , wherein the modules of the plurality of modules are connected by electrical connectors comprising wiring, plugs and receptacles specific to the compatible modules.
5 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 3 , wherein the solar-powered modular system further comprises a control system in communication with the processor, the memory, and the user interface.
6 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 5 , wherein all modules of the plurality of modules in the solar-powered modular system are connected to and controlled by the control system.
7 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 5 , further comprising multiple power outlets to power multiple of said electrical loads, wherein the power outlets are each assigned a level of importance from low importance to high importance, and wherein the control system turns on or off one or more of the multiple power outlets based on user defined importance.
8 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 7 , wherein the multiple of said electrical loads are detachably plugged-in to the multiple power outlets so a user selects what load is plugged-in to each power outlet according to a determination by the user of the importance of each load.
9 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 5 , comprising a connection to an alternate power supply, wherein the control system causes power to be drawn from the alternate power supply to charge the energy-storage devices of the multiple modules when stored energy in the energy-storage device drops below a predetermined threshold level.
10 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of modules are mechanically connected by each of the modules comprising a channel/track, wherein the channel/track of each module slidably mates with the cooperating channel/track of an adjacent module to mechanically secure and electrically connect the modules together.
11 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 10 , wherein each of the modules of the plurality of modules comprises multiple of said channels/tracks provided on multiple side edges of each module, for connection on at least two side edges to adjacent modules.
12 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises apertures for air flow for cooling of an interior space inside each of the modules of the plurality modules.
13 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , comprising a heating unit inside the housing for heating the energy-storage device in extreme-cold climates.
14 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , comprising insulation inside the housing and surrounding the energy-storage device.
15 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , comprising phase change material inside the housing to even out the temperature swings inside the housing.
16 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , wherein said solar panel of each module charges the energy-storage devices of all of the modules.
17 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , wherein the energy-storage device is removable.
18 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more outlets are attached directly to the housing or via an electrical cord and wherein the one or more outlets are different types serving different voltages.
19 . The solar-powered modular system of claim 5 , wherein the user interface device is wirelessly connected to the control system, the user interface device comprising one or more of:
display screen;
control buttons;
touch screen display;
LED indicator lights; and
audible alerts;
and wherein the user interface device is a device comprising one or more of a processor, cell phone, mobile device, computer, computer network, cloud network.
20 . A solar-powered modular system comprising:
a first set of modules, each comprising a housing;
a solar panel on at least one outer surface of the housing that produces power from a solar panel;
an energy-storage device;
a charge controller that controls charging of the energy-storage device from energy produced by the solar panel;
electrical wiring and one or more outlets;
each of the plurality of modules being electrically connected in parallel to form a module assembly for connection to power one or more electrical loads; wherein the modules are electrically connected in parallel;
wherein said first set of modules comprises one primary module and one or more subordinate modules;
wherein the primary module further comprises a control system to monitor and control the energy-storage device of each of the subordinate modules; the solar-powered modular system further comprising a second set of modules comprising subordinate modules that are connected in parallel to said primary module of said first set in parallel to the subordinate modules of said first set;
wherein the control system of the primary module monitors and controls the energy-storage device of each of the subordinate modules of said second set; and
wherein each of the subordinate modules of said first set has a system load capacity equal to or greater than a sum of the maximum power capacity of each of the first set subordinate modules and the primary module; and
wherein each of the subordinate modules of said second set has a system load capacity equal to or greater than a sum of the maximum power capacity of each of the second set subordinate modules and the primary module, and the primary module has a system load capacity equal to or greater than a sum of all of the modules of said first set and said second set, so that the primary module is connected to, and provides power to a higher total load than each of said modules of the first set and the second set powers individually.