Solar roof panel system with edge and surface treatments
A roof-mounted solar power system for generating electrical power that includes a plurality of solar modules adapted for generating electrical power from sunlight, and with each of the plurality of solar modules having substantially the same size, aspect ratio and surface coloring. The plurality of solar modules are mounted on the deck of a roof to form a bank of solar modules having at least one irregular edge. The solar power system further includes one or more non-power generating edge treatments having substantially the same size, aspect ratio and surface coloring as the solar modules and that are adapted for installation along the irregular edge. Each edge treatment is adapted for a cutting away of at least one corner thereof to smooth the irregular edge of the bank of solar modules to a regular edge.
1. A roof-mounted solar power system for generating electrical power from sunlight, the system comprising:
a plurality of solar modules adapted for generating electrical power from sunlight, each of the solar modules having a same size and same aspect ratio and including a solar element;
the plurality of solar modules being mounted on a deck of a roof and arranged in an array of vertically extending of columns of solar modules and horizontally extending rows of solar modules to form a bank of solar modules;
each solar element of each solar module comprising side edges, an array of solar cells along a substrate, and a substantially transparent covering, and wherein a surface treatment is formed along a top surface of the solar element, the surface treatment comprising a first plurality of linear grooves on the top surface extending in a first direction and a second plurality of linear grooves on the top surface extending in a second direction different from the first direction, the surface treatment overlying the top surface and extending substantially between the side edges of the solar element of each solar module;
wherein the solar element of each solar module is supported in an elevated position spaced above the deck of the roof at a predetermined distance, with at least two side edges of the of the solar element exposed;
wherein the solar elements of each of the solar modules of a same horizontally extending row of solar modules of the array are directly adjacent a next solar element of a next solar module in the same horizontally extending row of solar modules;
at least one panel that does not generate electrical power having the same size and the same aspect ratio as the solar modules and
the at least one panel having a second surface treatment similar to the surface treatment formed along the top surfaces of the solar elements of the solar modules.
2. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of solar modules further comprises:
a frame structure having a lower side supported on the deck of the roof, an upper side, and a thickness between the lower side and the upper side.
3. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one panel that does not generate electrical power comprises a dummy panel having a thickness equal to a thickness of the frame structure of the solar modules.
4. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 3 , wherein the dummy panel comprises a frame structure and has a full face surface in place of the array of solar cells.
5. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 1 , wherein the substantially transparent coverings of the solar elements of each of the solar modules have a same coloring.
6. A roof-mounted solar power system for generating electrical power from sunlight, the system comprising:
a plurality of solar modules mounted on a deck of a roof to form a bank of solar modules adapted for generating electrical power from sunlight, each of the plurality of solar modules having a same size and a same aspect ratio, a support structure having an upper side and a lower side mounted to the deck of the roof, and including a solar element having a plurality of photovoltaic cells arranged in side-by-side relationships;
wherein the plurality of solar modules are arranged along the deck of the roof in an array of vertically extending of columns of solar modules and horizontally extending rows of solar modules to form a bank of solar modules;
the solar element having side edges and a top surface with at least one surface treatment thereon, the at least one surface treatment comprising a first plurality of linear grooves in the top surface extending in a first direction and a second plurality of linear grooves in the top surface extending in a second direction different from the first direction;
the surface treatment extending over the plurality of side-by-side photovoltaic cells;
wherein the solar elements of each of the solar modules of a same horizontally extending row of solar modules of the array are directly adjacent a next solar element of a next solar module in the same horizontally extending row of solar modules; and
wherein the solar element of each solar module is mounted along the upper side of the support structure such that the top surface of the solar element is at an elevated position above the upper side of the support structure, and extends substantially from one side edge of the support structure to another side edge of the support structure with at least two side edges of the solar element exposed.
7. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of photovoltaic cells is covered by a clear panel, the clear panel being formed from a transparent material that allows sunlight to pass through the clear panel and impinge upon the plurality of photovoltaic cells located below.
8. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second linear grooves of the at least one surface treatment are configured to redirect low incident sunlight onto multiple photovoltaic cells of the plurality of photovoltaic cells below the at least one surface treatment.
9. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one surface treatment comprises frosting elements configured to simulate the shadows or shading of the simulated roofing shingles or tiles.
10. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one surface treatment is etched into a top surface of each of the clear panel.
11. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one surface treatment further comprises frosting elements configured to simulate shading or shadowing of individual roofing shingles or tiles.
12. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 6 , further comprising an edge treatment having the same size and the same aspect ratio as the solar module.
13. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 6 , wherein the surface treatment formed along the top surface of each solar element is configured to visually break up or hide a true size of the solar modules.
14. The roof-mounted solar power system of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment formed along the top surface of each solar element is configured to visually break up or hide a true size of the solar modules.