Flat Tile Solar Panels - Joined Array
An earth mount-enabled utility-scale solar photovoltaic array has plural rows of solar panels supported on the ground s to establish an earth orientation of the solar panels. Edge portions of the panels rest on a ground support area and provide mechanical support, and an end curb member abuts at least one edge of the arrangement. The panels are interconnected in at least one series-connected string extending in at least two rows so that the string has a total distance between terminal ends of the series connection less than a lengthwise dimension of the solar panels constituting the string, routed to reduce “home run” connections at the end of the string.
1 . A utility-scale photovoltaic array located at a site that has support regions on the site surface, the array comprising:
modules;
and
connectors between modules,
wherein the ground supports some of the modules.
2 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the array contains one or more rows of modules.
3 . The array of claim 2 , wherein the connectors join module edges or edge frames.
4 . The array of claim 3 , wherein some of the connectors are between modules in two directions, some of the connectors form joints, and some of the joints are flexible.
5 . The array of claim 4 , wherein some of the connectors are electrical bonding connecters.
6 . The array of claim 5 , wherein some of the connectors are electrical interconnects, some of the electrical interconnects form a series-connected string, and the string comprises terminal string ends with a distance between the ends of less than a lengthwise module dimension.
7 . The array of claim 6 , wherein the string has a path that starts with a first end, extends along a direction, returns along an opposite direction, and ends with a second end and the path reduces or eliminates the length of home run connections.
8 . The array of claim 7 , wherein the contact points control the direction of a ray normal to the module plane.
9 . The array of claim 8 , wherein the ground includes material naturally present at the site and material added to the site by human activity.
10 . The array of claim 9 , wherein the ground is smoothed or flattened.
11 . The array of claim 10 , wherein smoothed or flattened means smooth or flat enough that the height difference between corners of adjacent modules is small enough that a fully autonomous sweeping robot can sweep from one module onto another.
12 . The array of claim 7 , wherein the ground supports some of the modules, orients a face of some of the modules, and supports some of the modules without a structure between the edges and the ground.
13 . The array of claim 12 further comprising an inverter with an AC output, wherein
the array has a DC output,
and
the DC: AC ratio is 1.2-1.9, 1.4-1.9, or 1.6-2.2.
14 . The array of claim 13 , wherein the volume beneath and perpendicular to the contact surface is solid or constrains air movement.
15 . The array of claim 4 , wherein the contact points control the direction of a ray normal to the module plane.
16 . The array of claim 15 , wherein the ground includes material naturally present at the site and material added to the site by human activity.
17 . The array of claim 16 , wherein the ground is smoothed or flattened.
18 . The array of claim 17 , wherein smoothed or flattened means smooth or flat enough that the height difference between corners of adjacent modules is small enough that a fully autonomous sweeping robot can sweep from one module onto another.
19 . The array of claim 4 , wherein the ground supports some of the modules, orients a face of some of the modules and supports some of the modules without a structure between the edges and the ground.
20 . The array of claim 19 further comprising an inverter with an AC output, wherein
the array has a DC output,
and
the DC: AC ratio is 1.2-1.9, 1.4-1.9, or 1.6-2.2.
21 . The array of claim 20 , wherein the volume beneath and perpendicular to the contact surface is solid or constrains air movement.