Granted Patent B2

US 12,289,079 · App. 18/746,400 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventors: Nathan Schuit (Moriarty, NM); December Cowen (Albuquerque, NM); Darren Womacks (Albuquerque, NM); Jason Mayfield (Albuquerque, NM)

Assignee: Unirac, Inc.

H02S20/23F24S25/35F24S25/632F24S25/636F24S25/65F24S25/67F24S2025/801Y02B10/10Y02B10/20Y02E10/47

Abstract

Claims (59)

1. A mounting system for solar modules, the mounting system comprising:

a pair of mounting rails attached to a roof surface and used to support a first solar module having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, wherein the pair of mounting rails extends in parallel along an interior portion of the first solar module between the first edge and the second edge; and

an edge splice configured to connect the second edge of the first solar module to a first edge of a second solar module supported by at least one additional mounting rail, wherein the edge splice is laterally displaced from the pair of mounting rails and the at least one additional mounting rail.

2. The mounting system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second additional mounting rail attached to the roof surface, laterally displaced from the at least one additional mounting rail, and parallel to the at least one additional mounting rail, wherein the second additional mounting rail is positioned along an interior portion of a third solar module; and

a second edge splice laterally displaced from the at least one additional mounting rail and that connects a first edge of the third solar module to a second edge of the second solar module.

3. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the first edge of the first solar module and the first edge of the second solar module are parallel to the pair of mounting rails.

4. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the edge splice includes:

a top piece;

a bottom piece; and

a fastener configured to threadably tighten to secure the first solar module and the second solar module between the top piece and the bottom piece.

5. The mounting system of claim 4 , wherein:

the top piece includes:

a vertical member, and

horizontal members protruding from the vertical member of the top piece; and

the bottom piece includes:

a vertical member, and

horizontal members protruding from the vertical member of the bottom piece.

6. The mounting system of claim 5 , wherein the horizontal members of the bottom piece include one or more bond pins.

7. The mounting system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third solar module that has a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge of the third solar module is substantially aligned with the first edge of the first solar module;

a fourth solar module with a first edge and a second edge, wherein the second edge of the fourth solar module is substantially aligned with the second edge of the second solar module; and

a second edge splice that connects the second edge of the first solar module and the second edge of the third solar module to the first edge of the second solar module and the first edge of the fourth solar module.

8. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional mounting rail is configured to support the second solar module along an interior portion of the second solar module between the first edge and a second edge of the second solar module.

9. A mounting system for solar modules, the mounting system comprising:

a pair of mounting rails attached to a roof surface and used to support a first row of solar modules each having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, wherein the pair of mounting rails extends in parallel along a respective interior portion of each of the first row of solar modules between the respective first edge and the respective second edge of each of the first row of solar modules;

at least one additional mounting rail that supports a second row of solar modules, wherein the at least one additional mounting rail is positioned along a respective interior portion of each of the second row of solar modules; and

an edge splice configured to connect a solar module in the first row to a solar module within the second row, the edge splice laterally displaced from the pair of mounting rails and the at least one additional mounting rail.

10. The mounting system of claim 9 , further comprising a second edge splice configured to connect a solar module located within the first row to two solar modules of the second row.

11. The mounting system of claim 9 , further comprising at least a second additional mounting rail that supports a third row of one or more solar modules.

12. The mounting system of claim 9 , wherein:

the edge splice includes:

two top horizontal members, and

two bottom flanges;

a first of the two top horizontal members is configured to be in contact with a top edge of the solar module in the first row;

a second of the two top horizontal members is configured to be in contact with a top edge of the solar module in the second row;

a first of the two bottom flanges is configured to be in contact with a bottom edge of the solar module in the first row; and

a second of the two bottom flanges is configured to be in contact with a bottom edge of the solar module in the second row.

13. A method for installing solar modules using a mounting system, the method comprising:

attaching a pair of mounting rails and at least one additional rail to a roof surface with a plurality of mounts;

attaching a first solar module to the pair of mounting rails using clamps, wherein the first solar module has a first edge and a second edge opposite of the first edge, and wherein the pair of mounting rails are positioned along an interior portion of the first solar module between the first edge and the second edge;

connecting the second edge of the first solar module to a first edge of a second solar module using an edge splice, wherein the edge splice is laterally displaced from the pair of mounting rails; and

attaching the second solar module to the at least one additional mounting rail, wherein the at least one additional mounting rail is positioned along an interior portion of the second solar module between the first edge and a second edge of the second solar module.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

attaching a second additional mounting rail to the roof surface, the second additional mounting rail laterally displaced from the at least one additional mounting rail and parallel to the at least one additional mounting rail;

connecting a second edge of the second solar module to a first edge of a third solar module using a second edge splice; and

attaching the third solar module to the second additional mounting rail.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the edge splice includes a top piece, a bottom piece, and a fastener; and

connecting the second edge of the first solar module to the first edge of the second solar module using the edge splice comprises tightening the fastener to bring the top piece and the bottom piece together.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

connecting the edge splice to the second edge of the first solar module; and

inserting the first edge of the second solar module between a first horizontal member of the edge splice and a second horizontal member of the edge splice.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

attaching a third solar module to the pair of mounting rails; and

connecting a second edge of the third solar module to the first edge of the second solar module using a second edge splice.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising attaching the third solar module to the pair of mounting rails along an interior portion of the third solar module between a first edge and the second edge of the third solar module.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising electrically bonding the first solar module and the second solar module.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising connecting the second edge of the first solar module to the first edge of the second solar module using a second edge splice.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (295)