Solarcity Corporation

Tesla, Inc.

Pacific Light Technologies Corp.

Alex Christopher Mayer

Sandeep Narla

Brett Alten

Charles Bernardo Almy

Brian Edward Atchley

Juanita N Kurtin

Bobby Yang

Daniel Flanigan

Georgeta Masson

Soren Jensen

Steven M Hughes

Peter P Nguyen

Remy D Labesque

Piotr Zajac

Kaleb A Klauber

Oun Ho Park

Paul-Emile B Trudeau

Colin C Reese

Manav Sheoran

Andreas Meisel

Shawn Scully

Seth M Winger

Alex R Guichard

Scott Tripp

A solar tile and method for manufacturing solar tiles as a roofing surface with improved aesthetics that reduce the visual differences between solar and non-solar portions of tile. Roof tiles include an active area of thin-film photovoltaic material and an inactive area of thin-film photovoltaic material.

Photovoltaic roof tiles and method of manufacturing same

One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof module. The photovoltaic roof module can include a plurality photovoltaic roof tiles. A respective photovoltaic roof tile can include a glass front cover, a back cover that includes glass of photovoltaic backsheet, and a plurality of photovoltaic structures encapsulated between the glass front cover and the back cover by an encapsulant. The photovoltaic roof tile can be configured to function as a roof tile when placed on a rooftop of a building, thereby protecting the building from weather elements.

System and method for packaging photovoltaic roof tiles

Methods and apparatus for controlling an interconnection device may be provided. Sockets of the interconnection device may be configured to electrically couple to respective energy-generation modules. In some examples, the interconnection device may include a connector, memory, and a processor configured to execute instructions for managing the electrical configuration of the sockets.

Energy generation interconnection

An indicator device includes a housing configured to be coupled to positive and negative DC wire lines that supply power from an energy generation source to an inverter. The indicator device further includes a current sensor for measuring a current level on the positive and negative DC wire lines, and voltage sensors for measuring a first voltage across the positive and negative DC wire lines, a second voltage across the positive DC wire line and a ground terminal, and a third voltage across the negative DC wireline and the ground terminal. A circuit block compares the measured current level to one or more threshold current levels, and further compares the measured first, second and third voltages to one or more threshold voltage levels, and in response provides an output signal. A visual indicator receives the output signal from the circuit block, and in response provides a visual indication of whether voltage and current levels on the positive and negative DC wire lines are at levels that may harm humans.

Status indicator for power generation systems

Methods and apparatus for controlling an energy-generation device may be provided. Sockets of the device may be configured to electrically couple to respective energy-generation modules. In some examples, the device may include a connector, memory, and a processor configured to execute instructions for managing the electrical configuration of the sockets.

Self-configuring photo-voltaic panels

Embodiments herein disclose an apparatus for a modular PV system. The apparatus may include a wire box coupled to an alternating current (AC) system through an AC bus and to both a first direct current (DC) power source and a second DC power source through a conduit; a first inverter having a first chassis attached to the wire box and being coupled to the first DC power source through the wire box, the first inverter comprising a first pass-through channel and a second pass-through channel; and a second inverter having a second chassis attached to the first chassis and being coupled to the second DC power source through the first pass-through channel and the wire box, wherein the first chassis and the second chassis are separate chassis.

Modular solar inverter

A solar concentrator module () employs a luminescent concentrator material () between photovoltaic cells () having their charge-carrier separation junctions () parallel to front surfaces () of photovoltaic materialof the photovoltaic cells (). Intercell areas () covered by the luminescent concentrator material () occupy from 2 to 50% of the total surface area of the solar concentrator modules (). The luminescent concentrator material () preferably employs quantum dot heterostructures, and the photovoltaic cells () preferably employ low-cost high-efficiency photovoltaic materials (), such as silicon-based photovoltaic materials.

Solar module employing quantum luminescent lateral transfer concentrator

A solid state circuit for performing rapid shutdown of a photovoltaic power generation system includes a pair of high voltage power transistors connected between a photovoltaic array and a pair of high voltage lines that function to supply power generated by the photovoltaic array to a DC to AC inverter. The solid state circuit further includes a control circuit configured so that when the photovoltaic power generation system operates under normal conditions, the control circuit maintains the pair of high voltage power transistors in the on state so that power produced by the photovoltaic array can be transmitted to the DC to AC inverter through the pair of high voltage lines. The control circuit is further configured so that upon receiving a rapid shutdown command, the control circuit turns off the pair of high voltage power transistors to thereby electrically disconnect the photovoltaic array from the pair of power lines.

Rapid shutdown solid state circuit for photovoltaic energy generation systems

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Alex Christopher Mayer