Solarcity Corporation

Ojjo, Inc.

Tesla, Inc.

Zep Solar, LLC

Other

Apple Inc.

Glissphonic LLC

Jack Raymond West

Tyrus Hawkes Hudson

Charles Bernardo Almy

Brian Edward Atchley

Johann Fritz Karkheck

Daniel Flanigan

Emil Johansen

David Mar

David Molina

Greg McPheeters

Hans-Christoph Haenlein

Remy D Labesque

Geoffrey John Fedoroff

Brian D West

Brian L West

Kathryn Pesce

Katie Pesce

David Warner

Steven M Kraft

David Youmans

Joe O'Connor

Ian Crecelius

Alex Yang

Tim Woodward

Martin Seery

Garret Anthony Bautista

Ian Capsuto

William Paul Buchanan

Nicholas G J De Vries

Christina C Manansala

Steven Kraft

Trevor Guthrie

David Miljkovic

Britton Yates West

Nathaniel Coleman

Ethan Ely

In a machine for driving screw anchors and other foundation components, a desired embedment depth is calculated based on a minimum required embedment depth, work point height and length of available upper leg sections. Once calculated, the machine automatically drives the screw anchor to the depth so that one of the available upper leg lengths will fit between the driven screw anchor and apex truss hardware. If uplift is detected during driving, the machine will add additional embedment depth. In-situ validation of driven screw anchors may be performed after the embedment depth is reached.

Systems, methods, and machines for automated screw anchor driving

A tool for adjusting driven truss components and assembled truss foundations. A bridge separates a pair of collars, each having a pair of offset bearing surfaces that fit around the truss legs. A lever arm terminating in a handle extends away from the bridge to give leverage to the tool operator. The bridge width is adjustable to enable positioning of the tool at different heights along the driven truss components. An additional receiver proximate to one of the collars may enable single leg operation. Lateral and angular adjustment of the lever arm with respect to the bridge may enable greater force to be applied to one leg relative to the other.

Truss foundation adjustment tool

A crimper for joining truss leg components to form a unitary truss foundation with the ground without needing mechanical fasteners. A crimping tool has upper and lower crimp guides that register the position of jaws on the crimping tool with respect to grooves formed in a connecting portion of a truss cap and in a driving coupler of a driven screw anchor. Registering the position of the jaws ensures that blind crimps between the upper leg and screw anchor and upper leg and truss cap are performed consistently each time.

Systems, methods, and machines for joining truss foundation components without mechanical fasteners

A shared frame photovoltaic module and related mounting system for single-axis trackers. Each module has no frame, or a partial frame on two of four sides. A shared frame rail captures adjacent modules edges, providing frame support and attaching them to the tracker torque tube eliminating structural redundancy in conventional module frames. In some embodiments, each module is unframed with mounting pucks attached to the underside of the photovoltaic laminate. Torque tube mounting brackets have connecting portions for attaching respective pairs of mounting pucks on opposing sides of the torque tube.

Frameless and shared frame PV modules and torque tube mounting systems for same

A machine for driving a pair of screw anchors at substantially the same time. An attachment supports a pair of independent drive assemblies. Each assembly consists of a rotary driver and tool driver that moves along respective driving arms to independently drive a pair of screw anchors into supporting ground at different angles. Each assembly may move with respect to the machine independently to drive anchors into the ground in overlapping time, or both may rotate at once to drive anchors into the ground sequentially.

Systems, methods, and machines for driving multiple foundation components at once

Adjustable bearing supports for single-axis trackers supported by truss foundations. A two-piece assembly joins a pair of adjacent truss legs to form a rigid foundation while providing a movable support for a tracker bearing housing assembly or other structure. The movable support may slide in-plane, or alternatively, enable the bearing housing assembly to slide and rotate with respect to the truss cap structure joining the adjacent truss legs.

Adjustable bearing supports for single-axis trackers

A two-piece truss leg system for an A-frame-shaped truss foundation system for single-axis trackers. A driving coupler at the head of each screw anchor used to drive the component into the ground as well as to join the upper leg component to the screw anchor. A connecting portion of the coupler extending above a main body of the coupler is received within an open end of an upper leg component. A curved outer surface of the connecting portion enables the upper leg component to be angularly adjusted relative to the screw anchor. A channel in the connecting portions enables the upper leg component to be deformed into the channel with a crimp connecting.

Multi-piece truss legs and related couplers

A universal adapter for enabling truss foundations to support conventional single-axis trackers. In some cases, the adapter has a main body with an upper portion that presents a standard I-beam interface with pre-drilled holes to interface to a specific single-axis tracker. A pair of connecting portions point down and away from the main body and enable upper leg sections to connect the adapter to a pair of driven screw anchors located below it. The connecting portions may orient the truss so that the rotational axis of the single-axis tracker is aligned with the work point of the truss foundation made from the adapter, upper legs, and driven screw anchors. This will enable to the truss to interface with many different trackers much like conventional plumb-driven H-pile foundations.

Optimized truss foundations, adapters for optimized truss foundations, and related systems and methods

A machine for rotary driving screw anchors into underlying ground and related. The machine has a mast with a rotary driver and a mandrel driver oriented on a common axis. The mandrel driver passes a mandrel through the rotary driver and the screw anchor to allow the mandrel to be actuated ahead of the screw anchor while the rotary driver drives the screw anchor into the ground. Alternatively, the mandrel driver may also drive a hammering drill through the screw anchor to clear a path ahead of it through subsurface rocks.

Threaded truss foundations and related systems, methods, and machines

A foundation system for manufactured homes, prefabricated houses, and other structures. Multiple screw anchors are driven into the ground at the desired location of the structure. Preformed grade bars may be placed over the screw anchors to provide a modular foundation without pouring concrete or digging footers. Alternatively, adapters may be attached to one or more of the driven screw anchors to provide a pedestal to receive the grade bar or prefabricated sections of concrete.

Screw anchor foundations and related interfaces for modular, manufactured and prefabricated structures

A single-axis solar tracker consisting of a series of A-frame shaped foundation with actuators attached to each leg that are connected at one end to a common rotating assembly supporting multiple solar panels. Concerted action of the actuators causes the common rotating assembly to rotate about an axis of rotation. The system may include a central torque tube supported by the series of A-frame foundations or a frame assembly that is hingedly attached to each A-frame foundation via a torque arm.

Actuator driven single-axis tracker

A coupler for joining truss leg components provides angular adjustability between the respective axis of the leg components. A prolate spheroid-shaped coupler with three channels circumscribing its surface enables the upper leg components to compensate for axial misalignment of driven screw anchors in all directions. A hydraulic crimping device with upper and lower crimping guides registers its position with features on the truss hardware to insure that blind triple crimps are performed consistently each time.

Systems, methods, and machines for joining truss foundation components

An A-frame shaped truss foundation system for a single-axis tracker with moderately sloped legs that translate lateral loads into tension and compression without substantially increasing the magnitude of the lateral load force while optimizing material usage. Several such truss foundation systems are installed in a row to support a torque tube of a single-axis solar tracker. An adapter joins ends of adjacent upper legs and separates the truss legs by an angle more than 35-degrees up to 70-degrees. In some cases, the adapter may have an integrated bearing.

Systems and methods are provided for performing site preparation work when building a single-axis tracker solar power plant. An installation and assembly machine is outfitted with a positioning system. At the time of installation, a reference laser is located at one end of an intended tracker row and is aligned positionally with an intended axis of rotation of the tracker (e.g., the tracker torque tube). The machine is moved to the first desired installation location based on the positioning information so that the laser beam impinges on a target on the machine. The distance between the laser and target is measured. A portion of the machine containing the target is moved with respect to the beam until the measured distance is equal to a predetermined distance. Once the correct distance is confirmed, the portion of the machine containing the target may be moved to confirm that the machine mast is oriented correctly in other axes including Y, Z and yaw.

Systems, methods, and machines for improved site layout and foundation alignment

A solar power plant is constructed using a reverse workflow whereby the grid connection that will ultimately feed electricity to the grid is constructed before the array so that one or more transformers and portable charging stations may be deployed onsite to transform grid power so that it can recharge electrically powered heavy equipment including solar pile drivers, truss drivers, and telehandlers as well as electrically powered hand tools such as cordless impact drivers while the plant is constructed. Once complete, the fixed electrical infrastructure and grid connection are used to supply power from the solar power plant to the grid.

Growing community of inventors

San Rafael, CA, United States of America

Jack Raymond West