General Electric Company

Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

University of Colorado

Stephen Pisklak

Timothy Plum

James Keenihan

Robert Warren Erickson

Joseph A Langmaid

Ryan S Gaston

James A Rand

Ralf Jonczyk

Gerald K Eurich

Veasna Sok

Sunit Oliver

Alysha Grenko

Michael I Lesniak

James Miller

The disclosed embodiments and principles provide a way to integrate high-efficiency, low-profile power electronics with localized maximum power point tracking (MPPT) into a rooftop shingle-based photovoltaic power system. DC-DC power converters having a height, or profile, as low as &#xbc; inch for a 200 W power output, are able to be included in a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roof shingle. The DC-DC power converters increase the relatively low voltage produced by two rows of series-connected photovoltaic shingles, each including photovoltaic cells, to a high voltage used by a DC-AC inverter. For example, DC-DC power converter increases the voltage produced by two rows of series-connected photovoltaic shingles from several tens of volts to approximately 400 volts. Thus, the DC-DC power converters provide a large voltage step-up using a low profile and with very high efficiency.

Low profile power conversion system for rooftop photovoltaic power systems

The present invention is premised upon a through-roof connector assembly comprising one or more photovoltaic building sheathing elements capable of being affixed on a building structure, the photovoltaic building sheathing element including a sheathing element electrical connector along a sheathing element peripheral edge; a through-roof connector edge piece assembly that abuts a portion of the photovoltaic building sheathing element and includes: a body portion, an edge piece electrical connector, one or more wire leads that are connected on one end to the edge piece electrical connector; a wire guiding member with at least one conduit hole, the wire guiding member located under the through-roof connector edge piece assembly when assembled; and an under-roof junction device that is removably connected to the wire guiding member.

Through roof connector assembly for a photovoltaic building sheathing element

A power generator configuration having a distributed inverter. A system is described that includes a plurality of solar modules coupled together in series to form a string; a plurality of combiner boxes, wherein each combiner box couples together a plurality of strings in parallel; and a plurality of DC-DC converters, wherein each DC-DC converter increases a direct current (DC) voltage output of an associated combiner box. Also provided are distributed maximum power point tracker (MPPT) controls that adjust for changing conditions at individual sets of strings.

Power generator distributed inverter

Methods and systems for photovoltaic roofing systems are provided. The system includes a back sheet including a length, L, a width, W, and a thickness, T, the back sheet including an overlap portion extending along length L having a width, WO and an active portion extending along length L having a width, WA. The system also includes a photovoltaic cell formed on a surface of the active portion, the photovoltaic cell including a photovoltaic member electrically responsive to an absorption of photons, a negative electrode coupled to a surface of the photovoltaic member, and a positive electrode coupled to the surface of the photovoltaic member, wherein the thickness T is selected such that thickness T plus a thickness of the photoelectric cell substantially match a thickness of a proximate non-photovoltaic roofing member when the photovoltaic roofing system is installed.

Methods and systems for asphalt roof integrated photovoltaic modules

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Hockessin, DE, United States of America

Stephen Pisklak