Building Materials Investment Corporation

Bmic LLC

Building Materials Investment Corportion

Building Materials Investment Corporaion

Tommy F Rodrigues

Sudhir B Railkar

Eric Richard Anderson

Daniel E Boss

Leslie D Franklin

Emily Videtto

David James Gennrich

Adem Chich

Daniel Roger Nett

Kent Jeffrey Kallsen

Cory R Boudreau

Emily Cavanagh

Fred Sieling

Frederick W Sieling

Awdhoot V Kerkar

Atilla Sebuktekin

Matti Kiik

Sudhir S Railkar

Awdhoot Vasant Kerkar

Luis Duque

Nazar Dzoba

Daniel Juhyung Lee

Walter Zarate

Av Kerkar

Lucas Masi

Dave Mastropasqua

Geoff Trowbridge

A roof integrated solar power system includes a plurality of solar modules. Each solar module carries a photovoltaic or solar panel with solar cells. Edge regions of the solar module are disposed to the sides of the solar panel and are devoid of solar cells. An electrical component such as a junction box or micro-inverter, or DC optimizer is mounted on top of the solar module within at least one of the edge regions. Cabling for interconnecting the electrical component to electrical components of others of the plurality of solar modules also is located within the side regions. In one embodiment, the electrical component and cabling is disposed within a recess within a side region and covered by a flat access panel. In another embodiment, the electrical component and cabling is located atop the side region and is covered by an access panel in the form of a protective cover strip. The solar modules are installable on a roof in aligned or staggered courses to form the solar power system, and with the installed courses of modules together forming a water barrier protecting the roof.

Roof integrated solar power system with top mounted electrical components and cables

A solar module for a roof covering system that generates electrical power from sunlight includes a frame having a bottom surface supported on a deck of a roof, a top surface, and a thickness between the bottom surface and the top surface. The solar module also includes a solar element mounted to the top surface of the frame which has an upper surface. a micro-inverter mounted to the top surface of the frame and to the side of the solar element, and a raised access panel that is removably coupled to the frame to surround the micro-inverter. The raised access panel has an access panel top surface that is elevated above the upper surface of the solar element. The top surface of the frame forms a water shedding surface below the micro-inverter for directing water away from the roof.

Solar panel roof system with raised access panels

A roof-mounted solar power system for generating electrical power that includes a plurality of solar modules adapted for generating electrical power from sunlight, and with each of the plurality of solar modules having substantially the same size, aspect ratio and surface coloring. The plurality of solar modules are mounted on the deck of a roof to form a bank of solar modules having at least one irregular edge. The solar power system further includes one or more non-power generating edge treatments having substantially the same size, aspect ratio and surface coloring as the solar modules and that are adapted for installation along the irregular edge. Each edge treatment is adapted for a cutting away of at least one corner thereof to smooth the irregular edge of the bank of solar modules to a regular edge.

Solar roof panel system with edge and surface treatments

A roof integrated photovoltaic (RIPV) system has a plurality of solar tiles that are mounted to a roof. The tiles may be mounted using a metal batten and hanger system or some other attachment system. Each tile has an electrical edge junction extending rearwardly from its top edge. The edge junction is coextensive with or contains the plane of the solar tile and may be slightly thicker than the solar tile. Sockets on opposed ends of the edge junction receive plugs of electrical cables for interconnecting the array of solar tiles together electrically. The edge junctions provide for a low profile installation that mimics the appearance of a traditional roofing tile such as a slate tile. The slightly thicker edge junctions may raise solar tiles of one course above the surfaces of solar tiles of a next lower course to provide ventilation for the RIPV array and to provide accommodating space for system wiring.

Roof integrated photovoltaic system

A roof integrated photovoltaic mounting system includes a plurality of aluminum rails mountable in horizontal spaced relationship on a roof for receiving courses of photovoltaic panels or photovoltaic tiles. The PV panels or tiles have an extruded attachment feature along their forward edge portions that defines a downwardly projecting forwardly facing hook. Panels or tiles are installed by placing each panel or tile on a pair of rails and sliding the panel or tile down until its forward facing hook engages beneath a rear facing tongue on a rail below. A PV panel or tile in a next lower course is installed by slipping its rear edge beneath the forward edge of a panel or tile in a next higher course. The panel is then hinged down about its rear edge until its forward edge portion engages a support rail below. The panel is then slid down until the hook of its attachment fixture engages beneath the tongue of the downslope rail. When the entire array is installed in this manner, the forward edges of the panels are held down by the hook and tongue engagements and the rear edges are held down by being underneath the forward edges of panels in a next higher course. The procedure is reversed to remove a panel for servicing or replacement. In the case of solar glass tiles, water troughs are installed on the rails underlying abutting ends of tiles in a course to collect rainwater and direct it onto the upper surface of a tile in a next lower course.

Roof integrated photovoltaic system with improved serviceability

A solar module for a roof covering system that generates electrical power from sunlight includes a frame having a bottom surface supported on a deck of a roof, a top surface, and a thickness between the bottom surface and the top surface. The solar module also includes a solar element mounted to the top surface of the frame which has an upper surface, a micro-inverter mounted to the top surface of the frame and to the side of the solar element, and a raised access panel that is removably coupled to the frame to surround the micro-inverter. The raised access panel has an access panel top surface that is elevated above the upper surface of the solar element. top surface of the frame forms a water shedding surface below the micro-inverter for directing water away from the roof.

A roof integrated photovoltaic (RIPV) system has a plurality of solar tiles that are mounted to a roof. The tiles may be mounted using a metal batten and hanger system or some other attachment system. Each tile has an electrical edge junction extending reawardly from its top edge. The edge junction is coextensive with or contains the plane of the solar tile and may be slightly thicker than the solar tile. Sockets on opposed ends of the edge junction receive plugs of electrical cables for interconnecting the array of solar tiles together electrically. The edge junctions provide for a low profile installation that mimics the appearance of a traditional roofing tile such as a slate tile. The slightly thicker edge junctions may raise solar tiles of one course above the surfaces of solar tiles of a next lower course to provide ventilation for the RIPV array and to provide accommodating space for system wiring.

A roof integrated photovoltaic system includes a plurality of photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge. A right end coupler is secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels and a left end coupler is secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels. The right end couplers and the left end couplers are configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement with each other. At least one front edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof and at least one back edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof. The front edge couplers and the back edge couplers configured to interlock when two of the plurality of panels are moved into edge-to-edge engagement and a seal is positioned to prevent water from penetrating at the junction of a front edge of one panel and the back edge of an adjoined panel. Panels are installed on a roof in end-to-end and front edge to back edge relationship to form a photovoltaic array and are electrically interconnected to produce electricity when exposed to sunlight. Flashing and gap filling faux panels are provided as part of the system. In an alternate embodiment, a frame formed from individual rails surrounds and holds a frameless solar laminate and the frame also forms the coupling features.

A roofing panel has a field, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first end, and a second end. The field of the roofing panel is ornamented such as by being coated and/or embossed and/or pressed to emulate the appearance of a traditional roofing shingle. A clip extends along the forward edge of the roofing panel and projects downwardly therefrom. A slot extends along the rear edge of the roofing panel and the slot has an upwardly facing elongated opening. The slot is cut short or truncated at the first end of the roofing panel such that the second end of a like shingle can be overlapped onto the first end in such a way that the ornamentation on the field of the roofing panel prevents water migration through the region of overlap of the roofing panel and the like roofing panel. The clip is configured to be pressed down by an installer through the opening of the slot and lock within the slot to attach one course of shingles securely to a next lower course of shingles.

Roofing panels

A roof integrated solar panel system includes a plurality of solar panel modules, each modules having a frame, a photovoltaic panel mounted to the frame, and a micro-inverter mounted to the frame to one side of the photovoltaic panel and accessible from the top of the frame. The solar panel modules are installable on a roof in aligned or staggered courses to form the solar panel system, and with the installed courses of modules together forming a water barrier protecting the roof.

Roof integrated solar panel system with side mounted micro inverters

Roofing panel

Trilaminate roofing shingle

Growing community of inventors

Nutley, NJ, United States of America

Tommy F Rodrigues