The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 28, 2020
Filed:
Aug. 24, 2016
Solarcity Corporation, San Mateo, CA (US);
Tyrus Hawkes Hudson, Petaluma, CA (US);
Charles Almy, Berkeley, CA (US);
Martin Seery, San Rafael, CA (US);
Daniel Preston Flanigan, Petaluma, CA (US);
Jack Raymond West, San Rafael, CA (US);
Garret Anthony Bautista, El Cerrito, CA (US);
William Paul Buchanan, Oakland, CA (US);
Johann Fritz Karkheck, Petaluma, CA (US);
Ethan Ely, San Rafael, CA (US);
SolarCity Corporation, San Mateo, CA (US);
Abstract
Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays that can be aesthetically pleasing and appear seamless to an observer. BIPV systems can be incorporated as part of roof surfaces as built into the structure of the roof, flush or forming a substantively uniform plane with roof panels or other panels mimicking a solar panel appearance. Pans supporting BIPV solar panels can be coupled by standing seams, in both lateral and longitudinal directions, to other photovoltaic-supporting pans or pans supporting non-photovoltaic structures, having both functional and aesthetic advantages. In some configurations, adjacent photovoltaic modules may be oriented so that a boundary between an up-roof photovoltaic module and a down-roof photovoltaic module is not noticeable by observers positioned at typical viewing angles of the roof.