Module holder and associated photovoltaic system

Abstract

In order to safely hold an upright photovoltaic module (2), an associated sufficiently rigid module holder (6) is proposed, which stabilizes one or more outer edges of the photovoltaic module (2) against wind loads and at the same time minimizes the susceptibility of the photovoltaic module (2) to be shielded by the associated module holder (6). To this end, the module holder (6) is designed to have a convex shape, in which a large, unobstructed maximum angle of incidence (23, 24) can be achieved on the front side and on the rear side, and at the same time, the respective transverse extent of the module holder (6) in the direction transverse to the active surface (9) of the photovoltaic module (2) is as small as possible, more particularly on both the front side and the rear side. In this way, a high-performance photovoltaic system (1) can be obtained on the basis of a support structure (3) which holds a large-area, double-sided photovoltaic module (2) upright and substantially unobstructed by means of a module holder (6) designed according to the invention (see Figure 3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a module carrier together with the associated bifacial photovoltaic (PV) module, and the module carrier and the photovoltaic module can be understood together as an (assembly) component. Here, the photovoltaic module has an active surface that can receive sunlight from the front side and the back side of the photovoltaic module in order to convert the sunlight into electric current. The module carrier provides a receiving seat into which the outer edge of the photovoltaic module is inserted in the insertion direction and is thus held in place. Here, with respect to the plane of the active surface of the photovoltaic module, the receiving seat is delimited on the front side by the front legs of the module carrier and / or on the back side by the rear legs of the module carrier. Background Art

[0002] Such module carriers are known in the prior art, but hitherto they have mainly been used for single-sided photovoltaic modules, which are configured such that they can basically only receive sunlight from one side.

[0003] The present invention also relates to a photovoltaic installation having a plurality of bifacial photovoltaic modules that are arranged upright (i.e., in a vertical orientation) on a supporting structure. Here, the supporting structure includes a plurality of struts that are fixed, in particular anchored, to or in the ground, and bolts are fixed to the struts, and these bolts connect two adjacent struts (directly or via adapter elements) to each other. Thus, these bolts extend substantially horizontally, while the struts extend vertically. The module carrier is provided here for safely holding the photovoltaic module. The module carrier can be fixed here to the bolts and / or the struts of the supporting structure of the photovoltaic installation. In other words, the module carrier can be used to fix the associated bifacial photovoltaic module to the supporting structure, in particular to at least one bolt and / or at least one strut of the supporting structure.

[0004] Such a photovoltaic installation has also been used for solar power generation. In such an installation, the module plane, i.e., the plane in which the active surface of the photovoltaic module lies, is usually oriented in the north-south direction. This has the advantage that the photovoltaic module can receive sunlight that is incident low and horizontally from the east on its front side in the early morning hours. And in the evening, when the sunlight is incident low and horizontally from the west, the bifacial photovoltaic module can receive sunlight on its back side. As a result, the following current curve of the solar power generation using the photovoltaic installation can be obtained, which shows a corresponding maximum around noon. The higher the sun is above the horizon, the steeper the angle of incidence of the solar rays incident on the front side or the back side of the respective photovoltaic module (with respect to the earth's surface) is here.

[0005] Currently, there is a trend towards photovoltaic modules with an increasingly large installation area, for example, exceeding two square meters. For such large-area photovoltaic modules, the problem with the hitherto existing load-bearing structures based on struts interconnected via bolts is that the corresponding photovoltaic modules bend so strongly under wind loads in some cases that they can no longer be safely held on the bolts. Another ongoing trend is to increasingly further improve the efficiency of solar power generation, as power generation via renewable energy sources becomes increasingly valuable. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to make a technical contribution to these two problems. Therefore, the present invention should provide a load-bearing structure that can safely withstand high wind loads even in the case of very large module sizes and at the same time enable a high power generation efficiency of the photovoltaic device. Here, an assembly as described above should be provided, which can be integrated into the load-bearing structure in order to thereby arrange the photovoltaic module within the load-bearing structure.

[0007] To solve this problem, the features of claim 1 are provided in an assembly consisting of a module holder and the associated double-sided designed photovoltaic module according to the present invention. In particular, therefore, according to the present invention, to solve the above-mentioned problem, it is proposed in an assembly of the type mentioned at the beginning: the respective front and back outer points of the cross-section of the module holder extending in a plane perpendicular to the active surface are indented in the insertion direction and with respect to the respective module-side tips of the two legs. Here, the said outer points refer to those outer points of the cross-section of the module holder that are related to the shading of the active surface caused by the module holder.

[0008] The axial offset of these outer points relative to the respective tips of the front or back legs in the insertion direction can preferably be at least 1.2 times, preferably at least 1.5 times, or even at least 2.0 times the minimum width of the receiving seat. For example, in the module holder according to the present invention, when the minimum width (or the pushing-in width) of the receiving seat is 5 mm (which thus corresponds to the maximum thickness at the edge of the photovoltaic module that can still be pushed into the receiving seat), the axial offset of the outer points can be 11 mm, i.e., 11 / 5 = 2.2 times the minimum width of the receiving seat.

[0009] Thus, in such a design, the envelope surface related to the shielding of the active surface by the module cage and enclosing the outer contour of the module cage can exhibit a convex shape when observed in the direction of the insertion direction. In other words, the lateral width of the envelope surface, in a plane transverse to the active surface, thus increases monotonically in the insertion direction. Thus, the envelope surface of the module cage exhibits its smallest lateral width on the module side. In other words, the envelope surface of the module cage thus - against the insertion direction - monotonically converges (zulaufen) towards the photovoltaic module, and more precisely when observed not only from the front side but also from the back side of the photovoltaic module. For example, the shape of the envelope surface can be determined by imagining or actually placing a cloth or film over the module cage in the insertion direction and stretching it in the direction of the insertion direction. Thus, the envelope surface can define a contour related to the shielding of the active surface, which defines the possible angles of incidence of sunlight onto the active surface.

[0010] With this embodiment, the shielding effect on the active surface of the bifacial photovoltaic module starting from the module cage can be minimized. In particular, thus an unobstructedness of the active surface can be achieved up to a maximum unobstructed angle of incidence of at least 110°, laterally or vertically, and more precisely with respect to the front side and the back side of the photovoltaic module. At the same time, the module cage can be configured to have a high mechanical strength, such that the module cage can stabilize an unstable photovoltaic module, especially when a high wind load acts on the photovoltaic module.

[0011] Among many module frames available on the market so far, as long as they are used to hold bifacial photovoltaic modules, they cause shielding of the active surface on the back side of the module, such that the shadow obtained from the module frame has a significant power-reducing effect on solar power generation, especially when the angle of incidence onto the photovoltaic module is low.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to reduce the susceptibility to shielding of the active surface when exceeding the maximum unobstructed angle of incidence, it is advantageous if the respective lateral distances of the respective outer points from the plane of the active surface differ by less than 25%, preferably less than 15%. Because thereby a cross-section of the module cage can be obtained in which the respective lateral distances (commonly referred to as the lateral cell plane-frame distance) between the module plane and the module cage are minimized. This is advantageous because the smaller the lateral distance between the module plane and the module cage is chosen, the smaller the shielding length of the active surface (measured in the plane of the active surface) (depending on the angle of incidence of the sunlight) when the maximum unobstructed angle of incidence is exceeded. Thereby, the susceptibility of the assembly to shielding is greatly reduced.

[0013] With this design, in particular, it can be achieved that the maximum unobstructed angle of incidence (at which sunlight can reach the active surface from the front side or the back side without obstruction) measured with respect to the active surface is at least 120°, preferably even at least 135°.

[0014] The module holder according to the invention can be designed such that the plane normal transverse to the insertion direction and transverse to the active surface (i.e., in the direction along the outer edge of the photovoltaic module) is, for example, more than three times longer than the depth of the module holder in the insertion direction. Thereby, the receiving seat can be in the form of an elongated slot. The receiving seat itself can be designed here such that the depth in the insertion direction is at least 1.5 times or even at least 2.0 times the minimum width of the receiving seat in the direction of the plane normal of the active surface. Thereby, it can be ensured that the outer edge of the photovoltaic module is safely surrounded and engaged.

[0015] Furthermore, it should also be mentioned here that the module holder according to the invention can also be configured as a two-part one. Here, the front part of the module holder can form the front leg of the receiving seat and the rear part of the module holder can form the rear leg. Here, these two parts can overlap each other along the outer edge of the photovoltaic module (so that the photovoltaic module is held on both sides at least in the overlapping area) or can be spaced apart from each other (in this case, the outer edge of the photovoltaic module is held locally at the front side and locally at the rear side by the module holder). However, the following design solutions are preferably used, in which the corresponding module holders are formed integrally and here form not only the front leg but also the rear leg of the receiving seat.

[0016] Furthermore, the module holder according to the invention can also form two receiving seats opposite each other, i.e., when the module holder is designed to directly connect two adjacent photovoltaic modules to each other. Thus, in this case, one respective photovoltaic module is inserted into each of the two receiving seats.

[0017] The ratio between the maximum width of the module holder in the direction of the insertion direction and the maximum insertion depth of the receiving seat can have a value, for example, between 1.20 and 2.80 here. For example, the distance of the outer edge of the photovoltaic module from the stop formed by the module holder within the receiving seat can be 1 to 2 millimeters here.

[0018] The module holder can also be used to stabilize, either partially or completely, the longitudinal side or the transverse side of the photovoltaic module. Depending on the design solution, the length of the receiving seat can thus extend transversely to the insertion direction over the entire length of the longitudinal side or the transverse side of the photovoltaic module. In this case, the module holder thus surrounds and engages the entire longitudinal side or the transverse side of the photovoltaic module.

[0019] The photovoltaic module held by the module holder can in particular be designed as a frameless laminate, especially as a glass laminate. Here, the active surface can be integrated into the laminate. Here, the active surface can be covered, for example, only by a film on one side.

[0020] Furthermore, the active surface can also be arranged offset, in particular with respect to the central plane of the photovoltaic module. Thereby, even in the case of a symmetric design of the module holder and when the photovoltaic module is centered in the receiving seat of the module holder, different unobstructed maximum angles of incidence are possible, at which sunlight can still reach the outer edge of the active surface when the photovoltaic module is inserted into the receiving seat of the module holder.

[0021] Furthermore, the photovoltaic module can also have more than one active surface. Thus, the "bifacial" property can be understood here in particular as follows: The photovoltaic module has at least one active surface (i.e., for example also two or even three active surfaces), each of which can convert sunlight into electric current / voltage. If the photovoltaic module has a plurality of active surfaces, they can also differ from each other in their respective spectral properties, in particular such that each surface converts its respective spectrum into electrical energy. The plurality of active surfaces can be laminated on top of each other here, which means that they are spaced apart from each other in the direction perpendicular to the respective plane of the active surface.

[0022] However, according to the solution of the present invention, it can preferably be provided that the active surface of the photovoltaic module is arranged close to the center with respect to the external dimensions of the module holder. For example, a design is preferably selected in which the lateral distance between the plane of the active surface and the central plane of the module holder is at most 10% of the overall lateral extension of the module holder. In particular, the plane of the active surface and the central plane of the module holder can thus coincide.

[0023] As an alternative or in addition to the foregoing features, to solve the problem, the feature of the component mentioned at the beginning can also lie in that the outer contour of the module holder (i.e., in particular the outer contour mentioned above or the envelope surface mentioned above) lies within the shielding angle determined in the transverse plane, which extends perpendicular to the plane of the active surface of the module holder and starts from the outer edge of the active surface. Furthermore, it is provided that the angle bisector of the shielding angle forms an inclination angle with the plane of the active surface of at most 15°, preferably at most 10°, in absolute value. The shielding angle is defined here as the shielding of the active surface caused by the module holder.

[0024] When the active surface is located, for example, in the xz plane (where the x direction can correspond to the longitudinal direction of the bolt and the z direction can correspond to the longitudinal direction of the strut of the associated carrier structure on which the module holder is to be assembled), then for the case where the module holder surrounds and engages the vertical extending lateral sides of the photovoltaic module, the cross-sectional plane can be the xy plane; or for example, for the case where the module holder surrounds and engages the horizontally extending longitudinal sides of the photovoltaic module, the cross-sectional plane can be the yz plane.

[0025] Defining the tilt angle results in an even distribution of the maximum incident angle without shading between the front side and the back side of the photovoltaic module. Thereby, regardless of the side where sunlight is incident, efficient solar power generation can be achieved using a bifacial photovoltaic module. Therefore, the requirement for a small tilt angle is equivalent to the requirement that the active surface of the photovoltaic module should be as close as possible to the central plane of the module holder (this central plane can in particular be a symmetry plane).

[0026] Another parameter that must be considered when designing the component is the offset that exists between the outer edge of the active surface and the end of the module holder on the module side when the photovoltaic module is inserted into the module holder. In principle, there is a conflict of objectives here: the greater the offset, the smaller the shading angle, which initially seems advantageous because the sensitivity to shading is reduced. However, a larger offset results in a loss of active surface and thus less power generation for a given module size and a given insertion depth of the module into the module holder. Due to manufacturing technology, the maximum (glass) size of the photovoltaic module is usually limited. The currently typical value for the cell edge distance, i.e., the distance between the outer edge of the active surface and the outer edge of the photovoltaic module, is 18 to 20 mm. However, in the future, a smaller cell edge distance of 12 to 14 mm will also be possible, which in principle provides more active surface for the same module size. However, in the case of such a small cell edge distance, the offset will become smaller and smaller, which will lead to increased shading.

[0027] In this case, the module holder designed according to the invention becomes increasingly important because it exactly avoids excessive shading. Therefore, the invention particularly recommends that (especially considering that the minimum distance between the outer edge of the photovoltaic module and the stop formed by the module holder in the receiving seat is 1 to 2 mm) the insertion depth of the receiving seat be selected such that the offset between the outer edge of the active surface and the end of the module holder on the module side does not restrictively affect the desired maximum incident angle without shading (i.e., still allows the desired maximum incident angle without shading for the respective front side and back side), and the maximum incident angle will be described in more detail below. Here, the offset can preferably only be selected to be so large that the offset is at most 50% larger, preferably at most 20% larger, than the minimum offset that must be observed (purely geometrically and without considering tolerances when inserting the photovoltaic module into the module holder) in order to ensure the desired maximum incident angle without shading. Because in this case, a compact component design can be obtained, which optimizes the available active surface per unit length / height of the photovoltaic installation.

[0028] The aforementioned shading angles can ideally open symmetrically with respect to the central plane of the photovoltaic module (such that the central plane divides the shading angles in a bisecting manner). However, depending on the specific design of the module holder and / or the lateral position of the active surface, it is also possible that the shading angles open asymmetrically with respect to the central plane of the module; in this case, the absolute value of the aforementioned tilt angle is thus > 0° (this tilt can be designed to face the front side or the back side). This can be the case in particular when the respective maximum unobstructed incident angles on the active surfaces on the front side and the back side of the photovoltaic module are different.

[0029] In a preferred design, the shading angle is at most 100° or even at most 90°. Because this enables a particularly large maximum unobstructed incident angle. In this design, there remains, i.e., 360° - 100° = 260° = 2 × 130° (in the preferred design with a shading angle of at most 90°, even 270° = 2 × 135°) available for the respective maximum unobstructed incident angles on the front side and the back side, with which sunlight can reach the active surface when the photovoltaic module is inserted into the receiving seat of the module holder.

[0030] Too small a shading angle would result in too little strength of the module holder, which is crucial especially when the module holder is supposed to stabilize the unstable longitudinal side of the photovoltaic module. Thus, in particular, it can be stipulated that the shading angle is at least 50°, preferably at least 60°. The requirement of such a minimum absolute value for the shading angle gives the module holder the corresponding rigidity because the module holder thus has sufficient planar moment of inertia in the cross-section.

[0031] Supplementing or alternatively to the aforementioned features, the component described at the beginning can also be characterized in that the outer contour of the module holder (i.e., in particular the outer contour of the aforementioned module holder) is designed (in particular and the photovoltaic module is designed and placed in the receiving seat in such a way) such that not only the maximum unobstructed incident angle with which the incident solar rays can reach the outer edge of the active surface from the front side, but also the maximum unobstructed incident angle with which the incident solar rays can reach the outer edge of the active surface from the back side, respectively, measured with respect to the active surface, is at least 110°, preferably at least 120°, particularly preferably at least 135°.

[0032] The selection of a suitable maximum unobstructed incident angle depends to a large extent on the geographical location of the photovoltaic module and its orientation with respect to the sun.

[0033] If the angle of incidence is not measured with respect to the plane of the active surface, but rather with respect to the surface normal of the active surface in a transverse plane perpendicular to the plane of the active surface, then correspondingly, the unobstructed maximum angle of incidence is at least 20° (=110° - 90°), preferably at least 30° (=120° - 90°), and particularly preferably at least 45° (=135° - 90°). Of course, depending on the sun position, i.e., the time of day, the unobstructed maximum angle of incidence can be exceeded, and thus shading occurs at the edge of the active surface, which increases non-linearly with the increasing angle of incidence, which can lead to a measurable power loss of the photovoltaic module.

[0034] As already explained, it is furthermore advantageous that the outer edge of the active surface is spaced so far from the module-side end of the module carrier that no shading occurs on the active surface even at the unobstructed maximum angles of incidence on the front and back sides predefined by the module carrier. In this case, these maximum angles of incidence can thus also effectively reach the entire active surface of the photovoltaic module.

[0035] According to the invention, this problem can also be solved by further advantageous embodiments according to the dependent claims:

[0036] Thus, for example, it can be provided that the two legs of the module carrier form respective outer contours that remain within a fictional or actual inclination that converges towards the module-side inlet opening of the receiving seat. Here, it is preferred that the respective inclinations form an angle of at least 110°, preferably at least 120°, and particularly preferably at least 135° with respect to the active surface. Here, the respective outer contour of one of the legs can locally deviate inwards towards the receiving seat from the inclination.

[0037] For example, actual inclinations can be formed on the front and back sides (with respect to the photovoltaic module inserted into the receiving seat) respectively on the module side (i.e., on the inner side of the module carrier). The technical effect of these inclinations is that the described large unobstructed maximum angles of incidence onto the active surface can be achieved and thus the shading of the active surface by the module carrier itself is largely avoided. In the installation situation, the respective inclinations can thus, for example, enable the sun rays to enter steeply from above (e.g., when the module carrier surrounds and engages the upper horizontally extending longitudinal side of the photovoltaic module and the inclination thus points downwards) or enable the sunlight to enter low and flat from the side (e.g., when the module carrier surrounds and engages the vertically extending transverse side of the photovoltaic module and the inclination thus extends in the direction of the longitudinal side of the photovoltaic module, if the photovoltaic module is oriented in a transverse format (=the longitudinal side of the photovoltaic module is horizontally oriented)).

[0038] The module cage according to the invention can in particular be designed symmetrically with respect to a symmetry plane extending parallel to the plane of the active surface of the module cage, i.e. in particular with axially symmetrically designed legs. This can provide advantages since the module cage can thus be used in different orientations for enclosing and supporting the outer edge of the module (there is no difference between the front side and the back side of the module cage).

[0039] However, the module cage according to the invention can also be designed asymmetrically with respect to the plane of the active surface. This is particularly appropriate when the active surface is offset within the photovoltaic module with respect to the central plane of the photovoltaic module. Because in this case, when the module cage is symmetrically designed, asymmetric unobstructed maximum angles of incidence are obtained for the front side and the back side of the photovoltaic module. Therefore, an asymmetric design of the module cage (for example by forming different inclinations on the front side and the back side and / or by different lateral extension dimensions of the front legs or the back legs) can be used to ensure that sunlight can reach the active surface with the same maximum angle of incidence not only from the front side but also from the back side, for example at least 110° respectively. However, when the possible unobstructed maximum angle of incidence should be designed asymmetrically due to the small bifaciality of the photovoltaic module (the power on the back side of the active surface is very different from the power on the front side), the asymmetric design of the module cage can also be meaningful.

[0040] The two legs of the module cage can each exhibit a lateral extension dimension transverse to the central plane of the photovoltaic module and measured from the receiving seat, which lateral extension dimension in the direction of the surface normal of the active surface is at least 25%, preferably at least 50%, particularly preferably at least 75% of the minimum width of the receiving seat. Here, according to the design, the width of the receiving seat can increase in the insertion direction. Thereby, sufficient mechanical strength can be achieved while there is less shading on the front side and the back side of the photovoltaic module.

[0041] The central plane of the photovoltaic module can in some cases be laterally offset with respect to the central plane of the receiving seat or with respect to the central plane or symmetry plane of the module cage; this depends on the construction of the photovoltaic module used.

[0042] If, for example, the photovoltaic module has a specification close to or even greater than 2:1 (longitudinal side / transverse side), it is recommended to stabilize the longer longitudinal side of the photovoltaic module with the aid of a module cage according to the invention, the legs of which each have a lateral extension dimension greater than 0.75 times the minimum width of the receiving seat (which can be at least equivalent to the thickness of the photovoltaic module). In order to stabilize the transverse side, a module cage designed according to the invention can likewise be used; however, in some cases, the lateral extension dimension of the legs can be smaller there since smaller forces act on the transverse side and the module cage can thus be configured to be slightly less stable there.

[0043] The respective tips of the front and rear legs can be spaced apart from the outer edge of the active surface either separately or at the same or different distances, and more precisely observed in a transverse plane (xy or yz plane) extending perpendicular to the active surface. In the case of optimal and full utilization of the surface, at least one of the tips of the front or rear legs can extend up to the active surface. However, in any case, it should be avoided that the active surface is covered by the module holder to avoid power losses due to shading.

[0044] The module holder according to the invention can exhibit the following total extension dimension transversely to the central plane of the photovoltaic module, which is at most 5 times, preferably at most 4.5 times, the minimum width of the receiving seat. This especially applies to photovoltaic modules with a thickness exceeding 5 mm. If the thickness of the photovoltaic module is less than 4 mm, the total extension dimension can be larger, but for example, it should be at most 8 times the minimum width of the receiving seat. Such a design leads to a relatively narrow lateral extension of the module holder and thus reduces shading.

[0045] A particularly preferred design provides that the two legs of the module holder are designed as part of a hollow profile. Here, it is preferred that the entire module holder can be formed from a hollow profile. Here, the hollow profile is preferably at least partially designed as a longitudinal profile with a constant cross-section.

[0046] Furthermore, it is preferred that the two legs are mechanically connected to each other via the self-enclosed (integral) (especially annular) hollow cavity wall of the hollow profile. This or another enclosed hollow cavity wall of the hollow profile can form a hollow cavity (designated by 32c in the figure). By this design, the mechanical strength of the module holder can be increased, which has a negative effect on shading: because it can preferably be provided that the hollow cavity defined by the enclosed hollow cavity wall of the hollow profile is arranged in the module plane. That is to say, in other words, the plane in which the active surface of the photovoltaic module held by the hollow profile / module holder is located extends through the hollow cavity. Preferably, the geometric center of gravity of the hollow cavity can exhibit a lateral distance transversely to the module plane, which is less than 25% of the lateral extension dimension of the hollow cavity transversely to the module plane (in each case with respect to the cross-section of the hollow cavity extending perpendicular to the module plane, for example, see Figure 3 ). Quite particularly preferably, the center of gravity can even be located in the module plane.

[0047] As described above, arranging the hollow cavity in the module plane is initially disadvantageous in terms of the effective module area, since the gross size of the module increases while the net area of the active surface remains the same. However, the present invention has recognized that there is a certain trade-off here between mechanical stability on the one hand and shading of the active surface on the other hand. Thus, the arrangement according to the invention enables on the one hand less shading and on the other hand sufficient stability of the module carrier, in particular when the assembly is designed in the form of a framed photovoltaic module.

[0048] Accordingly, a particularly preferred design can provide that the closed hollow cavity wall forms the hollow cavity which follows the receiving seat in the insertion direction (i.e., is arranged behind the receiving seat, preferably in the module plane).

[0049] Supplementarily but alternatively (i.e., for example when the hollow cavity wall is not completely closed or the hollow cavity cannot or should not be arranged in the module plane), according to the invention, in order to increase the mechanical stability of the module carrier, it can be provided that the hollow profile has a wall thickness thickening in the region of the receiving seat, which wall thickness thickening is located in the module plane. Thereby, potential mechanically weak buckling points in this region can be effectively prevented, especially when a triangular hollow cavity is formed in the hollow profile to define two legs.

[0050] Furthermore, the module carrier has a cross-sectional width transverse to the insertion direction at its module-side end, which cross-sectional width is at most equivalent to the sum of the minimum width of the receiving seat and twice the material thickness of the hollow profile. Thus, in this case, at the module-side tip of the module carrier, only one material thickness of the hollow profile is connected to the receiving seat on the front side and the back side. Such a design is responsible for excellent mechanical strength, especially in the direction of the respective longitudinal side or transverse side of the module which is to be stabilized by the module carrier, while the material usage is small and thus the cost is low. At the same time, the shading effect is also minimized by the pointed-tapered cross-section at the module-side end of the module carrier.

[0051] In order to increase the strength of the module carrier, a particularly preferred design provides that the front bracket and the rear leg defining the receiving seat are each formed by a self-closed hollow cavity wall of the hollow profile (which hollow cavity wall preferably can have a triangular cross-section). Thus, each of the two legs can form a respective hollow cavity, and the two hollow cavities are arranged on the left and right sides of the receiving seat with respect to the insertion direction. Thus, with respect to the active surface, the two hollow cavities are respectively located in front of and behind the receiving seat or the photovoltaic module pushed into the receiving seat.

[0052] For example, the module carrier according to the invention can be designed as (in particular single) module carrier elements. Thus, the module carrier can only enclose and engage or at least support on one side a partial section of the circumferential outer edge of the associated photovoltaic module. Here, it is preferred that the assembly includes a plurality of such module carrier elements or module carriers, which respectively enclose and engage or at least support on one side a partial section of the outer edge, namely in particular a partial section of the respective longitudinal or transverse side of the photovoltaic module.

[0053] In an alternative design, it is provided that the assembly includes at least four module carriers, which together form a preferably rectangular module frame surrounding the photovoltaic module. Thus, the module frame can be self - enclosed. For this purpose, the module carriers can be joined together at a plurality of joining sites to form the module frame. The joining together of a plurality of module carriers to form the module frame can be achieved by means of common corner connectors. These corner connectors can be inserted into the respective profiles of two module carriers in order to connect the two module carriers to each other.

[0054] The following design of the module frame is also feasible, in which the respective distances between the leg tips of the respective module carrier (which stabilizes the photovoltaic module on the transverse or longitudinal side) and the outer edge of the active surface are selected to be of different sizes with respect to the front side and / or with respect to the back side. However, precisely in the case where the cross - section of the module frame approaches a symmetric design, the respective distances can also be of the same size. However, a preferred design provides that the distance of the tips of the upper module carrier arranged on the upper side of the photovoltaic module is selected to be greater than the distance of the tips of the lower module carrier arranged on the lower side of the photovoltaic module, and more precisely with respect to the active surface of the photovoltaic module. This design can optimize the area usage, so that, with respect to a certain length or height of the supporting structure of the photovoltaic installation in which the assemblies are mounted in multiple layers, more active surfaces can generally be arranged.

[0055] For example, such a module frame can have a cross - sectional shape in the form of an inclined section - bottom plate on the front side and the back side with respect to a central plane extending parallel to the active surface of the photovoltaic module similar to the case when framing a picture. Thereby, a large desired angle of incidence can be achieved through the inclined surface.

[0056] It is important to confirm here: Not all of these four module cages among the module cages must be designed with a convex profile according to the present invention. For example, it may be possible to forgo a large spacing from the active surface on the lower module cage, because in the final assembly position, sunlight always enters the vertically oriented active surface of the photovoltaic module from above, but never from below (so the aforementioned lower module cage can extend up to the active surface). For the same reason, even the convex shape of the lower module cage and / or the formation of the inclined part can be forgone. However, for reasons of more efficient production, a preferred design is as follows: In this design, at least two vertically extending left and right module cages of the module frame are configured to have the same cross-sectional profile with each other, and also the upper and lower module cages of the module frame are configured to have the same cross-sectional profile with each other.

[0057] A particularly preferred design is as follows: In this design, all four module cages of the module frame have the same cross-sectional profile. Because this simplifies the common joining at the joining parts.

[0058] It can also be stipulated that: The module frame has a first cross-section along the longitudinal side of the photovoltaic module and a second cross-section along the transverse side of the photovoltaic module. Here, the second cross-section that stabilizes the transverse side of the photovoltaic module can provide higher mechanical stiffness and / or be designed to be larger, especially wider, than the first cross-section that stabilizes the longitudinal side of the photovoltaic module. Thus, the minimum amount of material can be achieved while fully stabilizing the photovoltaic module.

[0059] In order to hold the edge of the photovoltaic module in the receiving seat, various design solutions are possible. Thus, the edge can be held, for example, clamping and / or bonding, which can be achieved especially with the help of adhesive tapes. According to a preferred design solution, the edge of the photovoltaic module is adhesively bonded in the receiving seat in a sealed manner with a sealing material. In particular, liquid silicone adhesives are suitable as the sealing material or the sealing adhesive. These adhesives can harden in the receiving seat and thus fill the remaining gap between the photovoltaic module and the module cage. When using adhesive tapes, it is suitable to design the receiving seat in a V-shape, so that the width of the receiving seat decreases along the insertion direction.

[0060] Generally, it is beneficial for shading that the tips of the front legs and / or the rear legs form or define the module-side end of the module cage. This feature differentiates the design according to the present invention from the previously known module frames in which stabilizing legs are arranged transversely to the receiving seat and still protrude from the receiving seat on the module side.

[0061] To solve the above tasks, the present invention also provides features for the claims of photovoltaic devices. In particular, therefore, in a photovoltaic device of the type described at the beginning to solve the said tasks according to the present invention, it is proposed that the photovoltaic modules are each fixed to the carrier structure by means of at least one respective module holder, preferably by means of at least two module holders. Furthermore, it is provided that each double-sided photovoltaic module and the respective at least one module holder form a component, as described above or according to one of the claims for components according to the present invention.

[0062] Here, every two struts and two bolts of the carrier structure can define a substantially rectangular assembly area in which at least one of the photovoltaic modules is arranged. The struts, but also the bolts, can preferably be designed in the form of metal longitudinal profiles. These longitudinal profiles can be very simply manufactured by cold forming, i.e., as so-called cold profiles. The module holders can in particular be made of aluminum continuous castings.

[0063] The struts of the carrier structure can, for example, be set up in a row to form a solar fence. To realize a large-area photovoltaic device, the struts can also be set up in multiple rows spaced apart from each other. Here, a row of struts can basically form a plane.

[0064] A free space can be kept between the lowest bolt of the soil area and the bolts of the carrier structure so that agricultural cultivation can be carried out in the free space between the struts. Similarly, the free space formed between the struts of the mentioned rows can also be used for agricultural purposes.

[0065] Common photovoltaic modules usually have a rectangular basic shape, for example, with an aspect ratio close to 2:1. Here, in the photovoltaic device according to the present invention, such photovoltaic modules can be assembled on the carrier structure either in a horizontal format (landscape) or in a vertical format (portrait).

[0066] According to a possible design, the module holder can be inserted, preferably in a non-rotatable manner, into the respective receiving seat formed by one of the bolts or struts.

[0067] Therefore, in particular, it is proposed to use the component consisting of the module holder and the respective double-sided photovoltaic module as described above or claimed here for fixing to the carrier structure so as to constitute a powerful and extremely (wind) stable photovoltaic device. The photovoltaic device is constructed such that, first, the carrier structure, i.e., the struts and the respective bolts, is assembled, thereby forming a substantially rectangular assembly area between the struts. Then, one or more components according to the present invention can be fixed in the assembly area, i.e., on the carrier structure, so as to complete the photovoltaic device.

[0068] Each component formed by a photovoltaic module and the at least one module holder belonging thereto may include, for example, a module holder that is fixed to one of the struts, which may preferably be achieved by means of a separate fixing element. Additionally, it may be provided supplementarily or alternatively that each component includes a module holder that is fixed, preferably by means of a separate fixing element, below one of the bolts. Thus, these module holders fixed to the struts and / or bolts are designed to have the features according to the invention (as described above).

[0069] Therefore, the mechanical connection of each photovoltaic module to the bolts and / or struts of the supporting structure can in particular be achieved only via the (separate) module holders. However, not all of these module holders here have to be designed according to the invention to have a convex profile; this particularly applies to the module holders that surround the horizontally extending lower side of the photovoltaic module, because when sunlight is incident from above, no shading of the active surface occurs there. Thus, these lower module holders, for example, do not necessarily have to have an inclined portion.

[0070] Therefore, a photovoltaic device according to the invention may include a supporting structure that includes bolts, and below the lower sides of these bolts, a module holder of one of the aforementioned components is suspended, preferably by means of a separate fixing element. Additionally, the supporting structure may also have bolts on the upper sides of which a module holder of one of the aforementioned components is fixed, preferably by means of a separate fixing element. In both cases, the cross-section of each bolt extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the bolt may be selected such that the maximum unobstructed incident angle at which the respective incident sunlight can reach the active surface of the photovoltaic module from the front or from the back is determined by the outer contour of the module holder (rather than, for example, by the outer contour of the bolts used). In other words, in such a design, the degree to which the respective incident angle is limited by the bolts is at most as strong as the degree to which it is already limited by the module holder. To achieve this, the bolts may have or form respective inclined portions on their lower sides, front sides, and back sides and with respect to the photovoltaic module.

[0071] Therefore, in the final assembled position, the cross-section of the bolt can in particular be located within the shading angle determined in the transverse plane, which starts from the outer edge of the active surface of the photovoltaic module of the component and which is at most 100°, preferably at most 90°. This can effectively prevent the bolt from shading the active surface of the photovoltaic module located below the bolt.

[0072] A preferred design of the photovoltaic device provides that those bolts that are fitted with one of the components on their lower sides (or upper sides) are designed as upwardly (or downwardly) semi-open longitudinal profiles. Such a semi-open longitudinal profile can preferably be designed in the form of a C-shaped profile.

[0073] Furthermore, it can be provided that some of the aforementioned fixing elements are inserted into the insertion openings, preferably slot-shaped insertion openings, on the lower side (or upper side) of the bolt. Thereby, the module carrier arranged below (or above) the bolt of one of the components can be fixed to the bolt.

[0074] Another design provides that the mentioned fixing elements form respective tabs on the front side and the back side, and the module carrier of the component is assembled, i.e., preferably clamped or screwed, to the tabs.

[0075] Here, for example, the load-bearing structure can also include a bolt designed by means of a downward semi-open longitudinal profile (of course, this can be the same profile, used only in a different orientation). A module carrier can be conveniently assembled to such a bolt in a similar manner.

[0076] The fixing elements can also form a front abutment leg and a back abutment leg (with respect to the module plane), and these abutment legs support on the inside of the bolt in the assembled position. Thereby, the holding force can be led into the bolt. For example, such abutment legs can be designed as bent tabs, and these tabs are in surface contact with the inside of the mentioned semi-open longitudinal profile. The fixing elements can be screwed to the bolt again, and the threaded connection can be formed in the region of the abutment legs. Thereby, the contact surface of each abutment leg can be pressed against the inside of the bolt by means of the threaded connection. Description of the Drawings

[0077] The present invention will now be described in more detail based on embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Other configurations of the present invention can be obtained from the following description of the preferred embodiments in combination with the general overview, the claims, and the drawings. Here, the drawings should be understood schematically and not necessarily, but only approximately, drawn to scale.

[0078] In the following description of different embodiments of the present invention, elements that are identical in function will be given the same reference numerals even if they differ in design or shape.

[0079] In the drawings:

[0080] Figure 1 shows a previously known module carrier in the form of a module frame with a stable leg on the back side

[0081] Figure 2 shows another previously known module carrier in the form of a module frame that holds a ratio Figure 1 that is slightly narrower than that module frame

[0082] Figure 3Shows a cross-section of a first module carrier designed according to the invention together with the associated photovoltaic module inserted therein,

[0083] Figure 4 Shows a cross-section of a second module carrier designed according to the invention together with the associated photovoltaic module inserted therein,

[0084] Figure 5 Shows the same module carrier as in Figure 4 but with a different type of photovoltaic module,

[0085] Figure 6 Shows details of the cross-section of the hollow profile of the module carrier that forms Figure 4 and Figure 5

[0086] Figure 7 Shows a side view (in the y-direction) of a first photovoltaic device according to the invention,

[0087] Figure 8 Shows a side view (in the y-direction) of a second photovoltaic device according to the invention,

[0088] Figure 9 Shows a side view (in the y-direction) of a third photovoltaic device according to the invention,

[0089] Figure 10 Shows a cross-section of a (schematically shown) bolt of a photovoltaic device, on the lower side of which a module carrier is assembled,

[0090] Figure 11 Shows an assembly consisting of a module carrier and the associated photovoltaic module designed according to the invention, wherein the active surface 9 of the predetermined module plane is located in the central plane of the photovoltaic module here,

[0091] Figure 12 Shows the influence of the offset between the module-side end of the module carrier according to the invention and the active surface of the photovoltaic module inserted therein,

[0092] Figure 13 Shows an assembly according to the invention, wherein the active surface of the photovoltaic module is offset towards the back with respect to the symmetry plane of the associated module carrier,

[0093] Figure 14 Shows an assembly according to the invention, wherein the active surface of the photovoltaic module is offset towards the front with respect to the central plane of the associated asymmetrically designed module carrier,

[0094] Figure 15 Shows an assembly according to the invention, wherein the active surface of the photovoltaic module is arranged in the central plane of the photovoltaic module and the module carrier is designed asymmetrically,​

[0095] Figure 16 Shows a cross-section of a bolt (schematically shown) of a photovoltaic device, to which a component according to the invention is assembled on the lower side thereof.

[0096] Figure 17 Shows a top view of a bolt of a photovoltaic device according to the invention, and finally

[0097] Figure 18 Shows Figure 17 a perspective side view of the bolt in [reference], below which a photovoltaic module together with the associated module frame is assembled. Detailed Description

[0098] Figure 1 Shows a module holder 6 known from the prior art, in the form of a module frame with stabilizing legs 67 on the back side. The module holder 6 provides a receiving seat 13 into which the outer edge 14 of the associated photovoltaic module 2 in the form of a glass laminate is inserted in the insertion direction 15 and thus held in place. The photovoltaic module 2 has an active surface 9 on the back side, which can receive sunlight not only from the front side 12 but also from the back side 11 of the photovoltaic module 2 in order to convert the sunlight into electrical energy.

[0099] As can be seen in Figure 1 the receiving seat 13 is bounded on the front side by the front legs 17 of the module holder 6 and on the back side by the rear legs 16 of the module holder. Although the solar rays 21 incident on the photovoltaic module 2 can reach the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 at a relatively large unobstructed maximum incident angle 24 on the front side. However, on the back side, the stabilizing legs 67 protrude very far beyond the front and rear legs 17, 16, so that the outermost point 58a of the stabilizing legs 67 related to the shielding of the active surface 9 on the back side protrudes beyond the receiving seat 13 against the insertion direction 15. This is disadvantageous in that the solar rays 20 incident on the back side 11 of the photovoltaic module 2 can only reach the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 at a relatively small incident angle 23.

[0100] Figure 2 Shows another example of a prior art module holder 6, into which a photovoltaic module 2 is inserted. Now, compared to the example of Figure 1 , the active surface 9 is located within the photovoltaic module 2. In addition, compared to the design according to Figure 1 , the stabilizing legs 67 are designed to be significantly shorter, which although results in a lower stability of the module holder 6, has also significantly reduced the shielding angle 29 determined by the module holder 6 (with respect to the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9) (see Figure 1 for this).

[0101] However, according to Figure 2The design of the module carrier 6 is also not suitable for use with a bifacial photovoltaic module 2 because the module carrier 6 has a significant lateral distance 60a from the plane 10 of the active surface 9 of the photovoltaic module 2 on the back side (this plane is also commonly referred to as the module plane). Thus, if solar rays 20 impinge on the photovoltaic module 2 at an angle on the back side that exceeds the maximum unobstructed incident angle 23 as shown in Figure 2 the module carrier 6, more precisely its stabilizing legs 67 on the back side, in particular the shown outer point 58a, obscures the active surface 9. Due to the relatively large lateral distance 60a, a significant obscuration length 62 (which is linearly related to 60a) already occurs even when slightly exceeding the maximum unobstructed incident angle 23. Thus, in such a solar incidence, the entire edge region of the active surface 9 corresponding to the obscuration length 62 can no longer receive sunlight in some cases and thus can no longer contribute to power generation.

[0102] Figure 3 Fig. shows a first example of an assembly consisting of a module carrier 6 and the associated bifacial photovoltaic module 2 according to the invention. Here, the module carrier 6 also forms a receiving seat 13, which is bounded on the front side by the front legs 17 and on the back side by the rear legs 16. However, it can be seen at a glance that the tips 35 of the two legs 16 and 17 on the module side form the end 52 of the module carrier 6 on the module side. Thus, the respective outer points 58a, 58b (of the cross-section of the module carrier 6 extending perpendicular to the plane 10 of the active surface 9) related to the obscuration of the active surface 9 by the module carrier 6 are visibly indented in the insertion direction 15 and with respect to the two mentioned tips 35 of the two legs 16, 17. The axial offset of these outer points 58a, 58b with respect to the respective tips 35 is more than 1.5 times the minimum width of the receiving seat 13 here. What is decisive here is that the outer points 58a, 58b related to the obscuration are indented in such a way that the active surface 9 remains unobstructed. However, here the profile 8 can also be designed to be open on the upper side, for example, i.e., the hollow cavity 32e does not necessarily have to be designed with a closed cross-section; however, this is beneficial for the higher mechanical stability of the hollow profile 8 / module carrier 6.

[0103] In addition, in Figure 3 the hollow profile 8 shown (and also the hollow profile in Figure 4 ), it is noticeable that the hollow cavity 32c has a special arrangement, which is bounded by the walls of the cross-section of the hollow profile 8 in the shown example. This hollow cavity 32c, preferably its geometric center of gravity as shown, lies in the module plane 69, i.e., in the plane in which the active surface 9 of the photovoltaic module 2 is located. In addition, the hollow cavity 32c extends both to the front side 12 of the photovoltaic module 2 and to its back side 11. It can be seen that in Figure 3Even the geometric center of gravity 70 of the hollow cavity 32c lies in the module plane 69. By means of this arrangement and design of the hollow cavity 32c, the mechanical stability of the hollow profile 8 can be increased, without having to accept losses in terms of unobstructedness, as is usually the case in previously known cages, where such cavities are arranged in front of or behind the module plane. Thus, in the example shown, the center of gravity 70 is centered with respect to the lateral extension dimension of the hollow cavity 32c transverse to the module plane 69 (see double arrow).

[0104] One can also see in Figure 3 that, in order to further increase the mechanical stability of the module holder 6, the hollow profile 8 has a wall thickness thickening 71 in the region of the receiving seat 13. This wall thickness thickening 71 lies in the module plane 69 and is formed on the wall of the hollow profile 8 connecting the two legs 16 and 17 or the two hollow cavities 32a and 32b. Furthermore, this wall delimits the receiving seat 13. This means that, despite the small shading angle, a high mechanical strength of the module holder 6 can still be maintained.

[0105] Figure 4 Another example of an assembly consisting of a module holder 6 and the associated photovoltaic module according to the invention is shown. In this example, the axial offset of the two outer points 58a and 58b relative to the respective tips 35 of the associated legs 16, 17 can also be clearly seen. Furthermore, in Figure 3 and Figure 4 one can see in the two examples that each module holder 6 is designed to be axially symmetric with respect to the central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2, and this central plane thus forms the symmetry plane 28 of the respective module holder 6. As can be seen in Figure 3 and Figure 4 due to this axial symmetry, the respective lateral distances 60a and 60b between the module plane 10 and the outermost edge of the module holder 6 can be designed to be significantly smaller than the dimension 60a in the example of Figure 2 when the mechanical strengths are comparable. Correspondingly, one can already see in Figure 4 that when the maximum incident angles 23, 24 of unobstructedness on the front side or the back side are exceeded, the shading length 62 becomes correspondingly smaller.

[0106] Furthermore, compared with the examples of previously known Figure 1 it is remarkable in the design according to the invention in Figure 3 and Figure 4 that large maximum incident angles 23, 24 of unobstructedness of at least 135° can be achieved on both the front side and the back side respectively.

[0107] Figure 5 Once again based on what has already been shown in Figure 4 and the geometric details thereof are inFigure 6 The same module holder 6 depicted in [reference] illustrates the concept according to the present invention. However, Figure 5 Shown is the case where the photovoltaic module 2 is inserted, wherein the active surface 9 is laterally offset with respect to the central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2. Although the photovoltaic module 2 is inserted centrally into the receiving seat 13 of the module holder 6 and although the module holder 6 continues to be designed to be axially symmetric with respect to its symmetry plane 28, the maximum unobstructed incident angle 23 obtained on the back side 11 is still several degrees larger than the corresponding maximum unobstructed incident angle 24 on the front side 12, as can be seen by a person in Figure 5 [reference].

[0108] Therefore, in Figure 5 [reference] one can also recognize the shading angle 29, which starts from the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 of the photovoltaic module 2 and extends in the transverse plane of the module holder 6 ( Figure 5 the xy plane in [reference]), which transverse plane is in turn perpendicular to the plane 10 of the active surface 9 ( Figure 5 the xz plane in [reference]). As can be seen by a person in Figure 5 [reference], the outer contour 22 of the module holder 6 is located within this shading angle 29 here. The module-side end 52 is also located within the shading angle 29 here. It can also be seen that the angle bisector 54 of the shading angle 29 forms an inclination angle 55 with an absolute value less than 15° with the plane 10 of the active surface 9. Due to this design of the assembly consisting of the module holder 6 and the inserted photovoltaic module 2, the unobstructed angular regions are more or less evenly distributed between the front side 12 and the back side 11 of the photovoltaic module 2. Furthermore, since the shading angle 29 is less than 90°, it is ensured that: in the Figure 5 shown case, the maximum unobstructed incident angle 24 on the front side and the maximum unobstructed incident angle 23 on the back side are each at least 120°.

[0109] In order to achieve such high values of the maximum unobstructed incident angles 23, 24, it is decisive that the envelope surface 25 of the module holder 6, which is represented by a dotted line in Figure 5 [reference] and thus envelopes the outer contour 22, exhibits a convex shape when viewed in the direction of the insertion direction 15. Because as can be seen in Figure 5 [reference] and especially depicted in more detail again in Figure 6 [reference], the respective outer contours 22 of the front side and the back side of the xy cross-section of the module holder 6, which are especially composed of two legs 16 and 17, are retained within the illustrated inclination 63, which always converges towards the module-side inlet opening 45 of the receiving seat 13. In Figure 6In the example shown, the two inclined portions 63 each form an angle greater than 145° with the active surface 9. Of course, it is not important for the shielding here that the outer contour 22 deviates inward (i.e., in the direction of the plane 10 towards the active surface 9) at some points from the inclined portion 63.

[0110] It can also be seen Figure 5 that the edge 14 of the photovoltaic module 2 is adhesively bonded in a sealed manner in the receiving seat 13 by means of the sealing material 41.

[0111] According to Figure 6 it can also be well seen that the two legs 16, 17 of the module holder 6 each - transversely to the central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2 (not shown in Figure 6 and measured respectively from the receiving seat 13 - exhibit a lateral extension dimension 31 which is more than 75% of the smallest width 41 shown of the receiving seat 13. Here, it is not important at first whether the central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2 is laterally offset with respect to the central plane of the receiving seat 13 or, for example, with respect to the symmetry plane 28 shown in Figure 6 The advantage of such a large respective lateral extension dimension 31 at the front and back sides is that the module holder 6 can provide significant rigidity but at the same time ensure sufficient unobstructedness.

[0112] One can also see in Figures 3 to 6 that the module holder 6 is respectively formed by a hollow profile 8, which in turn is designed as a longitudinal profile with a constant cross-section. Here, a self-enclosed hollow cavity wall 33 is provided not only in the design according to Figure 3 but also in the design according to Figures 4 to 6 and is depicted by dashed lines in Figure 3 and Figure 6 respectively. This closed hollow cavity wall 33 mechanically connects the two legs 16, 17 to each other and thus is responsible for the excellent stability of the module holder 6.

[0113] One can also well see precisely in Figure 6 that not only the front leg but also the rear legs 17, 16 are respectively formed by the self-enclosed hollow cavity walls 33 of the hollow profile 8. Here, these hollow cavity walls 33 exhibit a triangular cross-section. It can also be seen that in Figure 6 the module holder 6 has a cross-sectional width 59 transverse to the insertion direction 15 at its module-side end 52, which cross-sectional width exactly corresponds to the sum of the smallest width 41 of the receiving seat 13 and twice the material thickness 56 of the hollow profile 8. This design is particularly advantageous because thereby at the module-side end 52 a very small offset 57 can be achieved (see Figure 12)close to the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 of the photovoltaic module 2. In this way, a compact design can be obtained that minimizes the area requirement for each active surface 9 of the component - the photovoltaic module 2.

[0114] Figure 7 Shows a first example of how a photovoltaic device 1 can be implemented with the aid of a component according to the invention, in which a plurality of double-sided photovoltaic modules 2 are fixedly mounted upright on a carrier structure 3. The carrier structure 3 includes a plurality of struts 4 extending vertically in the Z-axis direction, which are fixed in the ground. Horizontal bolts 5 are fixed to the struts 4, and these bolts thus connect two adjacent struts 4 to each other respectively. As can be well seen in Figure 7 this way, a substantially rectangular assembly area is defined, in which at least one photovoltaic module 2 can be arranged; in Figure 7 the example of, for example, only a single photovoltaic module 2 is suspended in the assembly area in a "banner" orientation, so that the longitudinal side 38 of the photovoltaic module 2 extends horizontally along the bolt 5. However, in other designs, a plurality of photovoltaic modules can also be assembled within the assembly area stacked on top of each other and / or side by side.

[0115] As can be seen in Figure 7 the module holder 6 of the present component is designed in the form of a plurality of module holding elements 43, and each of these module holding elements 43 only surrounds and engages a part section 44 of the surrounding outer edge 14 of the photovoltaic module 2. Here, the module holding element 43 establishes a mechanical connection either between one of the bolts 5 and the photovoltaic module 2 or between the photovoltaic module 2 and one of the struts 4. It is precisely on the horizontally extending longitudinal side 38 of the photovoltaic module 2 that the upper and lower module holding elements 43 for holding the photovoltaic module 2 must have significant mechanical strength in order to safely conduct the wind load acting on the surface of the photovoltaic module 2 into the respective bolt 5. Supplementary to this, for example, a direct mechanical connection between two stacked or side-by-side arranged photovoltaic modules 2 can also be achieved via such a module holding element 43; in this case, the corresponding module holding element 43 thus provides respective receiving seats 13 on both sides, and the edge 14 of the respective photovoltaic module 2 is inserted into the receiving seat.

[0116] Figure 8 Shows another photovoltaic device 1 according to the invention, in which here the component at least includes four module holders 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, and these module holders together form a rectangular module frame 34 surrounding the photovoltaic module 2. Here, these four module holders 6 are joined together to form the module frame 34 by means of angle connectors at a plurality of joining sites 42.

[0117] Different from the example in Figure 7 in the example of Figure 8As can be seen, the spacing 36a of the tip 35 of the upper module holder 6a arranged on the upper side of the photovoltaic module 2 is selected to be greater than the spacing 36c of the tip 35 of the lower module holder 6c arranged on the lower side of the photovoltaic module 2, and more precisely with respect to the active surface 9 respectively. Since the sun rays always enter from above, the lower module holder 6c can be very close to the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 without fear of relevant shading. By such a design, the structural height of the photovoltaic device 1 can be reduced, which is beneficial for absorbing wind loads, especially when multiple photovoltaic modules 2 are arranged in a stacked manner.

[0118] Figure 9 Shows another possible design of the component according to the invention: Here, also a total of four module holders 6 are provided in the form of separate module holding elements 43, but these module holders are different from those in Figure 8 In the example, they are not joined together into a surrounding module frame 43.

[0119] Figure 10 Shows how, for example, the upper module holder 6 (or Figure 9 the module holder 6a in Figure 8 ) surrounding and joining the upper longitudinal side 38 of the photovoltaic module 2 can be connected to the bolt 5 located above it. For this purpose, separate fixing elements 37 are provided, which are inserted into the slot-shaped insertion openings 49 on the lower side of the bolt 5 shown in Figure 10 (see also Figure 17 for this), so as to thereby fix the module holder 6 arranged below the bolt 5 to the bolt 5. Here, Figure 10 the fixing elements 37 shown not only form respective tabs 50 on the front side 12 but also on the back side 11 (see also Figure 18 ), and the module holder 6 is fixed to this tab.

[0120] In Figure 10 , the module holder 6 is designed similarly to the example in Figure 6 with respective inclined portions 63 on the front side and the back side. Thus, in principle, as depicted in Figure 4 , an occlusion angle of less than 90° can be achieved, so that at least one maximum incident angle without occlusion of 110° can be achieved not only on the front side but also on the back side. But for this, a suitable photovoltaic module 2 must be selected. Here, in particular, the lateral position of the active surface 9 and the offset 57 existing between the module-side end 52 of the module holder 6 and the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 are particularly important (see Figure 12 for this). This offset 57 depends on the so-called cell edge distance 61 on the one hand, that is, the distance between the outer edge of the photovoltaic module 2 and the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 (see Figure 2 or Figure 12), and also depends on the insertion depth of the photovoltaic module 2 into the receiving seat 13 of the module holder 6 (the distance 66 between the outer edge 14 of the photovoltaic module 2 and the stop formed by the module holder 6 in the receiving seat 13 can vary, see Figure 3 ). However, in Figure 10 the example shown, not only the lateral offset of the active surface 9 with respect to the central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2 but also the offset 57 between the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 and the end 52 of the module holder 6 on the module side are chosen so unfavorably that an occlusion angle of approximately 110° is obtained and there is also a strong inclination of the occlusion angle 29 towards the front side 12 (for this, one observes Figure 10 the angle bisector 54 in, which occupies an inclination angle 55 of more than 20° with respect to the plane 10 of the active surface 9). Therefore, a maximum incident angle without occlusion of only 105° can also be achieved on the front side onto the active surface 9, which will result in power losses.

[0121] However, as Figure 16 shown, by using a photovoltaic module 2 with a centrally arranged active surface 9, with the module holder 6 and the associated bolt 5 otherwise designed identically, the situation can be improved so strongly that now the occlusion angle is only still 65° and a maximum incident angle without occlusion of more than 145° can be achieved on the front side as well as on the back side.

[0122] In Figure 11 this situation is also shown in detail again: One can see there that the inclined parts 63 on the front side and the back side of the module holder 6 are each configured symmetrically with respect to the shown symmetry plane 28 of the module holder 6, defining an included angle 56 of approximately 65°. If, as in Figure 11 a photovoltaic module 2 with the active surface 9 arranged in the central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2 is used, the photovoltaic module 2 can be pushed exactly so far into the receiving seat 13 that the occlusion angle 29 acting on the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9 just corresponds to the included angle 56, as depicted in Figure 11 .

[0123] In contrast, Figure 12 it is shown in the left half that when the active surface 9 is closer to the end 52 of the module holder 6 on the module side, the occlusion angle 29 increases significantly. This proximity initially seems advantageous in order to be able to design the active surface 9 as large as possible with respect to the overall dimensions of the photovoltaic module 2, i.e., a relatively small cell edge distance 61 can be used. However, the disadvantage of a small offset 57 is that the maximum non-occluded angle is limited in some cases (tolerances must be taken into account when inserting the photovoltaic module 2 into the module holder 6).

[0124] Figure 12The right - hand part shows that the shielding angle 29 caused by the module holder 6 can even be smaller than the opening angle 56 determined by the module holder 6, i.e., when the offset 57 is selected to be correspondingly large. However, such a large offset results in a loss of the active surface 9 and thus in a smaller generated electrical power. Therefore, the offset 57 should preferably be at most 20% larger than the minimum offset, and this minimum offset must be observed to ensure the desired maximum unobstructed incident angle on the front side 12 or the back side 11, respectively. For example, in Figure 11 if the desired maximum unobstructed incident angles on the front side and the back side are only 135° each, the active surface 9 can be positioned slightly closer to the end 52 on the module side.

[0125] Figure 13 Starting from the example of Figure 11 here, now the photovoltaic module 2 is inserted into the same module holder 6, where the active surface 9 is laterally offset with respect to the central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2. However, by choosing a relatively large offset 57 now, a relatively large maximum unobstructed incident angle 23, 24 on the front side 12 and on the back side 11 is still ensured. Thereby, a small tilt angle 55 of less than 15° and also a relatively small shielding angle of approximately 55° are obtained. Such a design can be suitable, for example, when using the photovoltaic module 2, which already has a relatively large cell edge distance 61 (see Figure 12 ).

[0126] Figure 14 Fig. shows another example of an assembly designed according to the invention. Here, now the module holder 6 used is designed asymmetrically with respect to the shown central plane 27 of the photovoltaic module 2. However, as can be seen, the lateral distances 60a and 60b between the module plane 10 of the active surface 9 and the respective outer points 58a, 58b of the module holder 6 differ only slightly. Here, the fact that the active surface 9 of the photovoltaic module 2 is offset towards the front side 12 is thus at least partially compensated for by the asymmetric design of the module holder 6, such that in the case of a relatively small offset 57 between the end 52 on the module side of the module holder 6 and the outer edge 30 of the active surface 9, a relatively small shielding angle of approximately 65° can always still be achieved.

[0127] As Figure 15 the example of shows, according to the invention, the asymmetrically designed module holder 6 can also be used with a photovoltaic module 2 in which the active surface 9 is centered with respect to the outer edge / outer surface of the photovoltaic module 2. For example, the asymmetry of the module holder 6 can be identified by the different lateral extension dimensions 31 of the two legs 16 and 17.

[0128] Herein, in accordance with Figures 3 to 9 as well as Figures 11 to 16What all design solutions according to the present invention have in common is that the correspondingly used module carrier 6 has indented outer points 58a and 58b, so that the module-side tips 35 of the two legs 16 and 17 accordingly form the module-side end 52. In addition, an unobstructed maximum incident angle of at least 110° is ensured on the front side and the back side respectively, and the inclination of the respectively set shading angle 29 with respect to the plane 10 of the active surface 9 is at most 15° in absolute value. Thus, in all these design examples, high solar power generation efficiency can be achieved when irradiating the double-sided photovoltaic module 2 not only on the front side but also on the back side.

[0129] Figure 17 and 18 A perspective view of the horizontally extending upper locking bolt 5 of the carrier structure 3 of the photovoltaic device 1 according to the present invention is also shown, where this design solution corresponds to Figure 16 the schematic diagram of. In Figure 17 and 18 a separate fixing element 37 as already described above can be seen, which is inserted into the upwardly semi-open locking bolt 5. The locking bolt is designed with a C-shaped profile so as to fix the module carrier 6 arranged below the locking bolt 5 together with the photovoltaic module 2 held by it on the locking bolt 5. Here, in Figure 18 the two front tabs 50 formed by the fixing element 37 for holding the module carrier 6 can be seen. One can also see in Figure 17 that the fixing element 37 forms a abutting leg 68 on the front side and the back side respectively. The abutting leg supports on the inside of the locking bolt 5 and is threadedly connected to the locking bolt in the assembled position.

[0130] In summary, in order to safely hold the upright photovoltaic module 2, a sufficiently rigid module carrier 6 of the kind is proposed, which can stabilize one or more outer edges of the photovoltaic module 2 against wind loads and at the same time minimize the susceptibility of the photovoltaic module 2 to being shaded by the module carrier 6. For this purpose, it is stipulated that the module carrier 6 is configured to have a convex shape, where a large unobstructed maximum incident angle 23, 24 can be achieved on the front side and the back side, and at the same time the respective lateral extension dimensions of the module carrier 6 in the direction transverse to the active surface 9 of the photovoltaic module 2 are made as small as possible, more precisely not only on the front side but also on the back side. Thus, a high-performance photovoltaic device 1 can be obtained based on the carrier structure 3, which vertically and substantially unobstructedly supports a large-area double-sided photovoltaic module 2 with the module carrier 6 designed according to the present invention.

[0131] List of reference numerals

[0132] 1 Photovoltaic device

[0133] 2 Photovoltaic module

[0134] 3 Bearing structure

[0135] 4 Strut

[0136] 5 Bolt

[0137] 6 Module cage (for positioning / holding 2)

[0138] 7 Module plane (formed by multiple 2s or by 9)

[0139] 8 Hollow profile

[0140] 9 Active surface (of 2)

[0141] 10 Plane of the active surface (i.e., plane of 9)

[0142] 11 Dorsal side (of 2)

[0143] 12 Front side (of 2)

[0144] 13 Receiving seat

[0145] 14 (Outer) edge (of 2)

[0146] 15 Insertion direction (along which 2 can be inserted into 13)

[0147] 16 Rear leg (of 6, defining 13)

[0148] 17 Front leg (of 6, defining 13)

[0149] 18 Pushing sleeve direction (in which 6 can be pushed onto 2, opposite to 15)

[0150] 19 Cover layer / protective layer, especially designed as an anti-reflection layer

[0151] 20 Incident solar rays (incident on 11)

[0152] 21 Incident solar rays (incident on 12)

[0153] 22 Outer contour (of 6)

[0154] 23 Maximum unobstructed incident angle (with respect to 11)

[0155] 24 Maximum unobstructed incident angle (with respect to 12)

[0156] 25 Envelope surface (of 6, observed in the direction of 15)

[0157] 26 Surface normal (on 9 or 10)

[0158] 27 Central plane (of 2 or 6)

[0159] 28 Symmetry plane (of 6)

[0160] 29 Occlusion angle

[0161] 30 (Outer) edge of 9

[0162] 31 Transverse extension dimension (of 16, 17, transverse to 10 and measured from 13)

[0163] 32 Hollow cavity

[0164] 33 Hollow cavity wall (connecting 16 and 17)

[0165] 34 Module frame

[0166] 35 Tip on the module side (of 16 / 17)

[0167] 36 Spacing (between 35 and 9)

[0168] 37 Fixing element (for fixing 6 / 34 to 4 / 5)

[0169] 38 Longitudinal side (of 2 / 14)

[0170] 39 Transverse side (of 2 / 14)

[0171] 40 Insertion depth (from 2 to 6 / 13)

[0172] 41 Minimum width (of 13)

[0173] 42 Joining part (between 6 / 43, for forming 34)

[0174] 43 Module holding element

[0175] 44 Partial section (of 14)

[0176] 45 Insertion opening (of 13, for inserting 2 into 13)

[0177] 46 Total extension dimension (transverse, of 6)

[0178] 47 Threaded connection

[0179] 48 Longitudinal direction (of 5)

[0180] 49 Interpenetration opening (formed in 5, for inserting 37 into 5)

[0181] 50 Tab (of 37, for fixing 6)

[0182] 51 Tapered portion (on 5)

[0183] 52 End on the module side (of 6)

[0184] 53 Longitudinal profile

[0185] Angle bisector of 54 (of 29)

[0186] 55 Inclination angle

[0187] 56 Subtended angle (of 6)

[0188] 57 Offset (between 30 and 52)

[0189] 58 Outer points (of 6, each spaced transversely from 10 by a distance)

[0190] 59 Cross-sectional width (of 52)

[0191] 60 Transverse distance between the module plane and the module cage, in particular for battery cells

[0192] Transverse distance of the plane-frame (= transverse distance between 58 and 10)

[0193] 61 Battery cell edge distance (distance between the outer edge of 2 and 30)

[0194] 62 Occlusion length

[0195] 63 Inclined part

[0196] 64 Maximum insertion depth (of 13)

[0197] 65 Maximum width (of 6 in the direction of 15)

[0198] 66 Distance (between 14 and the stop formed by 6)

[0199] 67 Stabilizing leg

[0200] 68 Resting leg (of 37 for resting on 5)

[0201] 69 Module plane

[0202] 70 Geometric center of gravity (of 32c)

[0203] 71 Wall thickness thickening

Claims

1. An assembly consisting of a module carrier (6) and an associated bifacial photovoltaic module (2), wherein, the photovoltaic module (2) has an active surface (9) which can receive sunlight from the front side (12) and the back side (11) of the photovoltaic module (2) in order to convert the sunlight into electric current, the module carrier (6) provides a receiving seat (13) into which the outer edge (14) of the photovoltaic module (2) is inserted in the insertion direction (15) and is thus held in place, with respect to the plane (10) of the active surface (9) of the photovoltaic module (2), the receiving seat (13) is delimited on the front side by the front legs (17) of the module carrier (6) and / or on the back side by the rear legs (16) of the module carrier, characterized in that, the respective front-side and back-side outer points (58a, 58b) of the cross-section of the module carrier (6) which extends perpendicular to the plane (10) of the active surface (9) and which are relevant to the shading of the active surface (9) by the module carrier (6) are indented in the insertion direction (15) and with respect to the respective module-side tips (35) of the two legs (16, 17).

2. The assembly consisting of a module carrier (6) and an associated bifacial photovoltaic module (2) according to the preamble of claim 1, in particular according to claim 1, characterized in that, the outer contour (22) of the module carrier (6), in particular the envelope surface (25), with respect to the transverse plane of the module carrier (6) which extends perpendicular to the plane (10) of the active surface (9), lies within the shading angle (29) determined in the transverse plane, which shading angle starts from the outer edge (30) of the active surface (9), and the angle bisector (54) of the shading angle (29) forms an inclination angle (55) with the plane (10) of the active surface (9) with an absolute value of at most 15°, preferably at most 10°.

3. The component according to claim 2, wherein The shading angle (29) is at most 100°, preferably at most 90°.

4. The assembly consisting of a module carrier (6) and an associated bifacial photovoltaic module (2) according to the preamble of claim 1, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, the outer contour (22) of the module carrier (6) is designed such that not only - the maximum unobstructed incident angle of incidence (23) at which incident solar rays (20) can reach the outer edge (30) of the active surface (9) from the front side (12), but also - the maximum unobstructed incident angle of incidence (24) at which incident solar rays (21) can reach the outer edge (30) of the active surface (9) from the back side (11) respectively, measured with respect to the active surface (9), is at least 110°, preferably at least 120°, particularly preferably at least 135°.

5. The component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, The two legs (16, 17) of the module carrier (6) form respective outer contours (22) which remain within a fictitious or actual inclined portion (63) which converges towards the module-side insertion opening (45) of the receiving seat (13), Preferably, the respective inclined portions (63) form an angle of at least 110°, preferably at least 120°, and particularly preferably at least 135° with the active surface (9) respectively. In particular, the respective outer contours (22) of one of the legs (16, 17) are locally inwardly offset from the inclined portion (63) towards the receiving seat (13).

6. The component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, The two legs (16, 17) of the module holder (6) are respectively transverse to the central plane (27) of the photovoltaic module (2) and respectively exhibit a transverse extension dimension (31) measured from the receiving seat (13), and this transverse extension dimension is at least 25%, preferably at least 50%, and particularly preferably at least 75% of the minimum width (41) of the receiving seat (13) in the direction of the surface normal (26) of the active surface (9). In particular, the width of the receiving seat (13) increases in the insertion direction (15), and / or The central plane (27) of the photovoltaic module (2) is laterally offset with respect to the central plane of the receiving seat (13) or with respect to the central plane (27) of the module holder (6).

7. The component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, The two legs (16, 17) of the module holder (6) are designed as part of a hollow profile (8). Preferably, the entire module holder (6) is formed by the hollow profile (8). Particularly preferably, the two legs (16, 17) are mechanically connected to each other via the self - enclosed hollow cavity wall (33) of the hollow profile (8), and / or The hollow profile (8) forms a hollow cavity wall that encloses a hollow cavity (32c), and the module plane (69) in which the active surface (9) of the photovoltaic module (2) extends passes through this hollow cavity (32c). Preferably, the geometric centroid (70) of the hollow cavity (32c) exhibits a lateral distance transverse to the module plane (69), and this lateral distance is less than 25% of the lateral extension dimension of the hollow cavity (32c) transverse to the module plane (70), and / or The hollow cavity (32c) follows the receiving seat (13) in the insertion direction (15), and / or The wall - thickness thickening portion (71) of the hollow profile (8) in the region of the receiving seat (13) is located within the module plane (69), and / or The module holder (6) has a cross - sectional width (59) transverse to the insertion direction (15) at its module - side end (52), and this cross - sectional width is at most equivalent to the sum of the minimum width (41) of the receiving seat (13) and twice the material thickness (56) of the hollow profile (8).

8. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, The module holder (6) is designed as a module holding element (43), and this module holding element only surrounds and engages or at least supports on one side a partial section (43) of the circumferential outer edge (14) of the photovoltaic module (2). Preferably, the assembly (1) includes a plurality of such module holding elements (34), and these module holding elements respectively surround and engage or at least support on one side partial sections (43), particularly partial sections (43a, 43b) of the respective longitudinal sides (38) or transverse sides (39) of the outer edge (14), especially of the photovoltaic module (2).

9. The component according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The component includes at least four module cages (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) which together form a preferably rectangular module frame (34) surrounding the photovoltaic module (2). In particular, the module cages (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) are joined together at a plurality of joining sites (42) to form the module frame (34). Preferably: the spacing (36a) of the tips (35) of the upper module cage (6a) arranged on the upper side of the photovoltaic module (2) is chosen to be greater than the spacing (36c) of the tips (35) of the lower module cage (6c) arranged on the lower side of the photovoltaic module (2), with respect to the active surface (9) respectively.

10. The component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, The edge (14) of the photovoltaic module (2) is in the receiving seat (13). is held in a clamped manner, and / or is adhesively bonded, in particular by means of a tape, preferably adhesively bonded in a sealed manner by means of a sealing material (41).

11. The component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tips (35) of the front legs (17) and / or the rear legs (16) form the module-side ends (52) of the module cage (6), preferably the module-side ends (52) are located within the shading angle (29).

12. A photovoltaic device (1), comprising: a support structure (3) on which a plurality of double-sided photovoltaic modules (2) are arranged upright, the support structure (3) having a plurality of struts (4) which are fixed, in particular anchored, to or in the ground, and bolts (5) are fixed to the struts (4), and the bolts (5) connect two adjacent struts (4) to each other respectively, characterized in that the photovoltaic modules (2) are fixed to the support structure (3) respectively by means of at least one respective module cage (6), each double-sided photovoltaic module (2) and the respective at least one module cage (6) form a component (1) which is designed according to one of the preceding claims.

13. The photovoltaic device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein, Each component (1) formed by the photovoltaic module (2) and the respective at least one module cage (6) includes a module cage (6) which is fixed, preferably by means of a separate fixing element (37), to one of the struts (4), and / or includes a module cage (6) which is fixed, preferably by means of a separate fixing element (37), below one of the bolts (5), and / or includes a module cage (6) which is fixed, preferably by means of a separate fixing element (37), above one of the bolts (5).

14. The photovoltaic device (1) according to one of claims 12 to 13, wherein, The support structure (3) includes bolts (5), and below the lower sides of these bolts, a module cage (6) of one of the components (1) is preferably suspended by means of a separate fixing element (37), and / or the support structure includes bolts (5), and above the upper sides of these bolts, a module cage (6) of one of the components (1) is preferably fixed by means of a separate fixing element (37), and The cross-section of each bolt (5) extending transversely to the longitudinal direction (48) of the bolt (5) is selected such that the respective maximum unobstructed angle of incidence (23, 24) at which the respective incident solar rays (20, 21) can reach the active surface (9) of the photovoltaic module (2) from the front side (12) or from the back side (11) is determined by the outer contour (22) of the module carrier (6).

15. The photovoltaic device (1) according to one of claims 12 to 14, wherein, Those bolts (5) on which one of the components (1) is mounted on its lower side are designed with an upwardly semi-open longitudinal profile (53), preferably in the form of a C-profile, and / or Some of the fixing elements (37) are inserted into the through-openings (49), preferably slot-shaped through-openings, on the lower side of the bolt (5) so as to thereby fix the module carrier (6) arranged below the bolt (5) of one of the components (1) to the bolt (5), and / or The fixing elements (37) form respective tabs (50) on the front side and the back side, and the module carrier (6) of the respective component (1) is assembled, preferably clamped or screwed, onto these tabs.

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