Protective device for solar photovoltaic systems and the like

Abstract

The present invention concerns a protective device (1a, 1b, 1c) for solar photovoltaic systems and the like, comprising a supporting frame (3) having a back surface (4) and one or more photovoltaic panels (5) arranged in the supporting frame. The protective device (1a, 1b, 1c) comprises protective means (10', 10'', 11) combined with the back surface, and movement means (9) for bringing the photovoltaic system to a protective position (P3), in which it is arranged so as to be oriented downward and preferably in a substantially horizontal direction (H), with each photovoltaic panel (5) facing downward and the protective means facing upward.

Description

[0001] PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS AND THE LIKE

[0002] ***

[0003] DESCRIPTION

[0004] Field of the invention

[0005] In its most general aspect, the present invention relates to the technical field of solar photovoltaic plants and the like, and in particular but not exclusively, concerns a protective device for protecting such systems, in particular from hail and the like.

[0006] Known art

[0007] Producing energy from renewable sources is now of primary importance. In particular, plants comprising energy devices, such as photovoltaic panels, thermal solar panels or solar concentrators, are increasingly used to transform solar energy into electricity or thermal energy. Reference will be made to photovoltaic panels in the description hereunder, without thereby excluding other types of energy systems based on solar energy.

[0008] Photovoltaic panels comprise a series of solar cells enclosed in a waterproof casing provided with a transparent protective covering element generally made of plastic or glass.

[0009] In addition to photovoltaic systems for domestic use, their use is increasingly widespread in industrial and working environment, in which roofs of warehouses, industrial coverings and the like are used for installing particularly large photovoltaic plants which form so-named solar parks.

[0010] Panels can be oriented by means of rotary collectors, named tracking systems, so as to improve their performance. A tracking system is an automatic mechanical device adapted for favorably orienting, with respect to the sun’s rays, a photovoltaic panel, therefore increasing the production of the solar energy captured and thus the effective performance of the energy device. Generally, tracking systems are provided with means which allow to rotate the panel by an angle depending on different factors, but generally less than 70° in two opposite directions, so as to optimize the energy efficiency.

[0011] Very intense atmospheric phenomena have become more frequent in recent years. In particular, particularly violent hailstorms, with hailstones of a diameter greater than 3 cm, are becoming more frequent.

[0012] The future does not bode well: according to the latest research, very big hailstorms (with hailstones of a diameter even greater than 5 cm) are destined to significantly increase from today.

[0013] Such disturbances have a particularly negative impact on photovoltaic panels, since the force and size of the hailstones can damage a protective covering, and consequently the photovoltaic panels, upon impact.

[0014] Repairing or replacing damaged photovoltaic panels is therefore very expensive. In addition, given the frequency of such phenomena, insurance companies suggest insurance policies with very high premiums and sometimes even refuse to ensure very large plants.

[0015] In order to overcome these drawbacks, protective systems were suggested for photovoltaic panels, which systems substantially provide protection in the shape of fixed meshes to be arranged at the protective covering of the panel, or sliding closing elements, such as shutters provided with means for arranging them at the panels in case of need.

[0016] Disadvantageously, the first solution reduces the useful surface of the panel, therefore creating shadow areas on the surface itself, whereas the second is expensive and requires maintenance, having various movable parts and additional elements for moving the closing elements.

[0017] Document IT202100000377 concerns a compact photovoltaic device and, in particular, a concentration photovoltaic panel comprising one or more active portions therein.

[0018] Summary of the invention

[0019] The technical problem underlying the present intention was to provide a protective device for solar photovoltaic systems, or the like, having technical characteristics such as to overcome one or more of the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art.

[0020] According to the invention, the aforesaid problem is solved by a protective device for solar photovoltaic panels, and the like, of the aforesaid type, according to the preamble of claim 1 and comprising:

[0021] - protective means combined with, and arranged above of, a back surface of the solar photovoltaic system, or the like, and

[0022] - movement means for arranging the solar photovoltaic system, or the like, in a so-named protective position or hail proof position, in which the protective means are above the solar photovoltaic system, or the like, and arranged in a horizontal direction or inclined with respect to such horizontal direction.

[0023] Reference will be made to photovoltaic panels hereunder, without thereby excluding other types of energy systems based on solar energy.

[0024] Advantageously, the protective system is therefore brought to a hail proof position in which the photovoltaic system is arranged facing downward, with the back surface facing upward, in a horizontal direction or inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, with the photovoltaic cells oriented downward.

[0025] In a preferred configuration, the photovoltaic system is laid down on a horizontal plane in the protective position. In other configurations according to the present invention, the photovoltaic system can be lie in an inclined plane in the protective position, always with the photovoltaic panels arranged below the back surface and the protective device and with the photovoltaic panels oriented downward.

[0026] Being combined to a back part of the photovoltaic system, the protective device de facto does not interfere in any way with the normal operation of the photovoltaic panels, since, during the normal operations of the photovoltaic system, it stays below the back surface, although simultaneously able to perform its function when needed.

[0027] The protective means are preferably combined with the back surface by interposing spacing means to keep them away therefrom.

[0028] In an embodiment, the protective means are advantageously combined with the back surface in a fixed way and are preferably constrained thereto at least at two opposite sides thereof; the fixed protective means can advantageously be combined with the back surface by means of spacing means arranged at least at two opposite sides of the back surface, or at least at two central portions of two opposite sides of the back surface.

[0029] The respective protective means can advantageously be combined individually with each photovoltaic panel of the photovoltaic system.

[0030] In another embodiment, the protective means can comprise movable protective means combined with the photovoltaic system so as to be arranged at the whole back surface, dragged by the photovoltaic system when it is brought to the hail proof position.

[0031] In such a configuration, the movable protective means are preferably combined with the photovoltaic system at one side only of the back surface.

[0032] The movable protective means are preferably combined with the back surface by interposing spacing means, to keep them separated from the back surface. Still more preferably, the spacing means are arranged at an intermediate portion of the back surface.

[0033] In the event of protective means movable with respect to the back surface, the protective device can advantageously also comprise an accumulating system for holding the portion of the movable protective means that is not at the back portion, when the photovoltaic system is not in the protective position, and / or a tensioning system for keeping the movable protective means tensioned at each condition of use.

[0034] The movement means of the protective device are preferably also suitable for moving the photovoltaic system in a so-named tracking mode in which the system is rotated for being optimally arranged with respect to the sun in daylight.

[0035] In a particularly preferred solution, the protective means comprise a mesh, preferably flexible, of the textile or metal type. The links can have sides of any size, preferably greater than 5 mm and still more preferably between 5 mm and 30 mm.

[0036] According to the invention, the protective device is used in the following way: during normal use of the protective device, arranged below the back surface of the photovoltaic panel, it stays facing a substantially opposite direction from the sun, while the photovoltaic panels are facing the sun; in the event of a disturbance, of hail in particular, the photovoltaic system is arranged in a protective mode in which it is laid down on a substantially horizontal plane or, as an alternative, inclined with the photovoltaic panels substantially facing downward or anyhow oriented to minimize exposure to hail, for example in the event of strong winds, while the back surface of the photovoltaic panel and the protective means therewith are substantially facing upward or are anyhow oriented so as to prevent hail from striking the front surface of the photovoltaic panel.

[0037] In normal use, the photovoltaic system can be rotated between an initial position, defined as dawn, and a final position, defined as sunset, during daytime, so as to always be optimally oriented with respect to the sun.

[0038] Brief description of the figures

[0039] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer in the review of the following detailed description of a preferred, although not exclusive, embodiment illustrated by way of example and without limitations with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0040] - figure 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a photovoltaic system with which a protective device according to the present invention is combined, according to a first embodiment and a first operation mode;

[0041] - figure 2 illustrates an enlarged view of the portion of photovoltaic system and of a protective device, circled and denoted by A in figure 1 ;

[0042] - figure 3 illustrates a side view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device of figure 1 , in two different positions;

[0043] - figure 4 illustrates a front view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device of figure 1 ;

[0044] - figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device of figure 1 in a second operation mode, according to the present invention;

[0045] - figure 6 illustrates an enlarged view of the portion of photovoltaic system and of the protective device, circled and denoted by A in figure 5;

[0046] - figures 7 and 8 respectively illustrate a side view and a front view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device of figure 5;

[0047] - figure 9 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a photovoltaic system with which a protective device according to the present invention is combined, according to a second embodiment and a first operation mode;

[0048] - figure 10 schematically illustrates a view, in a second position, of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device according to figure 9;

[0049] - figure 11 illustrates a side view of a photovoltaic system and of the protective device according to figure 9, in two different positions;

[0050] - figure 12 illustrates a front view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device according to figure 9;

[0051] - figure 13 illustrates a perspective view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device of figure 9 in a second operation mode, according to the present invention;

[0052] - figures 14 and 15 respectively illustrate a top view and a side view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device of figure 13;

[0053] - figure 16 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a photovoltaic system with which a protective device according to the present invention is combined, according to a third embodiment and in a second operation mode; and

[0054] - figures 17 and 18 respectively illustrate a side view and a front view of the photovoltaic system and of the protective device of figure 16.

[0055] Detailed description of the invention

[0056] With reference to the aforesaid figures, the three embodiments of a protective device according to the present invention and combined with a photovoltaic system 2 are generally denoted by 1a, 1b, and 1c.

[0057] The terms top, above, bottom, below and back are intended to refer to the orientation the device has in the drawings.

[0058] The photovoltaic system 2 substantially comprises: a supporting frame 3 having a back surface 4, one or more photovoltaic panels 5 arranged above said back surface and a supporting structure 6 with which a supporting frame 3 is combined. The photovoltaic panels are preferably combined with the frame, are arranged parallel to one another, one side-by- side to the other, and each comprise a plurality of solar cells.

[0059] According to the invention, a first protective device 1a or a second protective device 1b or a third protective device 1c or other similar devices can be combined with the photovoltaic system, to protect each photovoltaic panel from weather events and, in particular, hail.

[0060] The protective device 1a, 1b, 1c is preferably combined with the back surface 4 of the photovoltaic system, on the opposite side from the photovoltaic panels, even more preferably by interposing first or second spacing means 7, 8’, 8” for keeping the protective means away from the back surface of the photovoltaic system.

[0061] Additionally, movement means 9 are combined with the supporting structure for moving the supporting frame. The movement means are preferably adapted for making the supporting frame rotate so as to bring the protective device to a protective position also defined as hail proof.

[0062] The movement means can advantageously be structured to make the frame rotate in two opposite directions.

[0063] In particular, this configuration also allows to rotate the supporting frame, and the photovoltaic panels therewith, by a tracking angle + / -a, whose value can vary from plant to plant, in the so-named tracking mode, as shown in figures 1-4 and 9-12.

[0064] Such mode allows the photovoltaic panels to be optimally oriented with respect to the sun’s rays, between a first position P1 defined as “dawn position”, and a second position P2 defined as “sunset position”, which are shown in figures 3 and 11 .

[0065] The movement means are advantageously structured to make the frame rotate suitably so as to bring each photovoltaic panel to a so-named hail proof mode, as shown in figures 5-8 and 13-15.

[0066] Specifically, in the hail proof mode, each photovoltaic panel is brought to a horizontal overturned, or anyhow inclined overturned, position defined as protective position P3, in which it is facing or oriented downward. In such position, the back surface 4 of the photovoltaic system and the respective protective device therewith 1a, 1b, 1c are facing or oriented upward. In other words, the frame and the photovoltaic panels therewith are rotated by 180 ° or are anyhow rotated so as to be inclined with respect to a horizontal direction H in which the photovoltaic panels are facing upward. Each photovoltaic panel is therefore below the back surface.

[0067] This way, in a preferred configuration, the photovoltaic panels are laid down on a horizontal plane, facing downward, so as to be protected from hail, without needing to be combined with fixed or movable elements. The back part of each panel and the back surface of the frame are concurrently protected by the respective first or second protective device.

[0068] In particular, in the first and third embodiments shown in figures 1-8 and 16-18, the first protective device 1a and the third protective device 1c comprise fixed protective means 10’, 10”.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the fixed protective means 10 are preferably combined with the back surface by means of first spacing means 7 arranged at least at two opposite sides of the back surface, preferably at all sides.

[0070] A respective first protective device 1a, as shown for example in figures 5 and 8, can advantageously be combined with each photovoltaic panel.

[0071] In the protective device 1c according to the third embodiment, the fixed protective means 10’ are preferably combined with the back surface by means of respective second spacing means 8’, which preferably emerge from a central portion of two opposite sides of the back surface of the photovoltaic system, as visible in detail in figures 16 and 17.

[0072] In the second embodiment shown in figures 9-15, the second protective device 1b comprises movable protective means 11 preferably constrained to one side only of the back surface and which are dragged and brought at the whole back surface of the photovoltaic panels by the rotation of the panel itself. Second spacing means 8” combined with the back surface of the photovoltaic system can be provided to keep the second protective device 1b away from the back surface 4. The second spacing means emerge from an intermediate portion of two opposite sides of the back surface 4, in a direction perpendicular to the same back surface.

[0073] An accumulating and tensioning system 12 can advantageously be provided for holding and keeping the second protective device 1b tensioned during the movements of the photovoltaic system, both in the possible tracking mode and in the hail proof mode.

[0074] The first protective device (10) preferably comprises rigid meshes preferably made of metal, or shock-resistant panels preferably transparent and preferably made of plastic material. The second device (11 ) can comprise flexible textile or metal meshes.

[0075] In the first case, the mesh or panel is fixed to the back surface of the photovoltaic system, whereas in the second case the mesh is arranged in the accumulating system, preferably wound on itself, and is unwound at least partially or wound at least partially by the accumulating and tensioning system, depending on the rotation angle of the photovoltaic system, or is directly applied to the supporting structure in the absence of an accumulating system.

[0076] The mesh advantageously has links of any size, preferably of at least 5 mm, even more preferably between 5 mm and 30 mm.

[0077] Figures 9 and 10 show a photovoltaic system with which the second protective device is combined, respectively in dawn position and sunset position. As visible, in these positions, as in the intermediate ones, the second protective means are partially stretched out at least at part of the back surface, while the photovoltaic panels stay fully exposed to the sun.

[0078] In figures 13, 14 and 15, the second protective means are instead fully stretched out at the whole back surface of the photovoltaic system, therefore protecting it.

[0079] The movement towards the hail proof mode or protective position P3 can be triggered automatically by means of sensors and / or weather forecasting systems and the like.

[0080] The present protective device, whether in the first and second and third embodiment, does not advantageously provide for any fixed or movable element combined or combinable with the photovoltaic panels or anyhow with the front part of the photovoltaic system. Such protective devices do not therefore limit the productivity of the front part of the photovoltaic panel in any way.

[0081] The protective system according to the present invention may not provide for additional movement means than the rotation means already provided for the tracking mode, if any. The rotation mechanism is configured for being able to rotate the panel by a greater angle, to arrange the panel in the horizontal or inclined protective position, with the photovoltaic panel facing downward or oriented downward and anyhow arranged so as not to be stricken by hail, therefore leaving the protective device, which is above the back surface of the photovoltaic system, exposed to hail.

[0082] The protective device according to the present invention is advantageously simple and inexpensive to implement, although particularly simultaneously effective.

[0083] Then, the first and second spacing means 7, 8’, 8” advantageously also ensure the protection of the back surface of the panel, therefore preventing it from being stricken by hail and anyhow cushioning its force of impact, whenever some hailstone should strike it.

[0084] In summary, the present protective device for photovoltaic systems is characterized in that it provides protective means combined with the back part of the panel, therefore leaving the front part of the panel itself fully free, and in that the front part of the panel is arranged so as to be facing downward, de facto being protected by the first or second or third protective device and possibly also by the back part of the panel.

[0085] In order to meet contingent and specific needs, a technician of the field can make numerous changes and modifications to the present invention or embodiments shown and described, all thereby comprised in the protection scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Protective device (1a, 1 b, 1c) for a photovoltaic system (2), wherein said photovoltaic system comprises a supporting frame (3) having a back surface (4) and one or more photovoltaic panels (5) arranged in said supporting frame above said back surface (4), said protective device (1a, 1 b, 1c) being characterized by comprising- protective means (10’, 10”, 11 ) combined with said back surface (4) of said one or more photovoltaic panels (5); and- movement means (9) for bringing the photovoltaic system to a protective position (P3), in which the photovoltaic system is arranged in an overturned position in which said photovoltaic panels are kept below the back surface and wherein, in the protective position (P3), the photovoltaic system is arranged in a substantially horizontal direction (H) or in an inclined direction with respect to said horizontal position.

2. Protective device (1a, 1 b, 1c) according to claim 1 , characterized in that, in the protective position (P3), the photovoltaic system is arranged in the substantially horizontal direction (H) with the photovoltaic panels facing downward and with said protective means (10’, 10”, 11 ) facing upward.

3. Protective device (1a, 1 b, 1c) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising first or second spacing means (7, 8’, 8”) to be combined with the back surface (4) of the photovoltaic system, to keep the protective means away from said back surface of the photovoltaic system.

4. Protective device (1a, 1c) according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, characterized by comprising fixed protective means (10’, 10”) combined with the back surface of the photovoltaic system at least at two opposite sides thereof, preferably at all sides.

5. Protective device (1a, 1c) according to claim 4, characterized in that said fixed protective means (10’, 10”) are combined with the back surface of the photovoltaic system by means of first spacing means (7’)arranged at least at two opposite sides of the back surface, preferably at all sides, or by means of second spacing means (8’) arranged at an intermediate portion of two opposite sides of the back surface.

6. Protective device (1a, 1c) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that respective fixed protective means (10’, 10”) can be provided at each photovoltaic panel.

7. Protective device (1 b) according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, characterized by comprising a movable protective means (11 ) and in that said movable protective means (11 ) are combined with said back surface (4) at one side only.

8. Protective device (1 b) according to claim 7, characterized in that said movable protective means (11 ) are dragged and brought at the whole back surface of the photovoltaic system whenever the movement means (9) bring the photovoltaic system to the protective position (P3).

9. Protective device (1 b) according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that said movable protective means (11 ) are combined with the back surface of the photovoltaic system by means of second spacing means (8”), which are preferably arranged at least at one intermediate portion of the back surface (3) of the photovoltaic system.

10. Protective device (1 b) according to one of claims 7-9, characterized by comprising an accumulating and tensioning system (12) adapted for holding and keeping the movable protective means (11 ) tensioned in any position assumed by the photovoltaic system, both during its normal use and whenever arranged in the protective position (P3).

11. Protective device (1a, 1b, 1c) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movement means (9) are adapted for moving the photovoltaic system also between a first position (P1 ) and a second position (P2), in order to orient the photovoltaic panels optimally with respect to the rays of the sun.

12. Protective device (1a, 1b, 1c) according to any one of thepreceding claims, characterized in that the fixed protective means (10’, 10”) have the shape of a rigid mesh, preferably made of metal, or the shape of a shock-resistant panel, preferably transparent and even more preferably made of a plastic material; and in that the movable protective means (11 ) have the shape of flexible mesh, preferably made of a textile or metal material (11 ).

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