Preconfigured deployable solar energy package
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of solar arrays is labor-intensive and risky due to the need for individual lifting, affixing, and wiring of heavy solar panels, which are often handled in remote and harsh environments.
Innovation Solution
A preconfigured solar energy system with a dispenser that houses and deploys a set of electrically and mechanically connected photovoltaic panels, using a hinged connection and automatic fasteners to facilitate sequential installation directly onto a mounting structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solar panels are individually installed on a mounting rack, then each panel can be securely fastened and electrically connected, but the installation process becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The solar array is divided into modular panels that are pre-assembled with mounting hardware and electrical connections. Each panel module is a self-contained unit that can be independently handled and installed, allowing workers to install complete functional units rather than assembling individual components on-site.
Solution Approach 2:
Mounting hardware, fasteners, and electrical connections are pre-attached to the solar panels during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for workers to perform these tasks during installation, significantly reducing installation time and labor requirements while maintaining secure fastening and reliable electrical connections.
2Reliability
If workers manually lift and affix each solar panel individually, then proper installation can be achieved, but the risk of injury and panel damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple solar panels are pre-assembled into a integrated array module with all mounting hardware and electrical connections already in place. This merging of multiple panels into a single installable unit reduces the number of manual lifting and handling operations required, thereby reducing the risk of worker injury and panel damage while ensuring proper installation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-assembled array modules are designed to be self-contained units that require minimal manual intervention during installation. The modules come pre-configured with all necessary mounting hardware and electrical connections, allowing for rapid deployment with reduced handling and minimized risk of damage during the installation process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If solar panels are transported in conventional configurations, then they can be delivered to remote locations, but the transport efficiency is limited and damage risk remains high
Solution Approach 1:
Solar panels are nested within a collapsible housing structure that can be compacted for efficient transport and then expanded at the installation site. The nested configuration maximizes space utilization during transport to remote locations while minimizing exposure and damage risk, and allows for efficient deployment of multiple panels in a compact package.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, this disclosure describes a system and method that includes a set of photovoltaic panels that includes two or more photovoltaic panels electrically coupled together. Each photovoltaic panel has a physical connection with at least one other photovoltaic panel in the set of photovoltaic panels and each photovoltaic panel in the set of photovoltaic panels has a mechanical interface configured to interface with a mounting structure. The system further includes a dispenser that comprises a guide configured to align the physical connection of one or more of the photovoltaic panels in the set of photovoltaic panels with receiving hardware of the mounting structure. The dispenser is configured to house the set of photovoltaic panels and sequentially dispense each photovoltaic panel onto the mounting structure as the dispenser moves along a length of the mounting structure.