Laminated Solar Panel for Industrial Roofs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar panel systems for industrial roofs face challenges due to their heavy weight, which complicates installation and can damage the roof's integrity by drilling, disrupting water and heat insulation, and require multiple people to handle safely.
Innovation Solution
A solar panel design featuring a membrane base with EVA protection layers and a tempered glass front face, integrated via lamination to maintain insulation and reduce weight, allowing single-person installation without damaging the roof.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional solar panels are mounted on industrial roofs using drilling or heavy fixation methods, then the solar panel can be securely fixed to the roof, but the roof's water and heat insulation is disrupted and the roof structure may collapse due to excessive weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible membrane as the base layer of the solar panel, which can be laminated to the roof surface without rigid fixation. This membrane allows the panel to conform to the roof while maintaining secure attachment through lamination, avoiding drilling or heavy mechanical fixation that would damage roof insulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane acts as an intermediary between the solar panel structure and the roof surface. It provides a bonding interface that distributes loads evenly and maintains both mechanical attachment and thermal/water insulation continuity, eliminating the need for direct drilling into the roof structure.
2Strength
If conventional solar panels with heavy construction are used, then the solar panel can provide sufficient structural strength and durability, but the weight makes installation difficult and requires multiple persons
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane base layer replaces heavy rigid structures while maintaining sufficient mechanical strength through its material properties and lamination bonding. This thin-film approach dramatically reduces panel weight, enabling single-person installation while preserving structural integrity and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The solar panel uses composite construction with a flexible membrane base combined with lightweight solar cell structures. This composite approach provides sufficient structural strength and durability through material selection and layering while keeping the overall weight low for easy handling and installation.
3Ease of operation
If drilling is used to fix solar panels to the roof, then the solar panel can be securely attached, but the roof's water and heat insulation is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane enables installation without drilling by conforming to the roof surface and bonding through lamination. This approach maintains roof insulation integrity while providing secure attachment, making the installation process both easy and non-invasive to the roof structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane serves as an intermediary bonding layer that attaches the solar panel to the roof without penetrating or drilling into the roof structure. This preserves the continuous insulation barrier while providing secure mechanical attachment through surface lamination.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures efficient electricity production while preserving roof insulation, supporting the roof's integrity and allowing single-person installation, with a lifespan of at least 25 years without delamination or water ingress.
Implementation Method 1
Such solar panel is fixed from its membrane to the roof from a membrane which is the uppermost layer of the roof via a lamination process.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
This invention is related to a solar panel (1) composed of a membrane (17) as a base layer wherein the base layer is to be integrated to an industrial roof and from the bottom to the uppermost respectively: a lowermost protection layer (16) on this membrane (17); electrical isolation back sheet (15) on this lowermost protection layer (16); a lower protection layer (14) on this electrical isolation back sheet (15); a solar cell layer (13) on this lower protection layer (14); an upper protection layer (12) on this solar cell layer (13); and a front face protection layer (11) on this upper protection layer (12) and an industrial roof comprising such a solar panel (1).