Shingled Solar Device Current Routing and Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) applications, such as solar shingles and siding, face challenges due to smaller area per photovoltaic element, requiring more connections and complicating mechanical packaging of connectors and wiring, especially when installed flush.
Innovation Solution
A solar device system with shingled solar devices featuring multiple current paths and control circuits that automatically route and balance current, using connectors that can be easily packaged and sealed for mechanical and electrical integration, allowing for staggered installation and simplified wiring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If solar devices are shingled into an array with smaller area per photovoltaic element, then the mechanical packaging of connectors and wiring becomes more complex, but the aesthetic integration and flush installation are improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple current paths and connectors into a single integrated solar device module. Each solar device includes multiple current-generating cells arranged in series, with current collectors that aggregate current from multiple cells before exiting through a single connector interface. This merging approach reduces the number of separate connectors and wiring paths needed in the array, simplifying mechanical packaging while maintaining the shingled configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The solar device design incorporates multiple functions within a single integrated unit: current generation from multiple photovoltaic cells, current aggregation through internal collectors, and unified electrical connection through a single connector interface. This multi-functional integration allows the device to serve as both a power-generating element and a simplified electrical node in the array, reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple current paths are implemented in shingled solar devices, then current distribution control is improved, but the wiring complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solar device is segmented into multiple current-generating cells arranged in series, with internal current collectors that separately collect current from different cell groups. This segmentation allows independent current path management within the device, enabling better current distribution control while keeping external wiring simple through a unified connector interface.
Solution Approach 2:
Internal current collectors serve as intermediary elements between the multiple photovoltaic cells and the single external connector. These collectors aggregate and balance current from different cell paths before delivering it through one unified connection point, simplifying external wiring while maintaining sophisticated current distribution control within the device.
3Shape
If solar devices are installed flush with staggered configuration, then aesthetic integration is improved, but connector access and wiring become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection functionality is extracted and consolidated into a single connector interface per solar device, separate from the flush-mounted photovoltaic cell array. This extraction allows the connector to be positioned for easier access during installation and maintenance, while the main solar device body remains flush-mounted for aesthetic integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector interface is positioned in a different spatial dimension or orientation relative to the flush-mounted solar cells, allowing it to protrude or extend in a direction that provides access without compromising the flush appearance of the solar array surface. This dimensional separation resolves the conflict between aesthetic integration and operational accessibility.
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 system simplifies wiring and installation by automatically handling current within the PV array, enabling easy design and installation of solar roofs with balanced current distribution, reducing complexity and enhancing the adoption of BIPV solutions.
Implementation Method 1
Each solar device includes one or more current generation cells configured to generate electric current
Data Source
AI summary
A solar device system includes one or more solar devices shingled into an array of solar devices. Each solar device includes one or more current generation cells configured to generate electric current, a plurality of current buses, and a control circuit configured to distribute the generated electric current to the plurality of current buses, and route the generated electric current to an adjacent solar device. Additionally, the solar device system includes an array collector electrically connected to the one or more solar devices, the array collector being configured to collect the generated electrical current from the one or more solar devices and direct the generated electrical current to an inverter or a power grid.