Shingled Solar Support Rails for Watertight Panel Runoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solar panel mounting methods on shade structures, which arrange panels in a plane with gaps between them, face challenges in achieving a watertight or near-watertight solution due to water penetration and dirt buildup, and often require complex sealing methods or additional sub-structures, increasing costs and construction time.
Innovation Solution
A modular, reconfigurable solar shingling system using a two-part rail system to create a channel for water runoff between panels, allowing for a shingled arrangement that prevents water and dirt accumulation, with gaskets or sealants at overlaps to ensure a watertight seal and prevent panel rattling during wind.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If panels are arranged in a plane with gaps between them to allow for expansion and contraction, then thermal expansion is accommodated, but water penetration and dirt buildup occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar arrangement to a three-dimensional stepped configuration where panels are offset vertically. This dimensional change allows panels to expand and contract along the vertical axis while maintaining water runoff capability, as water flows down the stepped surfaces without penetrating between panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The array is divided into multiple stepped levels or tiers, creating segmented horizontal surfaces at different elevations. This segmentation provides multiple drainage paths for water and prevents dirt accumulation by ensuring water flows downward rather than pooling between panels.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sealing methods such as gaskets or sealants are used between panels, then water leakage is reduced, but dirt buildup along panel edges increases and sealing effectiveness degrades over time
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging panels in a stepped three-dimensional configuration rather than a flat plane, the patent eliminates horizontal gaps where water would pool and carry dirt along panel edges. Water naturally flows downward along the vertical faces of the stepped structure, preventing both leakage and dirt accumulation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a sub-roof is installed underneath the entire array of panels, then water leakage is prevented, but cost and construction time increase and heat buildup occurs underneath panels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for a separate sub-roof structure by integrating water runoff functionality directly into the panel mounting structure itself. The stepped configuration of the mounting rails and panels creates inherent drainage paths, eliminating the need for additional waterproofing layers and reducing overall system complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If panels are arranged in a plane with adjacent edges in a butt condition, then installation is straightforward, but sealing all four edges of each panel becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a stepped three-dimensional arrangement where panels are offset vertically rather than butted together in a plane. This creates overlapping vertical faces that are naturally easier to seal, as water flows downward along these faces rather than attempting to penetrate horizontal gaps between butted panels.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of providing a solar support structures for columns of shingled photovoltaic solar panel assemblies.