Solar energy shade structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solar energy collection technologies face challenges such as environmental impact, inefficient land use, high costs, and discomfort in sunny areas due to lack of shade, heat island effects, and limited revenue generation opportunities.
Innovation Solution
A modular solar structure that integrates solar panels with adjustable angles and shade panels, allowing for dappled light, reduced land use, and multiple revenue streams through advertising, electric car charging, and shaded space fees, while maintaining efficient energy production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If large solar farms are built to collect large amounts of solar energy, then energy collection capacity is improved, but environmental impact and land use increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from ground-level solar farms to elevated solar structures installed over existing infrastructure such as parking lots, roads, and buildings. This vertical deployment allows solar panels to occupy aerial space rather than consuming land area, enabling dual-use of the underlying space for both solar energy generation and original purposes like parking or transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The solar structures are designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: generating solar energy, providing shade to reduce heat island effect, creating usable shaded spaces for pedestrians or vehicles, and potentially supporting advertising or other structures. This multi-functionality maximizes the value derived from the installed infrastructure without requiring additional land.
2Productivity
If solar panels are installed at optimal angles for energy collection, then energy production efficiency is improved, but structural complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solar structures incorporate adjustable panel angles that can be optimized for different seasonal sun positions or specific energy collection requirements. This dynamic adjustability allows the system to maintain optimal energy production efficiency while the modular design keeps structural complexity manageable through standardized adjustment mechanisms.
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 modular solar structure effectively generates revenue, reduces environmental impact, minimizes land use, provides comfortable shaded areas, and enhances energy efficiency by optimizing panel placement and airflow, thus addressing the challenges of existing solar energy collection methods.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of solar panels spaced apart to allow light to pass through to the ground below
Implementation Method 2
The solar panels are spaced apart to allow light to pass through to the ground below. In this way, the solar panels provide shade to the area below without completely blocking the light
Data Source
AI summary
Solar energy shade structures and methods of designing and installing the same are disclosed. These structures are capable of supporting a contiguous planar solar panel support structure at heights greater than 18 feet above their mounting surface. The planar solar panel support structure may contiguously cover at least two areas of different area types, including parking spaces and driving aisles, and may be at least 64 feet long by 64 feet wide. The planar solar panel support structure may have a high panel density defined in that an arrangement of the plurality of solar panels that is uninterrupted by service or access lanes. The majority of the plurality of solar panels may be fixed at an angle that would be non-optimal for energy generation in each individual panel of the majority of the plurality of solar panels, but results in optimal power density for the entire solar energy shade structure.