Roof mounting bracket for photovoltaic power generation system

Abstract

Multiple brackets are used together to support photovoltaic cells upon a roof. Each bracket includes a mounting rail at an upper side and a bottom rail at a lower side. The bottom rail of one bracket is configured to overlap the mounting rail of another bracket. Lateral joints on each bracket overlap each other to connect adjacent panels of photovoltaic cells. Cell support structures are interposed between the mounting rail and bottom rail to support a photovoltaic stack assembly thereon. Wind clips allow the bottom rail of a higher bracket to be interconnected with a mounting rail of a lower bracket. An undulating end piece allows airflow to enter beneath a lowest bracket and pass up beneath the brackets to provide cooling air for the overall system of photovoltaic cells mounted upon the brackets. Edge flashing precludes water migration laterally at edges of the panels.

1 : A photovoltaic power generation roof mounting system, comprising in combination:
 at least one photovoltaic element of substantially planar form;   said photovoltaic element adapted to convert photonic radiation into electric power;   said photovoltaic element including an upper surface adapted to face the source of photonic radiation and a lower surface opposite said upper surface;   a plurality of spacers, said spacers adapted to be positioned upon a roof of a structure and abutting said lower surface of said photovoltaic element when said photovoltaic element is located adjacent said roof; and   at least one air flow pathway extending between said lower surface of said photovoltaic element and the roof when said photovoltaic element is located adjacent said roof.   
     
     
         2 : The system of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of photovoltaic elements are provided adjacent each other and partially overlapping each other, said plurality of photovoltaic elements each including an upper edge opposite a lower edge, said plurality of photovoltaic elements including an upper one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements and a lower one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said upper one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements adapted to be located higher on the roof than said lower one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said upper one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements adapted to have said lower edge thereof located overlapping said upper edge of said lower one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said thicknesses of said plurality of photovoltaic elements between said upper surfaces and said lower surfaces thereof being less than an elevation differential between said upper one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements and said lower one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, such that rain falling upon said upper one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements flows toward said lower edge of said upper one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements and then falls off of said upper one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements onto said lower one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, causing rain falling upon said plurality of photovoltaic elements is sequentially shed between adjacent photovoltaic elements without migrating beneath said photovoltaic elements. 
     
     
         3 : The system of  claim 2  wherein said spacers include stringers, said stringers having an elongate form, said stringers having a long axis extending at least partially vertically within a plane parallel with the roof and substantially within a plane parallel with said lower surface of said photovoltaic element, with said at least one airflow pathway located between two adjacent said stringers. 
     
     
         4 : The system of  claim 3  wherein at least one additional spacer is oriented between at least one of said stringers and said lower surface of at least one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said additional spacer providing support for said photovoltaic element between said upper edge of said photovoltaic element where said photovoltaic element is in direct contact with said stringer and said lower edge of said photovoltaic element where said photovoltaic element overlaps with another adjacent photovoltaic element. 
     
     
         5 : The system of  claim 3  wherein bottom vents are interposed between adjacent said stringers extending at least partially laterally, said bottom vents including at least one channel adapted to allow air to flow through said bottom vent to access said at least one airflow pathway between adjacent said stringers. 
     
     
         6 : The system of  claim 1  wherein a top vent is provided adjacent an upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said top vent adapted to allow air to access said at least one airflow pathway beneath said lower surface of said at least one photovoltaic element while substantially precluding rainwater from migrating into said airflow pathway beneath said lower surface of said photovoltaic element. 
     
     
         7 : The system of  claim 6  wherein said top vent includes flashing extending along said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said flashing including an upper end adapted to interface with the roof at a location above said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element and a lower end opposite said upper end, said lower end of said flashing adapted to be located above said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said flashing sized to have said upper end of said flashing at an elevation above said lower end of said flashing with water falling onto said flashing at said upper end thereof flowing by gravity over said lower end of said flashing and onto said upper surface of said at least one photovoltaic element, and wherein a spacer is interposed between said lower end of said flashing and said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said spacer including at least one channel therein adapted to allow air to flow through said spacer, such that airflow can occur through said top vent from said at least one airflow pathway between said lower end of said flashing and said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element. 
     
     
         8 : The system of  claim 1  wherein lateral edge flashing is provided adjacent lateral edges of said at least one photovoltaic element extending between an upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element and a lower edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said lateral edge flashing including a top plate adapted to reside over said upper surface of said photovoltaic element adjacent said lateral edge of said photovoltaic element, a bottom plate oriented in a plane substantially parallel with a plane in which said top plate is oriented, but with said bottom plate located below said top plate, and with a mid plate joining said bottom plate to said top plate, said bottom plate adapted to be fastened to the roof and accommodate shingles or other roofing material overlapping said bottom plate of said edge flashing. 
     
     
         9 : The system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one photovoltaic element includes a plurality of similar photovoltaic elements, said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements each including trim adjacent at least an upper edge and a lower edge of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said trim adapted to interlock between adjacent photovoltaic elements such that adjacent ones of said plurality of photovoltaic elements can both overlap and at least partially lock together. 
     
     
         10 : The system of  claim 9  wherein said trim of said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements includes top trim adjacent said upper edge of said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements and bottom trim located adjacent lower edges of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said bottom trim adapted to at least partially interlock with said top trim when a lower edge of a first one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements is located above and adjacent another one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements through top trim on said second underlying photovoltaic element. 
     
     
         11 : The system of  claim 10  wherein said bottom trim includes a foot at a lower portion thereof extending at least partially parallel with a plane of said lower surface of said photovoltaic element to which said bottom trim is associated, and beneath said photovoltaic element, and wherein said top trim includes an upper plate extending at least partially parallel with a plane of said upper surface of said photovoltaic element with which said top trim is associated, and above said photovoltaic element, said foot of said bottom trim adapted to reside below said upper plate of said top trim to hold said bottom trim of one of said photovoltaic elements to said top trim of one of said photovoltaic elements. 
     
     
         12 : The system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements additionally include side trim extending along lateral edges of each of said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements, said side trim coupled to said top trim and said bottom trim at corners of said photovoltaic element, said side trim adapted to rest upon some of said plurality of spacers, said side trim of said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements adapted to abut side trim of adjacent photovoltaic elements in a manner substantially precluding water from migrating past said photovoltaic elements between said side trim of laterally spaced adjacent photovoltaic elements. 
     
     
         13 : The system of  claim 10  wherein said bottom trim includes a foot extending at least partially laterally beneath said lower surface of said photovoltaic element, and wherein at least one clip is coupled to at least one of said plurality of spacers, said clip adapted to have a slot therein sized to receive said foot of said bottom trim therein, such that said bottom trim can be held to said at least one of said plurality of spacers, such that a lowermost one of a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic elements can be held to the underlying roof through said clip and said spacer. 
     
     
         14 : A roofing system with integrated photovoltaic power generation, comprising in combination:
 an underlying layer of planar roof structural material supported above a foundation of underlying structure;   a vapor barrier located upon said roof structural material;   at least one photovoltaic element of substantially planar form;   said photovoltaic element adapted to convert photonic radiation into electric power;   said photovoltaic element including an upper surface adapted to face the source of photonic radiation and a lower surface opposite said upper surface;   a plurality of spacers, said spacers adapted to be positioned upon said vapor barrier and abutting said lower surface of said photovoltaic element when said photovoltaic element is located adjacent said roof; and   at least one airflow pathway extending between said lower surface of said photovoltaic element and the vapor barrier, when said photovoltaic element is located adjacent said roof.   
     
     
         15 : The roofing system of  claim 14  wherein lateral edge flashing is provided adjacent lateral edges of said at least one photovoltaic element extending between an upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element and a lower edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said lateral edge flashing including a top plate adapted to reside over said upper surface of said photovoltaic element adjacent said lateral edge of said photovoltaic element, a bottom plate oriented in a plane substantially parallel with a plane in which said top plate is oriented, but with said bottom plate located below said top plate, and with a mid plate joining said bottom plate to said top plate, said bottom plate adapted to be fastened to the roof and accommodate shingles or other roofing material overlapping said bottom plate of said edge flashing. 
     
     
         16 : The roofing system of  claim 14  wherein said at least one photovoltaic element includes a plurality of similar photovoltaic elements, said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements each including trim adjacent at least an upper edge and a lower edge of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said trim adapted to interlock between adjacent photovoltaic elements such that adjacent ones of said plurality of photovoltaic elements can both overlap and at least partially lock together. 
     
     
         17 : The roofing system of  claim 16  wherein at least one additional spacer is oriented between at least one of said stringers and said lower surface of at least one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said additional spacer providing support for one of said photovoltaic elements between said upper edge of said photovoltaic element where said photovoltaic element is in direct contact with one of said plurality of spacers and said lower edge of said photovoltaic element where said photovoltaic element overlaps with another adjacent photovoltaic element. 
     
     
         18 : The roofing system of  claim 14  wherein a top vent is provided adjacent an upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said top vent adapted to allow air to access said at least one airflow pathway beneath said lower surface of said at least one photovoltaic element while substantially precluding rainwater from migrating into said airflow pathway beneath said lower surface of said photovoltaic element. 
     
     
         19 : The roofing system of  claim 18  wherein said top vent includes flashing extending along said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said flashing including an upper end adapted to interface with the roof at a location above said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element and a lower end opposite said upper end, said lower end of said flashing adapted to be located above said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said flashing sized to have said upper end of said flashing at an elevation above said lower end of said flashing with water falling onto said flashing at said upper end thereof flowing by gravity over said lower end of said flashing and onto said upper surface of said at least one photovoltaic element, and wherein a spacer is interposed between said lower end of said flashing and said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element, said spacer including at least one channel therein adapted to allow air to flow through said spacer, such that airflow can occur through said top vent from said at least one airflow pathway between said lower one of said flashing and said upper edge of said at least one photovoltaic element. 
     
     
         20 : The roofing system of  claim 14  wherein said at least one photovoltaic element includes a plurality of similar photovoltaic elements, said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements each including trim adjacent at least an upper edge and a lower edge of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said trim adapted to interlock between adjacent photovoltaic elements such that adjacent ones of said plurality of photovoltaic elements can both overlap and at least partially lock together;
 wherein said trim of said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements includes top trim adjacent said upper edge of said plurality of similar photovoltaic elements and bottom trim located adjacent lower edges of said plurality of photovoltaic elements, said bottom trim adapted to at least partially interlock with said top trim when a lower edge of a first one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements is located above and adjacent another one of said plurality of photovoltaic elements through top trim on said second underlying photovoltaic element; and   wherein said bottom trim includes a foot extending at least partially laterally beneath said lower surface of said photovoltaic element, and wherein at least one clip is coupled to at least one of said plurality of spacers, said clip adapted to have a slot therein sized to receive said foot of said bottom trim therein, such that said bottom trim can be held to said at least one of said plurality of spacers, such that a lowermost one of a plurality of adjacent photovoltaic elements can be held to said underlying roof through said clip and said spacer.