Device for supporting photovoltaic cell panels, support system and installed assembly

Abstract

A method of using a solar cell system as a support structure and outer skin for a building is disclosed. Such a support structure is used as a roof and/or one or more façades of a building.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of constructing a building, the method comprising:
 using a solar cell system as a support structure and outer skin for the building.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the solar cell system instead of a roof for the building or instead of one or more facades of the building. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the solar cell system using at least one longitudinal supporting component. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising using a beam as the longitudinal supporting component. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising using a beam made of one or more components. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the solar cell system using a central portion, a rail at a bottom portion of the central portion to form an inverted T-beam. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising forming the solar cell system by attaching the longitudinal supporting components to a beam of the building. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising using as the beam of the building any one of the following: a transversal frame girder of a roof, transversal frame girder of a façade, a joist, a frame, a grid, a lattice, a shell, a cable, a membrane, a wall or a façade, a wall plate, a wooden deck, a metal deck, a diaphragm, a covering, a slab, a post, or existing components of the building or of the supporting structure. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the solar cell system by using a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinal supporting components to support solar panels wherein the plurality of substantially parallel longitudinal supporting components are spaced apart to accommodate the dimension of solar panels of the solar cell system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising using a beam as the longitudinal supporting component wherein the beam is made of one or more components. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the solar cell system by attaching a plurality of longitudinal supporting components arranged substantially parallel to one another and each of the longitudinal supporting components attached to at least one beam of the building to support solar panels and spacing the plurality of longitudinal supporting components to accommodate a dimension of the solar panels, wherein the longitudinal supporting components are arranged substantially in the direction of the slope, if any, of the outer skin. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising using as the beam of the building any one of the following: a transversal frame girder of a roof, transversal frame girder of a façade, a joist, a frame, a grid, a lattice, a shell, a cable, a membrane, a wall or a façade, a wall plate, a wooden deck, a metal deck, a diaphragm, a covering, a slab, a post, or existing components of the building or of the supporting structure. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the outer skin to provide water proofing of the building. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using an impervious layer to provide water proofing of the building. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using a layer of thermal insulation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising using a space formed between adjacent parallel longitudinal supporting components as an air duct. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising using the solar cell system to provide structural rigidity to the building. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the solar cells system in lieu of braces, purlins, sub-purlins and other structural components used in a traditional construction of a roof, a façade, an outer skin or a solar system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising using the air duct for one or more of the following: to ventilate the outer skin, to ventilate the solar panels, to extract energy from the outer skin, to extract energy from the solar panels, to improve efficiency of the outer skin, to improve the efficiency of the panels, and to convert the energy extracted from the air duct for re-use. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising using the solar cell system to support external loads by attaching the external loads either directly or indirectly via subsystems to one or more longitudinal supporting components, wherein the external loads can include one or more of the following: a ceiling inside the building, construction components, in-door equipment, out-door equipment, anti-fall systems, out-door loads and in-door loads.