Solar roof tile installation and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A solar roof tile installation can include an array of solar roof panels. A solar roof panel can include a photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly. A negative conductor of a first solar roof panel can be electrically connected to a positive conductor of a second solar roof panel to form at least part of an electrically serial chain of solar roof panels having a one-way electrical direct current path that includes a first diode electrically connected between a positive and a negative conductor of the first panel, and a second diode electrically connected between a positive and a negative conductor of the second panel. A method of operation of the solar roof tile installation can include configuring the array of solar roof panels to at least reduce the effect of a loss of performance of a solar roof panel on performance of other solar roof panels in the array.

1 - 28 .(canceled) 
     
     
         29 . An array of solar roof panels, comprising:
 a first solar roof panel comprising a first positive conductor and a first negative conductor, a first diode electrically connected between the first positive conductor and the first negative conductor; and   a second solar roof panel comprising a second positive conductor and a second negative conductor, a second diode electrically connected between the second positive conductor and the second negative conductor; wherein the first negative conductor is electrically connected to the second positive conductor to form at least part of a first electrically serial chain of solar roof panels having a one-way electrical direct current (DC) path that includes the first diode and the second diode.   
     
     
         30 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 29 , wherein the first electrically serial chain of solar roof panels is operable to at least reduce the effect of a loss of performance of a solar roof panel of the array of solar roof panels on performance of one or more other solar roof panels of the array of solar roof panels. 
     
     
         31 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 29 , wherein the array of solar roof panels includes at least one row of solar roof panels and at least one column of solar roof panels. 
     
     
         32 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 29 , wherein first solar roof panel of the array of solar roof panels is a first photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly. 
     
     
         33 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 32 , wherein the first photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly comprises:
 a roof tile having a front and a rear surface and a single hole extending through the tile; and   a structure attached to the front surface of the roof tile, the structure comprising at least one photovoltaic solar cell, the structure which in operation provides a single positive output and a single negative output, the positive output connected to the first positive conductor and the negative output connected to the first negative conductor, wherein the first positive conductor and the first negative conductor extend from the structure attached to the front surface of the roof tile, through the hole of the roof tile to the rear surface of the roof tile.   
     
     
         34 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 33 , wherein the structure attached to the front surface of the roof tile is a laminated structure. 
     
     
         35 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 34 , wherein the laminated structure includes a printed circuit board, a first layer covering at least a surface of the printed circuit board, a second layer covering the at least one photovoltaic solar cell, and a front sheet covering a front face of the second layer. 
     
     
         36 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 a third solar roof panel comprising a third positive conductor and a third negative conductor, a third diode electrically connected between the third positive conductor and the third negative conductor; and   a fourth solar roof panel comprising a fourth positive conductor and a fourth negative conductor, a fourth diode electrically connected between the fourth positive conductor and the fourth negative conductor, wherein the third negative conductor is electrically connected to the fourth positive conductor to form at least part of a second electrically serial chain of solar roof panels having a one-way electrical DC path that includes the third diode and the fourth diode.   
     
     
         37 . The array of solar roof panels of  claim 36 , wherein the first electrically serial chain of solar roof panels includes a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal, the second electronically serial chain of solar roof panels includes a second positive terminal and a second negative terminal, the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal electrically connected to form a positive bus, and the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal electrically connected to form a negative bus. 
     
     
         38 . A solar roof tile installation comprising an array of solar roof panels according to  claim 37 . 
     
     
         39 . The solar roof tile installation of  claim 38 , wherein the first and the second electrically serial chain of solar roof panels are operable to at least reduce the effect of a loss of performance of a solar roof panel of the array of solar roof panels on performance of one or more other solar roof panels of the array of solar roof panels. 
     
     
         40 . The solar roof tile installation of  claim 38 , wherein each solar roof panel of the array of solar roof panels is a respective photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly that includes at least one photovoltaic solar cell. 
     
     
         41 . The solar roof tile installation of  claim 40 , further comprising an alternating current (AC) inverter electrically connected to the positive bus and the negative bus, the AC inverter which in operation converts a direct current (DC) output of the at least one photovoltaic solar cell into an AC electrical output. 
     
     
         42 . The solar roof tile installation of  claim 41 , further comprising a DC current breaker, the DC current breaker electrically connected between the positive bus and the AC inverter, and the negative bus and the AC inverter. 
     
     
         43 . The solar roof tile installation of  claim 41 , further comprising a surge protector, the surge protector electrically connected to an earth, the positive bus and the negative bus, the surge protector which in operation grounds a voltage or current spike to the earth. 
     
     
         44 . The solar roof tile installation of  claim 38 , wherein the array of solar roof panels includes at least one row of solar roof panels and at least one column of solar roof panels. 
     
     
         45 . A method of operation of a solar roof tile installation, the solar roof tile installation comprising an array of solar roof panels according to  claim 29 , the method comprising configuring the array of solar roof panels to at least reduce the effect of a loss of performance of a solar roof panel of the array of solar roof panels on performance of one or more other solar roof panels of the array of solar roof panels. 
     
     
         46 . The method of operation of  claim 45 , wherein configuring the array of solar roof panels to at least reduce the effect of a loss of performance of a solar roof panel of the array of solar roof panels on performance of one or more other solar roof panels of the array of solar roof panels includes configuring the first diode and the second diode to ensure that current can flow in only one direction through the first electrically serial chain of solar roof panels. 
     
     
         47 . The method of operation of  claim 45 , wherein configuring the array of solar roof panels includes arranging the array of solar roof panels in at least one row of solar roof panels and at least one column of solar roof panels. 
     
     
         48 . The method of operation of  claim 45 , wherein configuring the array of solar roof panels includes:
 configuring a first photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly, the first photovoltaic solar roof assembly which includes a roof tile having a front and a rear surface and a single hole extending through the tile, and a structure attached to the front surface of the roof tile, the structure comprising at least one photovoltaic solar cell, the structure which in operation provides a single positive output and a single negative output, the positive output connected to the first positive conductor and the negative output connected to the first negative conductor; and   passing the first positive conductor and the first negative conductor from the structure attached to the front surface of the roof tile, through the hole of the roof tile to the rear surface of the roof tile.