Photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly and method of manufacture thereof

Abstract

A method of manufacture of a photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly can include forming a laminated structure by laminating one or more sheets that include at least one photovoltaic solar cell, and attaching a junction box to the laminated structure to form a photovoltaic solar panel. The junction box can include a first DC connector and a second DC connector. Attaching the junction box to the laminated structure can include sealing the first DC connector to the laminated structure. The method of manufacture can include forming a roof tile with a hole that extends from a front side of the roof tile to a rear side of the roof tile, and locating the junction box in the hole by inserting the first DC connector from a front side of the roof tile and attaching the second DC connector from the rear side.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of manufacture of a photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly, the method comprising forming a laminated structure by laminating one or more sheets that include at least one photovoltaic solar cell, and attaching a junction box to the laminated structure to form a photovoltaic solar panel, the junction box comprising a first DC connector and a second DC connector, the second DC connector mateable to the first DC connector, wherein attaching a junction box to the laminated structure includes sealing the first DC connector to the laminated structure. 
     
     
         30 . The method of manufacture of  claim 29 , wherein forming a photovoltaic solar panel by laminating one or more sheets that include at least one photovoltaic solar cell, and attaching a junction box to the photovoltaic solar panel, includes forming a photovoltaic solar panel by laminating one or more sheets that include at least one photovoltaic solar cell, a support sheet, and a back plate, and sealing the first DC connector of the junction box to at least one of the support sheet and the back plate. 
     
     
         31 . The method of manufacture of  claim 29 , the method further comprising:
 forming a roof tile that includes a hole, the hole which extends from a front side of the roof tile to a rear side of the roof tile; and   attaching the photovoltaic solar panel to a front surface on the front side of the roof tile, wherein attaching the photovoltaic solar panel to a front surface on the front side of the roof tile includes locating the junction box of the photovoltaic solar panel in the hole of the roof tile by inserting the first DC connector from the front side of the roof tile and attaching the second DC connector from the rear side.   
     
     
         32 . The method of manufacture of  claim 31 , wherein forming a roof tile that includes a hole, the hole which extends from a front side of the roof tile to a rear side of the roof tile includes drilling a hole in a roof tile, the hole which extends from a front side of the roof tile to a rear side of the roof tile. 
     
     
         33 . The method of manufacture of  claim 32 , wherein drilling a hole that extends from a front side of a roof tile to a rear side of the roof tile includes drilling a hole in a roof tile, the roof tile comprising at least one of concrete and clay. 
     
     
         34 . The method of manufacture of  claim 29 , wherein the first DC connector is a male plug DC connector and the second DC connector is a female plug DC connector. 
     
     
         35 . The method of manufacture of  claim 29 , wherein attaching a junction box to the photovoltaic solar panel includes forming an electrical connection between a positive conductor of the junction box and a positive output of the at least one photovoltaic solar cell, and forming an electrical connection between a negative conductor of the junction box and a negative output of the at least one photovoltaic solar cell. 
     
     
         36 . A photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly comprising:
 a roof tile having a front side and a rear side and a hole extending through the tile; and   a photovoltaic solar panel attached to a front surface of the front side of the roof tile, the photovoltaic solar panel comprising a junction box located in the hole extending through the tile, wherein the junction box comprises a first DC connector and a second DC connector, the second DC connector mateable to the first DC connector.   
     
     
         37 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 36 , the photovoltaic solar panel further comprising a laminated structure wherein the first DC connector is sealed to the laminated structure. 
     
     
         38 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 37 , wherein the second DC connector of the junction box is accessible from the rear side of the tile, and is attachable and detachable from the first DC connector. 
     
     
         39 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 38 , wherein the second DC connector of the junction box comprises two wires, a positive wire and a negative wire. 
     
     
         40 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the positive wire is electrically connected to a positive output of the photovoltaic solar panel attached to the front surface of the front side of the roof tile, and the negative wire is electrically connected to a negative output of the photovoltaic solar panel. 
     
     
         41 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 37 , wherein the laminated structure comprises at least one photovoltaic solar cell. 
     
     
         42 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 41 , the laminated structure further comprising a support sheet and a back plate. 
     
     
         43 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 42 , wherein the first DC connector is sealed to at least one of the support sheet and the back plate. 
     
     
         44 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 42 , wherein the support sheet comprises a printed circuit board. 
     
     
         45 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 36 , wherein the first DC connector comprises a positive conductor and a negative conductor, the positive conductor electrically connected to the positive output of the photovoltaic solar panel and the positive wire of the second DC connector, and the negative conductor electrically connected to the negative output of the photovoltaic solar panel and the negative wire of the second DC connector. 
     
     
         46 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 45 , the first DC connector further comprising a diode electrically connected to the positive conductor and the negative conductor. 
     
     
         47 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 46 , wherein the junction box is rated at 1,000 dcV. 
     
     
         48 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 36 , wherein the roof tile comprises at least one of concrete and clay. 
     
     
         49 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 36 , wherein the roof tile comprises at least one of metal and plastic. 
     
     
         50 . The photovoltaic solar roof tile assembly of  claim 36 , wherein the first DC connector is a male plug DC connector and the second DC connector is a female plug DC connector.