Flat Tile Solar Panels - Joined Array

Abstract

An earth mount-enabled utility-scale solar photovoltaic array has plural rows of solar panels supported on the ground s to establish an earth orientation of the solar panels. Edge portions of the panels rest on a ground support area and provide mechanical support, and an end curb member abuts at least one edge of the arrangement. The panels are interconnected in at least one series-connected string extending in at least two rows so that the string has a total distance between terminal ends of the series connection less than a lengthwise dimension of the solar panels constituting the string, routed to reduce “home run” connections at the end of the string.

1 . A utility-scale photovoltaic array located at a site that has support regions on the site surface, the array comprising:
 modules;   and   connectors between modules,   
       wherein the ground supports some of the modules. 
     
     
         2 . The array of  claim 1 , wherein the array contains one or more rows of modules. 
     
     
         3 . The array of  claim 2 , wherein the connectors join module edges or edge frames. 
     
     
         4 . The array of  claim 3 , wherein some of the connectors are between modules in two directions, some of the connectors form joints, and some of the joints are flexible. 
     
     
         5 . The array of  claim 4 , wherein some of the connectors are electrical bonding connecters. 
     
     
         6 . The array of  claim 5 , wherein some of the connectors are electrical interconnects, some of the electrical interconnects form a series-connected string, and the string comprises terminal string ends with a distance between the ends of less than a lengthwise module dimension. 
     
     
         7 . The array of  claim 6 , wherein the string has a path that starts with a first end, extends along a direction, returns along an opposite direction, and ends with a second end and the path reduces or eliminates the length of home run connections. 
     
     
         8 . The array of  claim 7 , wherein the contact points control the direction of a ray normal to the module plane. 
     
     
         9 . The array of  claim 8 , wherein the ground includes material naturally present at the site and material added to the site by human activity. 
     
     
         10 . The array of  claim 9 , wherein the ground is smoothed or flattened. 
     
     
         11 . The array of  claim 10 , wherein smoothed or flattened means smooth or flat enough that the height difference between corners of adjacent modules is small enough that a fully autonomous sweeping robot can sweep from one module onto another. 
     
     
         12 . The array of  claim 7 , wherein the ground supports some of the modules, orients a face of some of the modules, and supports some of the modules without a structure between the edges and the ground. 
     
     
         13 . The array of  claim 12  further comprising an inverter with an AC output, wherein
 the array has a DC output, 
 and 
 the DC: AC ratio is 1.2-1.9, 1.4-1.9, or 1.6-2.2. 
 
     
     
         14 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein the volume beneath and perpendicular to the contact surface is solid or constrains air movement. 
     
     
         15 . The array of  claim 4 , wherein the contact points control the direction of a ray normal to the module plane. 
     
     
         16 . The array of  claim 15 , wherein the ground includes material naturally present at the site and material added to the site by human activity. 
     
     
         17 . The array of  claim 16 , wherein the ground is smoothed or flattened. 
     
     
         18 . The array of  claim 17 , wherein smoothed or flattened means smooth or flat enough that the height difference between corners of adjacent modules is small enough that a fully autonomous sweeping robot can sweep from one module onto another. 
     
     
         19 . The array of  claim 4 , wherein the ground supports some of the modules, orients a face of some of the modules and supports some of the modules without a structure between the edges and the ground. 
     
     
         20 . The array of  claim 19  further comprising an inverter with an AC output, wherein
 the array has a DC output, 
 and 
 the DC: AC ratio is 1.2-1.9, 1.4-1.9, or 1.6-2.2. 
 
     
     
         21 . The array of  claim 20 , wherein the volume beneath and perpendicular to the contact surface is solid or constrains air movement.