Earth mount utility-scale photovoltaic array with edge portions resting on ground support area

Abstract

An earth mount-enabled utility-scale solar photovoltaic array has plural rows of solar panels supported on the grounds 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 power plant comprising a photovoltaic array wherein
 the array has 200 or more modules,   the array has contiguous modules,   and   some of the modules have a contact point that rests on the ground or rests on a contact surface of one or more structures.   
     
     
         2 . The plant of  claim 1  comprising two or more arrays. 
     
     
         3 . The plant of  claim 2  wherein one of the arrays has 5000 or more modules. 
     
     
         4 . The plant of  claim 2 , wherein one of the arrays has 100 or more columns. 
     
     
         5 . The plant of  claim 4 , wherein one of the arrays has 100 or more rows. 
     
     
         6 . The plant of  claim 5 , wherein the contact points control the direction of a ray normal to the module plane. 
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 6 , wherein the ground includes material naturally present at the site and material added to the site by human activity. 
     
     
         8 . The plant of  claim 7 , wherein the ground is smoothed or flattened. 
     
     
         9 . The plant of  claim 8 , wherein the ground supports 200 or more contiguous modules. 
     
     
         10 . The plant of  claim 8 , wherein the ground supports 400 or more contiguous modules. 
     
     
         11 . The plant of  claim 10 , wherein
 the modules have axes with major and minor directions,   and   the modules comprise edge frames parallel to the major and minor axes and the contacts portions of the modules are part of the edge frames.   
     
     
         12 . The plant of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the arrays has connectors between modules. 
     
     
         13 . The plant of  claim 12 , wherein connectors join modules at module edges or edge frames. 
     
     
         14 . The plant of  claim 13 , wherein some of the connectors are electrical bonding connecters. 
     
     
         15 . The plant of  claim 14 , 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. 
     
     
         16 . The plant of  claim 15 , 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. 
     
     
         17 . The plant of  claim 3  wherein
 the modules have axes with major and minor directions, 
 and 
 the modules comprise edge frames parallel to the major and minor axes and the contacts portions of the modules are part of the edge frames. 
 
     
     
         18 . The plant of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the arrays has connectors between modules. 
     
     
         19 . The plant of  claim 18 , 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. 
     
     
         20 . The plant of  claim 18 , wherein connectors join modules at module edges or edge frames.