Flat Tile Solar Panels - Intervening Structure II

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 solar PV array comprising modules wherein the ground supports some of the modules. 
     
     
         2 . The array of  claim 1  having 2500 or more modules. 
     
     
         3 . The array of  claim 2  having 5000 or more modules. 
     
     
         4 . The array of  claim 2  having 10 or more rows of modules. 
     
     
         5 . The array of  claim 4  having 10 or more columns of modules. 
     
     
         6 . The array of  claim 5  having connectors between modules. 
     
     
         7 . The array of  claim 6 , wherein the connections are between modules of different rows. 
     
     
         8 . The array of  claim 7 , wherein the connections are between modules of different columns. 
     
     
         9 . The array of  claim 8 , 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. 
     
     
         10 . The array of  claim 9 , wherein the contact points control the direction of a ray normal to the module plane. 
     
     
         11 . The array of  claim 10 , wherein the ground includes material naturally present at the site and material added to the site by human activity. 
     
     
         12 . The array of  claim 11 , wherein the ground is smoothed or flattened. 
     
     
         13 . The array of  claim 12 , 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. 
     
     
         14 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein the ground orients a face of the module and supports some the modules. 
     
     
         15 . The array of  claim 14 , wherein some of the connectors limit vertical module movement. 
     
     
         16 . The array of  claim 15  having contiguous modules. 
     
     
         17 . The array of  claim 16 , wherein the connectors join modules at module edges or edge frames. 
     
     
         18 . The array of  claim 17 , wherein some of the connectors are between modules in two directions, some of the connectors form joints, and some of the joints are flexible. 
     
     
         19 . The array of  claim 17 , wherein some of the connectors are between 2-4 modules. 
     
     
         20 . The array of  claim 19 , wherein some of the connectors are electrical bonding connecters.