Flat Tile Solar Panels

Abstract

An earth mount enabled utility scale solar photovoltaic array having a plurality of solar panels is supported on the ground at edge portions of the solar panels. The panels are interconnected in at least one series-connected string, in which said at least one series-connected string extends along adjacent or closely adjacent solar panels along at least two rows so that the string has a distance between terminal ends of the series connection less than a lengthwise dimension of the solar panels constituting the string.

1 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A utility-scale photovoltaic plant comprises arrays having PV modules located at a site, wherein a spacing between the modules is smaller than an average spacing between racked panels. 
     
     
         60 . The plant of  claim 59 , wherein the utility-scale photovoltaic plant is a plant with a capacity of 1 MW of solar energy. 
     
     
         61 . The plant of  claim 60 , wherein at least some of the modules have support regions in which the site surface (the ground) supports the modules. 
     
     
         62 . The plant of  claim 61 , wherein
 free air is air bounded by an intermediate structure having top and bottom portions and single or adjacent side portions,   the module's photovoltaic substrate comprises a downward face having a non-contact surface and a contact surface,   the contact surface is defined as a portion of the downward face that touches one or more, 1.0 mm or thicker, solid substances other than the ground and other than the photovoltaic substrate,   a contact region is defined as the region between the contact surface and the ground, perpendicular to the contact surface,   and   some parts of the contact region do not contain a region of free air.   
     
     
         63 . The plant of  claim 62 , wherein the contact region does not contain free air. 
     
     
         64 . The plant of  claim 63 , wherein the plane of the array is parallel to the plane of the earth. 
     
     
         65 . The plant of  claim 64 , wherein the modules of an array are flexibly joined in two dimensions. 
     
     
         66 . The plant of  claim 65 , wherein the two dimensions correspond to array rows and columns. 
     
     
         67 . The plant of  claim 66 , wherein the spacing between modules in an array row is approximately the same as the spacing between modules in an array column. 
     
     
         68 . The plant of  claim 67 , wherein the ground includes material naturally present at the site and material added to the site by human activity. 
     
     
         69 . The plant of  claim 68 , wherein the retainers electrically bond some module frames to adjacent module frames. 
     
     
         70 . The plant of  claim 64 , wherein solar panel trackers or other racking do not sit between the support regions and the ground. 
     
     
         71 . The plant of  claim 70 , wherein the spacing between modules causes the plant to use less than 250% of the land area that a similarly sized traditional utility scale solar PV power plant uses. 
     
     
         72 . The plant of  claim 71 , wherein the spacing between modules is greater than or equal to 217 mm. 
     
     
         73 . The plant of  claim 64 , wherein the modules are joined in two dimensions. 
     
     
         74 . The plant of  claim 73 , wherein the two dimensions correspond to array rows and columns. 
     
     
         75 . The plant of  claim 74 , wherein the spacing between modules in an array row is approximately the same as the spacing between modules in an array column. 
     
     
         76 . The plant of  claim 75 , wherein solar panel trackers or other racking do not sit between the support regions and the ground. 
     
     
         77 . The plant of  claim 76 , wherein the spacing between modules causes the plant to use less than 250% of the land area that a similarly sized traditional utility scale solar PV power plant uses. 
     
     
         78 . The plant of  claim 77 , wherein the spacing between modules is greater than or equal to 217 mm. 
     
     
         79 . The plant of  claim 78 , wherein the spacing between modules is greater than or equal to 17 mm.