Patent ID: 7678991
Filing Date: 2010-03-16
Classification: E04D,H02S,Y02B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A rigid roofing membrane, comprising: a first member having a first main body extending along a length of the membrane and a plurality of extending portions coupled to and extending therefrom along a width of the membrane perpendicular to the length of the membrane; a second member having a second main body extending along the length of the membrane; a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic solar elements, some of the plurality periodically dispersed on a top surface of the first and second main bodies and others of the plurality dispersed on the plurality of extending portions of the first member, wherein elements on the extending portions are immediately adjacent along the width of the membrane to corresponding elements dispersed on the main body of the first member thereby providing void areas on the main body of the first member where extending portions do not extend along a width of the membrane; wherein the extending portions of the first member are mounted on a corresponding plurality of void areas of the top surface of the second main body between the photovoltaic solar elements on the second main body such that the main body of the first member is adjacent to the main body of the second member along the length of the membrane without overlapping, and wherein the roofing membrane has an overall rigid disposition; at least one underside electrical interconnect electrically coupled to and extending from an underside of one of the photovoltaic solar elements dispersed on the plurality of extending portions; and at least one topside electrical interconnect extending from the void areas of the second main body free of photovoltaic solar elements, the at least one topside electrical interconnect electrically coupled to at least one of the photovoltaic solar elements dispersed on the second main body, wherein each of the at least one underside interconnects is directly under and electrically coupled to corresponding ones of the at least one topside electrical interconnects when the extending portions of the first member are mounted on the corresponding plurality of void areas of the top surface of the second main body between the photovoltaic solar elements on the second main body.