Patent ID: 9166523
Filing Date: 2015-10-20
Classification: F24S,H02S,Y02B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A solar roof shingle array for producing AC electrical energy when exposed to sunlight, the solar roof shingle array comprising: a plurality of solar shingles installable in courses on a roof deck, each solar roof shingle comprising a shingle frame having a bottom panel supportable on a deck of a roof, a top panel, and a thickness between the bottom panel and the top panel; the shingle frame having an exposure portion terminating at a forward edge of the shingle frame and a headlap portion between the exposure portion and a rear edge of the shingle frame, part of the exposure portion and the forward edge being configured to overly the headlap portion of at least one like solar roof shingle in a next lower course of solar roof shingles; a solar collector mounted to and covering at least part of the top panel within the exposure portion of the shingle frame, the solar collector producing DC electrical energy at DC terminals when exposed to sunlight; a nano-inverter having inputs and outputs and being disposed within the shingle frame between the bottom panel and the top panel, the inputs of the nano-inverter being connected to the DC terminals of the solar collector; a ventilation opening formed through the forward edge of the shingle frame; the ventilation opening being positioned and configured to ventilate heat produced by a nano-inverter of the solar shingle array to ambience through the forward edge of the shingle frame; the nano-inverter converting the DC electrical energy to AC electrical energy available at the outputs of the nano-inverter when the solar collector is exposed to sunlight; and at least one electrical coupler connected to the outputs of the nano-inverter for coupling the nano-inverter electrically to nano-inverters of adjacent like solar roof shingles.