Abstract:
An apparatus and system for flexibly mounting a power module to a photovoltaic (PV) module. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a plurality of distributed mounting points adapted to be adhered to a face of the PV module for mechanically coupling the power module to the PV module, wherein the plurality of distributed mounting points flexibly retain the power module such that the PV module is able to flex without subjecting the power module to stress from flexure of the PV module.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/551,003, filed Jul. 17, 2012, which claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/508,891, filed Jul. 18, 2011. Each of the aforementioned patent applications is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to mounting a power module to a photovoltaic module, and, in particular, to flexibly mounting a power module to a photovoltaic module. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Solar panels, or photovoltaic (PV) modules, convert energy from sunlight received into direct current (DC). In some solar power systems, the PV modules may be coupled to power modules, such as DC-DC converters or DC-AC inverters, in a distributed architecture; i.e., one power module per PV module. In such systems, each power module may be mounted to the face (i.e., backsheet surface or superstrate) of the corresponding PV module. 
         [0006]    Over the life of the PV module, the PV module experiences mechanical stress due to a variety of conditions, such as weather and temperature, transporting the PV module, or even a person (such as a PV system maintenance worker) walking on installed modules. The mechanical and thermal loads applied to the PV module will flex or bow (out of plane) or elongate or shrink (in plane) the PV module relative to the mounted components, causing the potential for significant out-of-plane and in-plane loads to develop due to attached components such as a power converter. Such extraneous loads cause stress at the bonds between the PV module and the power module, and may damage one or both of the PV module and the attached components such as a mounted power module and related attachment components (e.g., the mounting hardware and related adhesively mounted interface). For example, such extraneous loads may result in excessive stress on a power module electrical connector coupled to the PV module, causing the electrical connector to crack. 
         [0007]    Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus for effectively (for both mechanical and thermal effects) mounting a power converter to a PV module. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and system for flexibly mounting a power module to a photovoltaic (PV) module. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a plurality of distributed mounting points adapted to be adhered to a face of the PV module for mechanically coupling the power module to the PV module, wherein the plurality of distributed mounting points flexibly retain the power module such that the PV module is able to flex without subjecting the power module to stress from flexure of the PV module. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a photovoltaic (PV) system for generating power in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram depicting a physical layout of the PV system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of a resilient mounting assembly and a power module in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  depicts an underside view of a power module coupled to a resilient mounting assembly in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  depicts a close-up, perspective view of a power module foot retained by a resilient mounting assembly pad in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an underside perspective view of a resilient mounting assembly in accordance with one or more other embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a close-up perspective view of an adhesive well in accordance with one or more other embodiments of the present invention; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a side perspective view of a power module coupled to a resilient mounting assembly in accordance with one or more other embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a photovoltaic (PV) system  100  for generating power in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. This diagram only portrays one variation of the myriad of possible system configurations. The present invention can function in a variety of environments and systems. 
         [0019]    The PV system  100  comprises a plurality of power modules  102   1 ,  102   2  . . .  102   n  (collectively power modules  102 ), a plurality of PV modules  104   1 ,  104   2  . . .  104   n  (collectively PV modules  104 ), and a plurality of resilient mounting assemblies  110   1 ,  110   2  . . .  110   n  (collectively resilient mounting assemblies  110 ). In some embodiments, such as the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the power modules  102  are DC-AC inverters for inverting DC power generated by the PV modules  104  to AC power (i.e., AC current). In such embodiments, the power modules  102  are coupled to a bus  106  (i.e., an AC bus), which in turn is coupled to a load center  108 , for distributing the AC output power produced by the power modules  102 . The load center  108  may house connections between an AC commercial power grid distribution system and the AC bus  106 , and the power modules  102  meter out AC current that is in-phase with the AC commercial power grid voltage and coupled to the commercial power grid via the load center  108 ; in some embodiments, the power modules  102  may additionally or alternatively generate reactive power. In other embodiments, the power modules  102  may be DC-DC converters and the bus  106  may carry DC energy to a DC-AC inverter at the junction box  108 . In still other embodiments, the power modules  102  may be DC junction boxes and may be coupled to a DC-DC converter or DC-AC inverter. The generated AC or DC power may additionally or alternatively be supplied directly to commercial and/or residential systems via the load center  108 , as well as stored for later use (for example, the generated energy may be stored utilizing batteries, heated water, hydro pumping, H 2 O-to-hydrogen conversion, or the like). 
         [0020]    In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, each power module  102   1 ,  102   2  . . .  102   n  is individually coupled to a PV module  104   1 ,  104   2 . . .  104   n , respectively, via a resilient mounting assembly  110   1 ,  110   2  . . .  110   n , respectively, in a one-to-one correspondence such that any interface loads (for example due to relative differentials in curvature and coefficient of thermal expansion based linear expansions in a PV module  104  between the PV module  104  and the mounted component) are limited or eliminated. The resilient mounting assemblies  110  are pseudo-kinematic mounts that mechanically mount the power modules  102  to the PV modules  104  without generating a significant out-of-plane load during a range of bowing or flexing of the PV modules  104 , as further described below. As described in detail below, the resilient mounting assembly  110  comprises at least one pad, coupled to the corresponding PV module  104 , for flexibly retaining a power module mounting component (e.g., one or more protuberances extending from the power module  102 ) such that a gap exists between the power module interface surface and the PV module  104 , where maximum bonded pad size is limited in size to mitigate in place coefficient of thermal expansion in place shear loads at the bond as well as to minimize heat retention effects. The power module interface surface may be whatever power module feature is in closest proximity to the back of the PV module  104 , and could be a face, surface, or mounting feature. In addition, where multiple mounting locations are indicated by the load levels of the mounted unit, those multiple mounting locations may be flexibly connected to each other such that additional large in-place coefficient of thermal expansion relative strain induced loads do not manifest. The combination of the mounting characteristics of the power module  102  combined with the design features of the resilient mounting assembly  110  produce a design resistant to developing extraneous loads due to thermal or mechanical module distortions. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram depicting a physical layout of the PV system  100  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. Each PV module  104   1 ,  104   2  . . .  104   n  comprises a structural frame  202   1 ,  202   2  . . .  202   n , respectively, collectively referred to as frames  202 . Each of the frames  202  surrounds the perimeter of the corresponding PV module  104  and may be constructed of any rigid material, such as aluminum, rigid plastic, and the like, or any combination of such rigid materials. The frames  202  of the PV modules  104  are generally coupled flush with the frames  202  of neighboring PV modules  104  in a horizontal direction. 
         [0022]    The power modules  102   1 ,  102   2  . . .  102   n  are coupled to the resilient mounting assemblies  110   1 ,  110   2  . . .  110   n , respectively, in a one-to-one correspondence, and the resilient mounting assemblies  110   1 ,  110   2  . . .  110   n  are further coupled to the PV modules  104   1 ,  104   2  . . .  104   n , also in a one-to-one correspondence. The resilient mounting assemblies  110  flexibly mount the power modules  102  proximate (i.e., spaced apart from) the rear face of the PV modules  104  (i.e., the side of the PV module that faces away from the sun) such that each of the power modules  102  “floats” on the corresponding PV module face to accommodate a range of flexure for the PV module  104  without generating a significant out-of-plane load. 
         [0023]    In addition to being mechanically mounted to the PV modules  104 , the power modules  102  are electrically coupled to the DC outputs of the PV modules  104  via the resilient mounting assemblies  110 . The power at the output of the power modules  102  is coupled to the bus  106  which in turn is coupled to the load center  108 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of a resilient mounting assembly  110  and a power module  102  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0025]    The resilient mounting assembly  110  is formed of a resilient flexible material, such as a compliant plastic, having sufficient resistance to environmental impacts such as UV rays, oxidation, salt spray, and the like, as well as sufficient resistance to exposures such as industrial and roof-top chemicals and the like. The resilient mounting assembly  110  comprises a generally rectangular base  302 , for example on the order of 210 mm×210 mm, although in other embodiments the base  302  may be of a difference size and/or shape, formed from rigid polyphenylene oxide (PPO) thermoplastic. A flange  320  extends perpendicular to the base and defines a shallow, open well  322  through which conductive DC contacts of the PV module  104  may be accessed. The well  322  allows the PV module DC contacts to be accessed after the base  302  has been adhered to the PV module  104 . The PV module DC contacts may then be coupled, for example, to a DC connection assembly for providing DC current from the PV module  104  through a connector  304  of the resilient mounting assembly  110  to a power module  102 . The well  322  may subsequently be sealed by a cover and/or encapsulated with a non-conductive potting material having limited moisture absorption properties, such as silicone, polyurethane, or the like, for protecting the electrical connections between the PV model  104  and the connector  304  from environmental factors and foreign matter. The potting material may have suitable properties such the ability to provide adhesion to the PV module  104  and the base  302  to maintain a seal; low stiffness to not develop loads; resistance to exposures such as UV rays, rooftop chemicals, salt spray, and the like; resistance to oxidation embrittlement; and the ability to meet process controls such as cure time based on production needs and reasonably achievable curing methods. 
         [0026]    The resilient mounting assembly  110  further comprises a plurality of pads  306 - 1 ,  306 - 2 , and  306 - 3  (collectively referred to as pads  306 ), which are connected to one another and to the base  302  by a plurality of webs  310 . In some embodiments, the pads  306  are formed of rigid polyphenylene oxide (PPO) thermoplastic, with stiffening ribs, to fully develop the bond stress across the entire bond area, and may have dimensions on the order of 1.5 in×2 in/38.1 mm×50.8 mm. The pads  306  and webs  310  are coplanar with the base  302 , and the pads  306  are adhered to the PV module  104  as described further below with respect to  FIG. 4 . A web  310 - 1  extends from the base  302  to the pad  306 - 1 ; a web  310 - 2  extends from the pad  306 - 1  to the pad  306 - 2 ; a web  310 - 3  extends from the pad  306 - 2  to the pad  306 - 3 ; and a web  310 - 4  extends from the pad  306 - 3  to the base  302 . The webs  310  may be substantially S-shaped, for example as depicted in  FIG. 3 ; alternatively, the webs  310  may be any other suitable shape for interconnecting the pads  306  and the base  302 . The primary design criteria for the webs  310  are that they be sufficiently stiff to support self-jigging (i.e., the webs  310  allow the multiple mount components—the base  302  and the pads  306 —to be self-jigged) and maintain dimensional alignment of each pad  306  for in-plane position and rotation for all reasonable handling and application loads, and sufficiently soft to not generate extraneous coefficient of thermal expansion loads due to differential expansions between the mounted component and PV module  104 . When mounting large and/or heavy components to a PV module  104 , large and/or multiple bond areas may be required to minimize delamination stresses; by using multiple pads  306  that are not rigidly connected, loads (for example due to curvature or coefficient of thermal expansion mismatched growth as compared to the bond pad) are not developed between pads/contacts. The webs  310  may have a height such that there is a clearance between the webs  310  and the power module face when the PV module  104  is unflexed; alternatively, the webs  310  may contact either the back of the power module  102 , or the PV module  104 , but sufficient gap is maintained at one or both locations to ensure that, at maximum thermal or mechanical deflection, minimal or no out-of-plane loads are developed at the interface. 
         [0027]    In some embodiments, the pads  306  may be arranged in a “V” shape; for example, pads  306 - 1  and  306 - 3  may be horizontally collinear and the pad  306 - 2  is positioned between the pads  306 - 1 / 306 - 3  but offset to be closer to the base  302 . In other embodiments, the pads  306  may be disposed in other physical arrangements, such as a collinear arrangement. The base  302  and pads  306  may be spaced apart to minimize curvature and relative expansion related forces which increase with footprint of a component mounted to a PV module  104 ; in some embodiments, the resilient mounting assembly  110  may have an overall footprint to support a power module  102  having an approximate 17×17 cm size. In some embodiments, the height of the stack-up does not exceed 22 mm; in other embodiments, the height of the stack-up may be as high as 31.4 mm. 
         [0028]    In some alternative embodiments, the resilient mounting assembly  110  may comprise two pads  306  or even a single pad  306 . Additionally or alternatively, the webs  310  may not be used to interconnect the pads  306  and the base  302  (i.e., the resilient mounting assembly  110  comprises two or more independent supports). For example, the base  302  and the pads  306  may be physically separate (i.e., independent) components. In such embodiments, the base  302  and the one or more pads  306  must be bonded to the PV module  104  in their proper locations, and therefore the base  302 /pad(s)  306  must be appropriately aligned by a suitable means when being mounted to the PV module  104 . For example, a carrier (or “placement jig”) may be provided (e.g., by the PV module manufacturer) which holds each of the base  302 /pad(s)  306  in their proper position until the bonding becomes permanent (i.e., until the permanent adhesive has set). The carrier may then be removed and reused for mounting another resilient mounting assembly  110  on another PV module  104 . Additionally, in some such embodiments, if only cables are to be coupled to the PV module  104  (i.e., no power module  102  is to be mounted to the PV module  104 ), the pads  306  are not required and may be omitted at manufacturing. 
         [0029]    The power module  102  comprises a plug  314  projecting from one end of the power module  102  for physically coupling to the connector  304  and thereby electrically coupling the power module  102  to the PV module DC output. The coupled plug  314 /connector  304  provides a rigid mounting point for the power module  102 . The design of the mounted hardware, at the system level, will be such that limited to no O-ring/seal translation will occur due to thermal or mechanical cyclic/variant loads. 
         [0030]    The power module  102  further comprises a plurality of protuberances, or “feet”,  312 - 1 ,  312 - 2 , and  312 - 3  (collectively referred to as feet  312 ). The feet  312  extend perpendicular from the bottom of the power module  102  (i.e., facing the PV module  104 ). The feet  312  may be part of the form factor of the power module  102  and may be a rigid material such as metal or hard plastic; alternatively, the feet  312  may be adhered to the power module  102  by a suitable adherent. 
         [0031]    Each of the resilient mounting assembly pads  306 - 1 ,  306 - 2 , and  306 - 3  defines a groove  308 - 1 ,  308 - 2 , and  308 - 3 , respectively, suitably sized and shaped such that the power module feet  312 - 1 ,  312 - 2 , and  312 - 3  may engage the corresponding groove  308  and slide into the groove  308  while maintaining a gap between each pad  306  and the corresponding foot  312  to flexibly retain the feet  312 . The thickness of the pads  306  and the height of the feet  312  are such that, when the PV module  104  is not flexed or bowed, a clearance, or gap, exists between the bottom of each foot  312  and the PV module  104  as described below with respect to  FIG. 5 . The pads  306  thus provide flexible (i.e., non-rigid) mounting points for the power module  102 . By retaining the power module  102  in such a manner, the resilient mounting assembly  110  mechanically couples the power module  102  to the PV module  104  while allowing it to “float” above the PV module  104  to accommodate a range of bowing and flexing of the PV module  104  (i.e., while the PV module  104  flexes over a range, the power module  102  remains rigid and not subject to the stress from the PV module flexure). 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  depicts an underside view of a power module  102  coupled to a resilient mounting assembly  110  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The power module feet  312 - 1 ,  312 - 2 , and  312 - 3  extend through the grooves  308 - 1 ,  308 - 2 , and  308 - 3 , respectively, of the pads  306 - 1 ,  306 - 2 , and  306 - 3 , respectively. The bottom of each pad  306 - 1 ,  306 - 2 , and  306 - 3  defines an adhesive well  406 - 1 ,  406 - 2 , and  406 - 3  (collectively referred to as adhesive wells  406 ), respectively, and the bottom of the base  302  defines an adhesive well  408 . The adhesive wells  406  and  408  are potted with an adhesive material, such as a silicone adhesive, for adhering the resilient mounting assembly  110  to the PV module  104 . Generally, the adhesive material has properties such as the ability to provide adhesion to the PV module  104  and the base  302  to maintain a seal; low stiffness so as not to develop loads; resistance to exposures such as temperature fluctuations, UV rays, rooftop chemicals, salt spray, and the like; resistance to oxidation embrittlement; suitable modulus (e.g., avoid glass transition temp at cold, provide compliance to differential thermal expansion); and the ability to meet process controls such as cure time based on production needs and reasonably achievable curing methods. The adhesive wells  406  and  408  may each have a depth (e.g., on the order of 1.0 mm) to maintain a minimum thickness for the adhesive in order to minimize peak shear strain in adhesive due to differential expansion between the PV module  104  and the mounted configuration. 
         [0033]    An immediate adhesive, such as a double-sided resilient foam tape, may be applied as pad adhesives  404 - 1 ,  404 - 2 , and  404 - 3  (collectively referred to as pad adhesives  404 ) along the perimeter of each groove  308 - 1 ,  308 - 2 , and  308 - 3 , respectively (e.g., in a “U” shape around the groove  308 ) and as a base adhesive  402  around the perimeter of the well  322  (e.g., in a rectangular shape surrounding the well  322 ). The pad adhesives  404  and the base adhesive  402  provide immediate secure adhesion for attaching the resilient mounting assembly  110  to the PV module  104 , thereby allowing the integrated PV module  104 /resilient mounting assembly  110  to be moved immediately following assembly without any wait time while the adhesive within the adhesive wells  406  and  408  is curing. Additionally, the pad adhesives  404  and the base adhesive  402  act as dams for the adhesive material potted within the adhesive wells  406  and  408  (i.e., to prevent the adhesive material from entering the grooves  308  or the well  322 , respectively). In some alternative embodiments, a different quick-curing adhesive may be used for the pad adhesive  404  and/or the base adhesive  402 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  depicts a close-up, perspective view of a power module foot  312  retained by a resilient mounting assembly pad  306  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The pad  306  defines the groove  308  such that the width of the groove  308  at the top of the pad  306  (i.e., the side of the pad  306  facing the power module  102 ) is more narrow than the width of the groove  308  at the bottom of the pad  306  (i.e., the side of the pad  306  adhered to the PV module  104 ). The foot  312  is formed of a shaft  506  with a nodule  508  at the end of the shaft  506 . The shaft  506  is sized such that the shaft  506  fits within the smallest width of the groove  308 , and the nodule  508  is sized such that it fits within the widest portion of the groove  308  and cannot pass through the smallest width of the groove  308 , thereby retaining the foot  312  once inserted into the groove  308 . When inserting the foot  312  into the groove  308 , the foot  312  is aligned with the groove  308  such that that nodule  508  is aligned with the widest area of the groove  308  (near the PV module face). The foot  312  may then be slid into the groove  308 . A gap, such as gap  510 , is present between the foot  312  and the pad  306 , and the foot is flexibly retained by the pad  306 . 
         [0035]    When the PV module  104  is unflexed, a first gap  502  is present between the bottom of the foot  312  and the PV module  104 . The first gap  502  allows the power module  102  to be retained by the resilient mounting assembly  110  but still accommodate a range of flexing or bowing of the PV module  104  without creating a significant out of plane load; in some alternative embodiments, a low stiffness mount at feet sufficient to maintain adequate minimum modal frequency as a minimum stiffness may be utilized. The pad  306  and the foot  312  are sized such that the first gap  502  has a width based on an expected amount of PV module flexure. Generally, the pad  306  and the foot  312  are sized to achieve the gap  502  such that, at maximum range of expected thermal and/or mechanically induced deflection of the PV module surface, there is no impingement of the back surface of the PV module  104  to contact or interfere with the near surface of the power module  102 . 
         [0036]    Additionally, the height of the pad  306  is sized to provide a second gap  504  between the power module  102  and the PV module  104  when the PV module  104  is unflexed. The second gap  504  allows air circulation between the power module  102  and the PV module  104  for maintaining a suitable thermal profile across the PV module cells as well as the power module  102 . In some embodiments, the width of the gaps  502  and/or  504  are determined by analyzing standard PV modules  104  and satisfying criteria that at maximum range of expected thermal and/or mechanically induced deflection of the PV module surface, there is no (or very little) impingement of the back surface of the PV module  104  to contact or interfere with the near surface of the power module  102 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is an underside perspective view of a resilient mounting assembly  110  in accordance with one or more other embodiments of the present invention. The resilient mounting assembly  110  is formed of a resilient flexible material, such as a compliant plastic, having sufficient resistance to environmental impacts such as UV rays, temperature fluctuations, oxidation effects, salt spray, and the like, as well as sufficient resistance to exposures such as industrial and roof-top chemicals and the like. The resilient mounting assembly  110  comprises the base  302  and a plurality of pads  606 - 1  and  606 - 2  (collectively referred to as pads  606 ), which are connected to one another and to the base  302  by a plurality of webs  610 . In some embodiments, the pads  606  are formed of rigid polyphenylene oxide (PPO) thermoplastic, with stiffening ribs, to fully develop the bond stress across the entire bond area, and may have dimensions on the order of 1.5 in×2 in/38.1 mm×50.8 mm. The pads  606  and webs  610  are coplanar with the base  302 , and the pads  606  are adhered to the PV module  104  as described further below with respect to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Each of the pads  606  generally has a lattice structure that defines a plurality of open areas within the perimeter of the pad  606 , for example open area  618 - 1  within pad  606 - 1  and open area  618 - 2  within pad  606 - 2 , such that the pad  606  does not completely cover the portion of the PV module  104  on which it is adhered. 
         [0038]    In some embodiments, the pads  606  and the base  302  may be arranged in a “V” shape; for example, the pads  606  may be horizontally collinear and the base  302  is positioned between the pads  606  but offset to form the bottom of the “V” shape. In other embodiments, the pads  606  may be disposed in other physical arrangements with respect to the base  302 . The pads  606  are spaced apart from one another at a distance of approximately the power module width such that opposing sides of the power module  102  are supported as described below with respect to  FIG. 8 . In some embodiments, the resilient mounting assembly  110  as depicted in  FIG. 6  may have a footprint up to 2.58 in×5 in/65.53 mm×127 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the stack-up does not exceed 22 mm; in other embodiments, the height of the stack-up may be as high as 31.4 mm. 
         [0039]    A web  610 - 1  extends from the base  302  to the pad  606 - 1 ; a web  610 - 2  extends from the pad  606 - 1  to the pad  606 - 2 ; and a web  610 - 3  extends from the pad  606 - 2  to the base  302 . The webs  610  allow the multiple mount components (i.e., the base  302  and the pads  606 ) to be self-jigged. The webs  610  may be any suitable shape for interconnecting the pads  606  and the base  302 . The primary design criteria for the webs  610  are that they be sufficiently stiff to support self-jigging and maintain dimensional alignment of each pad  606  for in-plane position and rotation for all reasonable handling and application loads, and sufficiently soft so as not to generate extraneous coefficient of thermal expansion loads due to differential expansions between the mounted component and PV module  104 . When mounting large and/or heavy components to a PV module  104 , large and/or multiple bond areas may be required to minimize delamination stresses; by using multiple pads  606  that are not rigidly connected, loads (for example due to curvature or coefficient of thermal expansion mismatched growth as compared to the bond pad) are not developed between pads/contacts. The webs  610  have a height such that there is a clearance between the webs  610  and the power module face when the PV module  104  is unflexed; alternatively, the webs  610  may contact either the back of the power module  102  or the PV module  104 , but sufficient gap is maintained at one or both locations to ensure that, at maximum thermal or mechanical deflection, minimal or no out-of-plane loads are developed at the interface. 
         [0040]    In some alternative embodiments, the webs  610  may not be used to interconnect the pads  606  and the base  302 ; i.e., the base  302  and the pads  606  may be physically separate (i.e., independent) components. In such embodiments, the base  302  and the pads  606  must be bonded to the PV module  104  in their proper locations, and the base  302 /pads  606  must be appropriately aligned by a suitable means when being mounted to the PV module  104 . For example, a carrier may be provided (e.g., by the PV module manufacturer) which holds each of the base  302  and the pads  606  in their proper position until the bonding becomes permanent (i.e., until the permanent adhesive has set). The carrier may then be removed and reused for mounting the resilient mounting assembly  110  on another PV module  104 . Additionally, in some such embodiments, if only cables are to be coupled to the PV module  104  (i.e., no power module  102  is to be mounted to the PV module  104 ), the pads  606  are not required and may be omitted at manufacturing. 
         [0041]    The bottom of each pad  606  defines a plurality of adhesive wells  612  to be filled with an adhesive for adhering the pads  606  to the PV module  104 . In some embodiments, such as the embodiment described herein, each pad  606  may define three adhesive wells  612  located along the outer boundary of the pad  606  (e.g., spaced roughly equally apart from one another); in other embodiments, fewer or more adhesive wells  612  may be utilized. The bottom of pad  606 - 1  defines adhesive wells  612 - 1 - 1 ,  612 - 1 - 2 , and  612 - 1 - 3 ; the bottom of the pad  606 - 2  defines adhesive wells  612 - 2 - 1 ,  612 - 2 - 2 , and  612 - 2 - 3 ; and the bottom of the pad  606 - 3  defines adhesive wells  612 - 3 - 1 ,  612 - 3 - 2 , and  612 - 3 - 3 . Two of the adhesive wells  612  are located at adjacent corners of the pad perimeter with the third adhesive well  612  at the center of the opposing side of the pad  606  (i.e., forming an isosceles triangle coplanar with respect to the bottom of the pad  606 ). In other embodiments, the adhesive wells  612  may be arranged differently for the pad  606 . The adhesive wells  612  are potted with an adhesive material, such as a silicone adhesive, for adhering the pad  606  to the PV module  104 . Generally the adhesive material has properties such the ability to provide adhesion to the PV module  104  and the base  302  to maintain a seal; low stiffness so as not to develop loads; resistance to exposures such as temperature fluctuations, UV rays, rooftop chemicals, salt spray, and the like; resistance to oxidation embrittlement; suitable modulus (e.g., avoid glass transition temp at cold, provide compliance to differential thermal expansion); and the ability to meet process controls such as cure time based on production needs and reasonably achievable curing methods. The adhesive wells  612  may have a depth (e.g., on the order of 1.0 mm) to maintain a minimum thickness for the adhesive in order to minimize peak shear strain in adhesive due to differential expansion between the PV module  104  and the mounted configuration. An immediate adhesive, such as a double-sided resilient foam tape, may be applied as the base adhesive  402 , for example around the shallow well  322  (e.g., in a rectangular shape surrounding the opening of the shallow well  622 ). Additionally, the immediate adhesive may be applied to the bottom of each pad  606  to provide immediate secure adhesion for attaching the resilient mounting assembly  110  to the PV module  104 . The integrated PV module  104 /resilient mounting assembly  110  may then be moved immediately following assembly without any wait time while the adhesive within the adhesive wells  612  and the adhesive well  408  of the base  302  are curing. In some alternative embodiments, a different quick-curing adhesive may be used for the base adhesive  402  as well as for the pads  606 . 
         [0042]    By using a three-point design for the resilient mounting assembly  110 , as depicted in  FIG. 6 , and minimally constraining each attach point, minimum attach loads are generated. 
         [0043]      FIG. 7  is a close-up perspective view of an adhesive well  612  in accordance with one or more other embodiments of the present invention. The adhesive well  612  has a step height  702  rising above the remaining portion of the base  606 . The adhesive well  612  is hollow on its underside and is potted with an adhesive material, such as a silicone adhesive, for adhering the pad  606  to the PV module  104 . The step height  702  provides a controlled adhesive thickness (i.e., the adhesive thickness is determined by the step height  702 ) such that each pad  606  may have a suitable bond height when mounted to the PV module  104 . In some embodiments, the adhesive well  612  may have a total height  704  on the order of 1.0 mm, at a minimum, with a suitable step height  702  to maintain a minimum adhesive thickness for adhering the resilient mounting assembly  110  to the PV module  104 ; maintaining a minimum adhesive thickness decreases peak shear strain in adhesive due to differential expansion between the PV module  104  and the mounted configuration. 
         [0044]    In some embodiments, the wall of the adhesive well  612  may define an aperture  706 , for example on the top wall of the adhesive well  612 , to allow any excessive adhesive to escape, thereby allowing the pad  606  to be flushly mounted to the PV module  104 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 8  is a side perspective view of a power module  102  coupled to PV module  104  by a resilient mounting assembly  110  in accordance with one or more other embodiments of the present invention. The pads  606  are mounted to the face of the PV module  104  as described above. A retention arm  804 - 1  is mounted atop the pad  606 - 1 , and a retention arm  804 - 2  is mounted atop the pad  606 - 2 . The retention arms  804 - 1  and  804 - 2 , collectively referred to as retention arms  804 , are formed of any rigid material, such as metal or hard plastic; in some embodiments the pads  606  and the corresponding retention arm  804  may be part of the same form factor. 
         [0046]    The retention arms  804 - 1  and  804 - 2  define grooves  808 - 1  and  808 - 2 , respectively. The grooves  808 - 1  and  808 - 2  (collectively referred to as grooves  808 ) are sized and shaped to retain protuberances  802 - 1  and  802 - 2  (collectively referred to as protuberances  802 ), respectively, which extend from opposite sides of the power module  102 . The protuberances  802  may be part of the form factor of the power module  102  or, alternatively, the protuberances  802  may be adhered to the power module  102  by a suitable adherent. 
         [0047]    When mounting the power module  102  to the resilient mounting assembly  110 , the power module  102  may be aligned along the same plane with the resilient mounting assembly  110  and horizontally slid between the retention arms  804  such that the plug  314  is physically coupled to the connector  304 , as previously described with respect to  FIG. 3 , and the protuberances  802  are received by the grooves  808  with a small gap  814  maintained between the protuberances  802  and the grooves  808 . The coupled plug  314 /connector  304  provides a rigid mounting point for the power module  102  while the protuberances  802  are flexibly retained by the grooves  808  (i.e., the pads  606 /retention arms  804  provide flexible, or non-rigid, mounting points for the power module  102 ), allowing the power module  102  to “float” above the PV module  104  to accommodate a range of bowing and flexing of the PV module  104  (i.e., while the PV module  104  flexes over a range, the power module  102  remains rigid and not subject to the stress from the PV module flexure). 
         [0048]    Additionally, a gap  812  is present between the power module  102  and the PV module  104  when the PV module  104  is unflexed. The gap  812  allows air circulation between the power module  102  and the PV module  104  for maintaining a suitable thermal profile across the PV module cells as well as the power module  102 . The gap  812  also ensures little-to-no load on attach points and the bottom of the mounted power module  102 . 
         [0049]    The foregoing description of embodiments of the invention comprises a number of elements, devices, circuits and/or assemblies that perform various functions as described. For example, the base and pads described above are an example of a means for mechanically mounting a power module proximate the PV module; the base is an example a means for providing a rigid mounting point for the power module; the pads are examples of means for providing non-rigid mounting points for the power module. These elements, devices, circuits, and/or assemblies are exemplary implementations of means for performing their respectively described functions. 
         [0050]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.