Patent ID: 8558709

Claim:
A system for combining direct current power produced by a plurality of photovoltaic elements, comprising: an enclosure; a first terminal assembly for receiving a conductor of a first polarity from each of the photovoltaic elements, wherein the first terminal assembly is disposed within the enclosure; a second terminal assembly for receiving a conductor of a second polarity from each of the photovoltaic elements, wherein the second polarity is opposite the first polarity, and the second terminal assembly is disposed within the enclosure, and wherein the second terminal assembly comprises: a busbar in electrical communication with each of the conductors of a second polarity from the photovoltaic elements so that the direct current from the photovoltaic elements is combined to form a single current at the busbar, wherein the busbar comprises: a central conductive body; a plurality of elongated fingers projecting outwardly from the central conductive body; a plurality of over-current protection elements each connected to one of the conductors of a second polarity from one of the photovoltaic elements and one of the fingers of the busbar, wherein the over-current protection elements are operable to break the circuit between the busbar and the respective power producing photovoltaic element in the event the current from photovoltaic element exceeds a threshold, and wherein the fingers of the busbar are elongated to space the central conductive body of the busbar away from the over-current protection elements when the busbar fingers are connected with the over-current protection elements; and a plurality of Hall effect sensors, wherein the Hall effect sensors are spaced apart from one another and each Hall effect sensor is positioned adjacent a separate one of the busbar fingers so that each Hall effect sensor is operable to detect variations in the current flowing through one of the busbar fingers.