An example of conversion of solar energy into other forms of useful energy is taking heat from an area below a roof and using the heat to generate mechanical energy or electrical power. An air duct opening is placed in a hottest area under the roof. An air fan is placed in the air duct to draw the heated air from the area below the roof. A heat exchanger coil is placed inside the air duct. A return air duct is routed back to the area below the roof. The heat exchanger coil is coupled to a turbine through a closed loop line. A heat transfer medium pump, a first valve and a second valve are retained in the closed loop line. The first valve, second valve and pump are used regulate heat transfer medium into and out of the turbine. An electrical generator may be connected to the turbine.

A tile, preferably a roof tile (1), for collecting energy from kinetic, thermal and light sources. The tile comprises a housing (2) with at least one photovoltaic cell (3) for collecting energy from a light source and at least one thermal collector (4). The tile comprises at least one wind channel (5) with a wind turbine (6).

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for a purlin. The purlin can include a steel structure having a pair of outer flanges flaring away from a support surface for defining outer edges of the purlin. Connected to respective inner edges of the outer flanges along bent edges can be a pair of supports. The supports can be configured to engage a support surface and define a lower surface of the purlin. Connected to respective inner edges of the supports can be a pair of support webs that extend away from the support surface.

A ventilated solar panel system mounted on a roof of a building (1), comprising a plurality of joists (12, 112) arranged substantially normal to an upper ridge (14) of the roof, and extending from the upper ridge (14) to a lower region of the roof, and a set of rectangular solar panels (2, 13), arranged on and supported by the joists (12, 112). The system further comprises a set of electrical fans (25), each fan (25) being arranged in the lower region of the roof and being aligned with one of the joists (12, 112), wherein each fan (25) is configured to create a flow of air towards the ridge (14), and wherein each joist (12, 112), in an end facing one of the fans (25), is formed with a dividing edge (32, 132) configured to divide the flow of air into two sub-flows (26a, 26b), a first sub-flow (26a), directed to a first side of the joist (12, 112), and a second sub-flow (26b) directed to a second side of the joist (12, 112), opposite to the first side.

In one aspect of a bottom indexing tile and support structure, a bottom indexing support structure may be engaged with a top portion of a pedestal. The bottom indexing support structure may be formed with a generally vertical spine having at least one rail extending outward from a distal end thereof and may also include one or more ridges extending upward in a direction parallel to the spine. The spine and rail(s) may be configured to secure one or more bottom indexing tiles, which tiles may be formed with a groove on at least one edge thereof, and wherein one or more rails may be positioned within the groove. The bottom indexing tile may be formed with one or more channels on a bottom surface thereof, wherein each channel may correspond with a ridge of the bottom indexing support structure.

An improved modular, removable system of building-integrated solar panel photovoltaics for easy residential and commercial roof installation for generating electrical and thermal energy.

A roof tile system and a method for installing the roof tile system is disclosed. The roof tile system comprises a first roof tile and a tile-holding device. The first roof tile comprises a first attaching means, the first attaching means for attaching the first roof tile to a second roof tile when the first roof tile and the second roof tile are arranged together on a roof. The first roof tile further comprises a flange extending from a first end portion. The tile holding device for fixing tiles to the roof comprises a channel for receiving the flange so as to inhibit lifting of the first end portion away from the roof.

There is provided a cladding member (13) formed of a supporting body portion (67) having mounts (54) and a head portion (12), and an absorber surface portion (70) having a peripheral boundary wall (71) defining a recess into which a solar cell array (removed in this view for clarity) is bonded. The supporting (67) and absorber surface (70) body portions are pressure moulded from polyvinyl ester/glassfibre (30%)/fire retardant (40%)/pigment sheet moulding compound. Complementary bonding portions (72) form a glue line in assembly and have complementary water passages (73) defined therebetween. The bonding portions (72) contrive a generally sinusoidal glue space (74) that is longer that the transverse sectional dimension of the boding portions (72), cooperating with the adhesive system to resist water pressure in the passages (73).

One embodiment provides a solar roof tile module. The module includes a plurality of solar roof tiles positioned side by side and one or more tile spacers. The tiles are electrically and mechanically coupled to each other. A tile spacer is positioned between two adjacent solar roof tiles, thereby preventing water leakage. A solar roof tile can include a front cover, a back cover, and a plurality of photovoltaic strips positioned between the front and back covers. Each photovoltaic strip includes a first edge busbar located on an edge of a first surface and a second edge busbar located on an opposite edge of a second surface, and the photovoltaic strips are arranged in such a way that the first edge busbar of a photovoltaic strip overlaps with a second edge busbar of an adjacent photovoltaic strip, thereby forming a serial connection among the photovoltaic strips.

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays with improved aesthetics and efficiency that can replace conventional roof structures. BIPV mounting systems described herein allow for improved versatility and ease of installation as compared to conventional approaches. Such BIPV mounting systems can include photovoltaic (PV) roof tiles with separate mechanical coupling features and electrical contact portions for use with tile connectors having both mechanical and electrical coupling features. Such PV tiles can be mechanically and electrically coupled in series through the tile connectors without requiring wire bussing between adjacent PV roof tiles and the tile connectors can be slidable within a batten bracket to easily accommodate PV roof tiles of differing dimensions.