A modular integrated thermal-electric roofing system is disclosed. The system may include a thermal collector system configured with a photovoltaic system. The thermal collector system may include a liquid flowing through thermal tubing that may be heated by the sun. A pump and thermal control system may extract thermal energy from the liquid. A series of photovoltaic tiles may be configured on top of the thermal tubing to collect solar energy and convert it into electricity, and to aid in the heating of the thermal tubing. On doing so, the thermal tubing may cool the photovoltaic tiles. The system may be modular for easy installation. The system may also be mounted onto a support structure and may be portable and/or transportable.

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.

In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).

In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

In some instances the obtained sensor data may be used to detect the occurrence or imminently predicted occurrence of a catastrophic event, including but not limited to fire or flooding, internal or external to the predominantly enclosed space.

In some embodiments this information may support any single or any combination of locally or remotely alerting humans, alerting rescue units, activating countermeasures, uploading at least partially said sensor data to off-site computers, determining the cause(s) of said catastrophic event, determining liability, determining insure payments, determining insurance premiums.

A support apparatus for a photovoltaic module and a photovoltaic system are provided. The support apparatus for a photovoltaic module is to be arranged on a water surface, and includes: a support body for mounting the photovoltaic module; and a floating body connected to the support body and configured to provide buoyancy for the support apparatus. A connection function for providing connection with the photovoltaic module and a buoyancy function for providing the buoyancy are separated. The support body having the connection function may be used for providing only connection with the photovoltaic module and not for providing buoyancy. In manufacturing and installation processes, it is unnecessary for the support body to be watertight, thus the manufacturing process of the support body may be greatly simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

A connection element for bottom profile rails of a mounting system for photovoltaic modules, includes a base body (12) realized as a U-profile rail and having two parallel side legs (13) and a connection section (14), wherein both side legs (13) have a projection (16) on a free end (15) facing away from the connection section (14), the projection (16) being realized with the base body (12), wherein, in the mounted state, the side legs (13) are guided in channel sections (26) of the bottom profile rail (05) in such a manner that a wall of the channel sections (26) runs above the free ends (15) of the side legs (13), wherein the projection (16) is realized in such a manner that it does not project at the top beyond the wall of the channel sections (26) in the mounted state.

A module bracket includes first and second mounting clips (202, 204) that are spaced from each other along the pitch of a roofing surface. An inlet (212) to the first mounting clip (202) faces or projects in the general direction that the second mounting clip (204) is spaced from the first mounting clip (202). An inlet (212) to the second mounting clip (204) faces or projects in the general direction that the first mounting clip (202) is spaced from the second mounting clip (204). A second module flange (134) of a first photovoltaic module (120) is slid into the first mounting clip (202) of the module bracket. A first module flange (128) of a second photovoltaic module (120) is slid into the second mounting clip (204) of this same module bracket.

A solar paving module (200) is described. The module (200) comprises: a frame (234); a power generating element (216) comprising at least one photovoltaic element (216) supported in the frame (234); a light transmitting surface screen (218) covering the electrical power generating element (216) and having a planar upper surface; and an electrical connector connected electrically to the power generating element (216). The solar paving module (200) comprises a heat sink (260) in thermal connectivity with the power generating element (216), the heat sink comprising a heat sink plate (262) and one or more ground plates (280) connected to the heat sink plate (262) and forming a heat sink anchor.

A solar photovoltaic module comprises a generator body and a support body, and can be repaired in place after installation on a roof by removing and replacing the solar panel laminate from the generator body of the solar module. The support body of the solar module comprises an elongated rail defining an upper tabletop onto which a fastener may be affixed and a lower tabletop to receive the generator body. The solar panel laminate of the generator body is retained by a frame comprising a horizontal front frame element having a hook to engage a support body of another solar module.

A Multiple Bifacial Photovoltaic Transparent Panels Thermal Triangles Reflective Minors Ensemble system which is configured to be oriented towards the sun and relative to the horizon, the mirrors reflecting the sunray to the bifacial PV panels front, back and underside faces. There is a plurality of rhombus or trapeze shaped sunray path openings, mounted on a small footprint, above a two axes tracking mechanism. Further, an Micro-Electric Power Station MEPS capable of obtaining energy from a plurality of Rear/Back and side sun ray reflectors sources, located in between various bifacial photovoltaic transparent solar thermal panels. The reflector sources may include an integrated laminated mirror film around the inside of a casing/envelope of a rhombus thin (e.g. glass) box or of transparent sunrays magnifying concentrator envelope balloon. The MEPS facility may be mounted above streets and traffic junctions, on a structure which may be referred to as Micro-Grid Electric Pylons MGEP.

A module bracket includes first and second mounting clips (202, 204) that are spaced from each other along the pitch of a roofing surface. An inlet (212) to the first mounting clip (202) faces or projects in the general direction that the second mounting clip (204) is spaced from the first mounting clip (202). An inlet (212) to the second mounting clip (204) faces or projects in the general direction that the first mounting clip (202) is spaced from the second mounting clip (204). A second module flange (134) of a first photovoltaic module (120) is slid into the first mounting clip (202) of the module bracket. A first module flange (128) of a second photovoltaic module (120) is slid into the second mounting clip (204) of this same module bracket.

Multi-functional barrier walls equipped with solar panels, Structural Solar Panels (SSPs) and/or wind turbines along liner boundaries, farmlands, fire zones, highways, railroads, liner terrains or linearly configured spaces to produce electricity from solar and wind energy. The barrier walls may be used as boundary walls, security barriers, sound attenuating barriers, fire barriers, wind barriers or dust barriers. A method of financing the said barrier walls by the electricity produced by the said solar panels, said Structural Solar Panels (SSPs) and/or wind turbines.