Disclosed herein is a technique of configuring flexible photovoltaic tracker systems with high damping and low angle stow positions. Under dynamic environmental loads implementing a high amount of damping (e.g., greater than 25% of critical damping, greater than 50% of critical damping) or a very high amount of damping (e.g., 100% or greater of critical damping, infinite damping) enables the flexible tracker system to prevent problematic aeroelastic behaviors while positioned in a low stow angle. The disclosed technique is further applied to a prototyping process during wind tunnel testing.

A roof mount system supports a solar panel above a roof and includes a base positioned on the roof and a first fastener connected to the base and extending away from the roof and moveable along the base in a direction generally parallel to the roof. A first clamp supports a bottom surface of a solar panel frame and adjusts the height of the solar panel above the roof by moving the first clamp along a first fastener in a direction perpendicular to the roof. A second clamp is connected to a second fastener and moves with respect to the first clamp perpendicular to the roof. The solar panel is clamped between the first clamp and the second clamp portion. A protrusion extends from the first or second clamp to form an electrical bond between the solar panel frame and the respective first or second clamp.

Surface mount assemblies for mounting to a solar panel frame to an installation surface are disclosed. In some embodiments, a base is coupled to a height-adjustable rail mount to slidably couple a track with a fastener assembly that includes of a fastener, spacer, and nut. In some embodiments, a base is coupled to a rail mount and positioned on a base plate to slidably couple to a surface track with a fastener assembly that includes a first fastener slidably coupled to a groove formed by the track, spacer, and second fastener. In some embodiments, a base is coupled to a rail mount for slidably coupling the rail to a height-adjustable base with a fastener. In some embodiments, a two-configuration, track-mounted, rectangular base is designed with a rectangular base having a pair of short-sided legs, a pair of long-sided legs, and a fastener for engaging outer surfaces of a track.

Solar trackers that may be advantageously employed on sloped and/or variable terrain to rotate solar panels to track motion of the sun across the sky include bearing assemblies and other mechanical features configured to address mechanical challenges posed by the sloped and/or variable terrain that might otherwise prevent or complicate use of solar trackers on such terrain.

One embodiment includes a device for solar tracker systems. The device includes a first purlin including a first mating surface configured for frictional attachment to a first side of a torque tube. The first purlin further including a first linear shaped top surface configured for mounting a first solar module. A second purlin includes a second mating surface configured for frictional attachment to a second side of the torque tube. The second purlin further including a second linear shaped top surface configured for mounting a second solar module. The first purlin and the second purlin connect to one another with a fastening clamp that is configured for holding the first purlin and the second purlin against the torque tube.

A frame includes a support structure made up of profiles for supporting photovoltaic panels, and which has two lateral sides; and at least one reinforcement element mounted in correspondence with the corresponding lateral side thereof for supporting additional loads to the weight of the cells. It further includes connection means for connecting to a torsion tube. In one exemplary embodiment the reinforcement element is a solid gusset from which the lateral sides are suspended, as well as the connection means include upper and lower clamps with a shape adapted to the torsion tube to avoid relative rotation, and which are tightened against the torsion tube by means of bolts which pass through the clamps and corresponding nuts, the upper clamp comprising lateral grooves to fit the reinforcement elements.

A photovoltaic system (200) is described. The photovoltaic system comprises a plurality of photovoltaic arrays (12) comprising first (112A, 112B), and second (212) groups of photovoltaic arrays arranged in an interleaved fashion within a selected region. Photovoltaic arrays of the first group are mounted with a selected fixed tilt angle, and photovoltaic arrays of the second group are located between photovoltaic arrays of said first ground and mounted with a selectively varying tilt angle, thereby increasing land coverage ratio of said photovoltaic system.

A portable crimping device and method of making such a crimping device is disclosed. A portable crimper transfers hydraulic forces back into the hydraulic cylinder and not just into a pinned or fixed connection supporting it. To withstand these forces, the cylinder is milled out of a single piece of source metal and the arm that transfers the forces is joined to the cylinder via pair of flanges extending the entire length of the cylinder to distribute them over a wider surface area.

A threaded fastener system including a female threaded part and a male threaded dual driven fastener. The dual driven fastener has a shaft having a longitudinal axis, a portion of the shaft having a male threaded feature that engages the female threaded part. The male threaded feature having a major thread diameter and a minor thread diameter. There is a first driving feature at a first end of the shaft that is larger than the major thread diameter relative to the longitudinal axis and a second driving feature at a second end of the shaft that is equal to or smaller than the minor thread diameter. The driving features allow torquing of the dual driven fastener from either end.

A solar panel system comprising a plurality of joists, and a set of rectangular solar panels, each solar panel supported along opposing sides by two supporting joists. Each joist is formed with a plurality of wedge-shaped recesses, each recess having an end surface and a flat, sloping supporting surface meeting with a bottom edge of the end surface, the plurality of recesses together forming a saw-tooth contour. Each solar panel is received in the recesses of its supporting joists, resting on the supporting surfaces of the recesses with an upper edge of the solar panel meeting the end surfaces of the recesses, such that an upper solar panel has a lower edge which protrudes over an upper edge of a lower solar panel. With this design, the recesses provide guiding and fixation during the mounting, which saves time and ensures a reliable mounting process.