Residential solar systems as an appliance - Plug and Play PV

Abstract

The DOE SunShot-funded Plug and Play PV project seeks to dramatically reduce the soft costs of US residential solar by simplying the installation and commissioning processes. Adhesive mounting of lightweight (frame-less, glass-less) modules is one technology being studied. Temperature concerns due to the small gap between the shingled roof and the adhered module are examined in field testing in Albuquerque, NM. Compared to a conventional module, a 3% yield loss was measured after one year of data collection. The temperature of shingles underneath the adhered modules are lower than those for exposed shingles indicating that the modules cool the roof during sunlight hours. Modeling of the attic thermal profile demonstrates an average drop in the attic air temperature of 1°C in hot climates