Vehicles and methods for magnetically managing legs of rail-based photovoltaic modules during installation

• Main Authors: French Adam, Hennessy Kevin, Wheeler Timothy, Crowe Jess, Castro Hernandez Luis Francisco
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.09.2016
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; RANGES; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; VENTILATING; WEAPONS

An exemplary method for installing at an installation site a photovoltaic module including a panel and support legs includes disposing the photovoltaic module over a support surface such that the support legs are in a stowed position; lifting the photovoltaic module from a support surface while engaging a magnetic field with the support legs so as to maintain the support legs in the stowed position; disengaging the magnetic field from the support legs of the lifted photovoltaic module so as to release the support legs from the stowed position to an installation position in which the support legs are rotated downwards relative to the stowed position; and lowering the photovoltaic module to the installation site with the support legs in the installation position so as to install the photovoltaic module at the installation site, the support legs supporting the panel at the installation site.