Patents by Inventor William Paul Buchanan

William Paul Buchanan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Building integrated photovoltaic roofing assemblies and associated systems and methods
    Patent number: 10547270
    Abstract: Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays that can be aesthetically pleasing and appear seamless to an observer. BIPV systems can be incorporated as part of roof surfaces as built into the structure of the roof, flush or forming a substantively uniform plane with roof panels or other panels mimicking a solar panel appearance. Pans supporting BIPV solar panels can be coupled by standing seams, in both lateral and longitudinal directions, to other photovoltaic-supporting pans or pans supporting non-photovoltaic structures, having both functional and aesthetic advantages. In some configurations, adjacent photovoltaic modules may be oriented so that a boundary between an up-roof photovoltaic module and a down-roof photovoltaic module is not noticeable by observers positioned at typical viewing angles of the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Tyrus Hawkes Hudson, Charles Almy, Martin Seery, Daniel Preston Flanigan, Jack Raymond West, Garret Anthony Bautista, William Paul Buchanan, Johann Fritz Karkheck, Ethan Ely
  • Manual snap-on photovoltaic mounting system for rapid installation of photovoltaic arrays onto metal roofs
    Patent number: 9941835
    Abstract: A rapidly installable photovoltaic mounting system that can be manually snapped onto a first photovoltaic module and then lowered onto a trapezoidal metal roof to serve as a base for receiving a second photovoltaic module thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: David Molina, Tyrus Hudson, William Paul Buchanan
  • BUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC ROOFING ASSEMBLIES AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20170237390
    Abstract: Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays that can be aesthetically pleasing and appear seamless to an observer. BIPV systems can be incorporated as part of roof surfaces as built into the structure of the roof, flush or forming a substantively uniform plane with roof panels or other panels mimicking a solar panel appearance. Pans supporting BIPV solar panels can be coupled by standing seams, in both lateral and longitudinal directions, to other photovoltaic-supporting pans or pans supporting non-photovoltaic structures, having both functional and aesthetic advantages. In some configurations, adjacent photovoltaic modules may be oriented so that a boundary between an up-roof photovoltaic module and a down-roof photovoltaic module is not noticeable by observers positioned at typical viewing angles of the roof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Tyrus Hawkes Hudson, Charles Almy, Martin Seery, Daniel Preston Flanigan, Jack Raymond West, Garret Anthony Bautista, William Paul Buchanan, Johann Fritz Karkheck, Ethan Ely
  • MANUAL SNAP-ON PHOTOVOLTAIC MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR RAPID INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS ONTO METAL ROOFS
    Publication number: 20160359446
    Abstract: A rapidly installable photovoltaic mounting system that can be manually snapped onto a first photovoltaic module and then lowered onto a trapezoidal metal roof to serve as a base for receiving a second photovoltaic module thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: David Molina, Tyrus Hudson, William Paul Buchanan