The present invention relates to the realization of a fixing unit for photovoltaic panels.

In particular, the present invention constitutes an assembly composed of a modular structure suitable for fixing the photovoltaic panels with integrated electric energy storage battery.

Electric storage systems for photovoltaic panels are known, and consist of an accumulation battery concentrated in a single point, cabinet or shelf and located in an area other than the photovoltaic panels, for example in a garage, house or other rooms.

Such traditional storage units can cause various drawbacks such as inflexible conditions and solutions, ineffectiveness and unreliability, with particular need to solve safety problems, including:

- high danger and risk of fire or explosion with any and significant damage to things and / or people;

- overheating of the accumulation batteries concentrated in a little space, as they are constituted in a single assembly; need to place the storage batteries in a special room according to law.

Typically, current electrical storage systems use screw connection terminals, increasing the possibility of error when connecting them.

Furthermore, photovoltaic storage producers tend to miniaturize the batteries as much as possible and at the same time increase their capacity with the need to use complex safety and cooling systems. A first object of the present invention is providing a system which does not have the drawbacks of the aforementioned classical systems/processes and which is particularly simple, intuitive in the installation phases and efficient.

Another object of the invention is providing a system having a simple/easy to build structure, with low costs and safe operation/use, including:

- reduction of overheating of the accumulator group, since it is divided into single and smaller sections;

- low risk of fires or explosions, as this group accumulator is made in separate parts and connected by factory pre-wired electrical cables;

- reduction of the exposed installation surface for the above reasons;

- ease of use, as male/female plug-in connectors are used for multiple connections between different/multiple fixing units.

In light of the state of the art described, the main technical problem whose present invention is intended to provide a solution is the possibility of creating a single fixing unit for photovoltaic panels with an attached electrical storage unit, resulting from the assembly of modular elements in separate parts instead of in a single assembly, but which joined together in parallel form an electrical storage of larger dimensions and flexible from the point of view of capacity according to the specific needs of each individual plant.

These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by means of the following characteristics:

- greater safety; - modularity;

- obtaining a decentralized system based on the needs of utilities, with the possibility of partial load operation.

Furthermore, in an advantageous aspect of the present invention, the device as it has been conceived with respect to other similar products, such as analogues, provides a usefulness of use that no other device of its kind has, as it is provided of a fixing unit for photovoltaic panels with attached electrical storage unit, integrated in a load-bearing structure and inserted/used in a special watertight aluminium container with an IP68 degree of protection against humidity then installed outside and including an inert gas, rather than air.

However, the present invention aims to solve the problems of use/employment and safety of photovoltaic energy storage systems, including:

- optimizing installation times;

- no inconsistency with building fire regulations;

- high power/weight ratio;

- great reliability. The skilled person in the art will understand that the object of the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the attached claims, for example, instead of using the air inside the storage battery container, it could be used a different gas, including nitrogen gas, or argon, or vacuum. These three different forms would have the common purpose of creating an inert and poorly conductive atmosphere of heat and / or electricity, reducing the risk of a possible battery fire. All the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different according to requirements, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

In the art there is no, and has never been suggested, a device for the activities/functions described above equal or similar to that of the present invention.

Although the object of the present invention has been described with particular reference to the attached figures, the reference numbers used in the description and in the claims are used to improve the understanding/intelligence of the invention and do not constitute any limitation to the scope of protection claimed .

The present invention is described with reference to a currently preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that in practice other expedients/clarifications may be made with the evolution of technologies, variations and modifications, without however departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that numerous modifications and variations are possible to it, which fall within the scope of protection defined by the attached claims, especially in terms of reproductive scale and mainly of measures, as the subjective/objective needs will define the technical dimensional characteristics appropriate for this purpose, or in function of the project variables, with the possibility of varying the shapes for commercial practicality and to push industries to give certain anatomical shapes and / or various suitable measures.

Similarly, it is specified that further features and advantages of the invention will become more evident in the light of the detailed description of a preferred embodiment but not exclusive to other forms, illustrated by way of non limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which the device/process according to its embodiment of the present invention consists of the following parts represented in figures 1 to 4, in which the schematic view of a fixing unit for photovoltaic panels is shown for each one, in particular with reference to fig. 1 in its front view, to fig. 2 in its first side view, to fig. 3 in one of its second side view and to fig. 4 in a third side view thereof.

Such fixing unit comprises a vessel/container (1) able to contain inside it an accumulation battery (7) mechanically connected to a suitably shaped bar, in particular a bracket (2) connected perpendicularly to a supporting structure, i.e. a track (8) suitable for including a means/object for charging by solar energy, or a photovoltaic panel (9) and whose feature is that it contains a system for controlling, managing and monitoring the operation of the storage battery (7) consisting of an electronic card (remotely monitored using a terminal mobile device, such as a mobile phone, tablet or PC), including dedicated software and an Ethernet interface.

This track (8) comprises a mechanical connection to a means/object suitable for closing the mouth of such vessel/container (1), in particular a lid/cap (6), in which the lid/cap (6) is connected/fixed to the vessel/container (1) which is bound to the track (8) by means of special fixing screws (11) made of stainless steel preferably of the M6 or M8 type.

At a junction point between the vessel/container (1) and the lid/cap (6), a watertight element is interposed, i.e. a gasket (10) preferably of the O-ring type, made in such a way as to guarantee a seal humidity.

In particular, the gasket (10) is connected downstream of the lid/cap (6) and upstream of the vessel/container (1), wherein the vessel/container (1) comprises an electrical connection cable (5) suitable for making a connection between the different/multiple fixing units by means of/through an electrical connector (4) plugin +/-, or of the corresponding male/female type in which it is preferably of the MC4 type, and wherein the fixing units are interconnected with each other by/through a joining element (3).

The electric connector (4) is connected/fixed to the electric connection cable (5), in which the electrical connection cable (5) is screwed to the vessel/container (1) by/through the use of a cable gland, designed to replace the electrical connector (4) in case of need.