Goal: Large scale solar arrays that can be deployed fast and cheaply with minimal preperation.
Concept: Solar roofing designed to be manufactured, shipped and deployed in (very large) rolls. A specially designed semi trailer to transport and deploy these rolls.
Detailed description:
Roofing is manufactured, shipped, and deployed as a flexible ribbon of segments.
Ribbon width is shorter or equal to the length of the trailer. Maximum ribbon length is governed by how much can be fit on the trailer.
Ribbon segments are rigig. Connections between segments are flexible to make rolling posssible. Segment width is the same as the ribbon width. Segment length could be a small constant or could vary. The tradeoff here is facilitating simple, standardized manufacturing vs facilitating rolling. Each segment has power and telemetry connections to the ajacent segments in the ribbon. These connections are made at the factory but can be disconnected and reconnected in the field for servicing. The end segments have power and telemetry connections for the end segments of ajacent ribbons. These connections are made in the field. The end segment of the last ribbon in an array has power and telemetry connections for the control equipment and the power conversion equipment that feeds into storage or the grid.
The base of the semi trailter is a flat bed curtainsider. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautliner) (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flatbed_trailer_Memphis_TN_2013-07-28_011.jpg) It should include the same lift points as intermodal containers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_container) to facilitate lifting onto roofs with off the shelf reach stackers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reach_stacker) and cranes.
On the deck of the trailer is a large moterized spindle. The spindle is flat like the rectangular tube in the center of these (http://www.joann.com/olyfun-10-yard-bolt/zprd_14065353a.html#start=2) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginapina/15287094016) fabric bolts to make better use of the rectangular space and the flat segments.
The trailer would come with two detachable, moterized, 360 degree steerable dollies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_(trailer)). At the installation site the dollies would be attached to the trailer. One dolly would mount under the hitch and the other would replace the rear carriage of the trailer. The rear of the trailer would have jacks and quick releases to facilitate the removal of the rear carriage. The dollies could be treaded to ease installation on soft ground or weak roofs.
During installation the spindle rotates to unroll the ribbon onto the ground or roof while the powered dollies move the trailer sideways.
Segments should be durable. Operators must be able to walk (perhaps using snow shoes) or drive (perhaps using treaded vehicles) over the roofing without damaging it. Alternatively, gaps between segments and ribbons could be large enough to allow maitenence. The roofing must be able to survive hail. The roofing must be able to survive heavy snow or ice loads. Melting will work up to a point after which you deal with issues of where the meltwater goes. Segments should be transparent to wind and rain. Let the underlying substrate deal with it. All segments and connections should be waterproof for the life of the system with no maintenence. It shouldn't matter to the system if the underlying substrate lets it get flooded. The system should react gracefully to insulation failure. If there is a short circut it should be detected, reported, and power to the affected components cut off to prevent fire hazards.
The base system is ready for rapid installation on gravel roofs, tar roofs, prepared concrete pads, or salt pans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_pan_(geology)). Inflatable pontoons (deflated while spooled) could be added to allow installation on ponds or small lakes with no wave action. Installation on farm land or grass land is possible, but would require significant modiificaiton to the system, and might not be worth it. You would have to have a shade tollarant grass under the segments to prevent the soil from eroding or turning into a mud pit and swallowing everything. The segments would have to be semi transparent to allow light to the grass. The underside of the segments would have to have 16" stilts. The stilts could be installed flat at the factory and be spring loaded to extend during un spooling. The operators would have to run a fleet of robotic lawn mowers and edgers. (https://www.amazon.com/Robomow-RS622-Battery-Operated-Mower/dp/B00IGXYBFI/)
https://montgomery.osu.edu/ county extension office, can find suitable plants, non climbing, shade tollerant, ground covering, short, climate, all weather. clover? -> side buisiness in honey and hive rehabilitation.