Explained – PV Solar Roof Tiles
They call it the “Energy Roof” and it is destined to be one of the greatest and fastest growing additions to the renewable energy armoury for homes and business properties alike.
Basically, these roofs integrate solar technology through “tiles” and “slates” rather than the usual installation practise of placing panels on top of a frame that sits on the roof.
Instead solar roof tiles slot together like conventional roof tiles would and therefore provide a complete solar structure on top of a building to replace the normal roof of slate or tiles.
This type of solar installation is becoming increasingly popular not only for new-build properties but also for those that require re-roofing.
Home owners and businesses are now adopting this system because they recognise the long-term benefits as well as short term energy saving potential of having an entire roof space made of solar tiles, although the beauty of these tiles is they can interlock with conventional tiles so you can actually have as many as you like.
The solar power green industry is booming, particularly in the South-East and South-West of the UK with a 350% rise in enquiries for solar technology since February 2010, with one builder’s merchants reporting a 400% increase in demand for solar roof tiles.
The leading designer of solar roof tile technology and installation systems is Solarcentury. Based in London, the award-winning company have been at the forefront of innovative solar photo voltaic products and systems for the past decade for homes and business properties as well as major local authority buildings and facilities and large-scale commercial ventures.
Overall since 1998 Solarcentury have been involved in excess of 15,000 domestic and commercial installations making it by far the most successful and fastest-growing British solar technology company.
Its C21e Roof Tile is fast becoming an industry standard…
The C21e Roof Tile
The C21e Roof Tiles are completely black and have electronic contacts behind black tedlar backings to help eliminate solar reflection and thereby maximise the conversion of energy from the sun.
The tiles come in strips which slot together through a simple push-fit connector and are then wired to the mains. The design is clever in that it makes installation that much easier and quicker and the electric solar tiles can even be integrated with most conventional or standard roof tiles.
Solarcentury
Solarcentury are the UK’s leading solar roof tile designers and have been taking the country (and indeed world in general) by storm with their innovative C21e system.
On the market since 2005, their solar roof tile has become an industry standard and has featured in over 2,000 domestic installations, 600 business ventures, with complete solar roof systems under their “Energy Roof” brand being adopted by over 100 businesses and organisations since 2009.
Solarcentury tiles have featured on Manchester’s much-lauded CIS Tower re-fit (Europe’s largest vertical facade), as well as London Fire Brigade’s “canopy,” the Eden Project, and the new Blackfriars Bridge construct that will house some 4,400 solar panels.
Solarcentury have also been working with over 50 housing associations on 200 affordable housing projects. South Yorkshire Housing Association has worked with Solarcentury to provide clean energy and cheaper bills in their housing stock generating an anticipated collective saving of £36,000 this year.
Conclusion
When you consider how much energy goes into manufacturing conventional building materials and the fact they don’t give anything back as such once utilised, it is plain to see that an electric roof tile such as the C21e is not only CO2-friendly from the outset when it is produced but will go on to be a hugely valuable commodity in terms of carbon reduction as well as saving property-owners money through cheaper energy bills and indeed earning them money too through government incentives.
All in all roof tiles have never been so interesting!