The idea of fitting new houses and re-fitting old houses with photovoltaic roofing or roof-mounted systems has been widely embraced as an environmentally beneficial goal, but one that still remains commercially illusive in the mass roofing market. There are several reasons for this.
First, the initial cost of installing such a system has not given consumers enough financial incentive in future returns to choose to install a home roof-mounted solar system. Therefore the technological focus has been primarily on greater photovoltaic efficiency. But, to date, the industry has yet to develop photovoltaic devices with enough efficiency to offset the other cost factors involved in a solar roofing system, namely production, customization, and the specialized skills required for installation.
Second, the most common retro-fitted solar roof systems are superimposed independent structures that attach over existing roofs which may compromise the integrity of the existing roofing material, void the roof warranty, and make roof maintenance or replacement costly and complicated.
Third, current available solar roof systems lack the ability to conform to most roof shapes and irregularities without the creation of customized components. Consequently, the actively photovoltaic area of a retro-fitted system becomes greatly reduced when compared to the total surface area of the roof.
Fourth, retro-fitted superimposed solar systems are generally not aesthetically pleasing. A solar roof shingle system such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,861 addresses aesthetics and integration, but requires access to the roof decking underside and tedious wiring labor. Other systems such as taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,875,914, 7,155,870, 5,590,495, and 7,328,534 lack flexibility of shape. All of these other systems require electrical skills along with the use of special mounting hardware attached to the roof decking.
So lastly and most importantly, all solar roof systems on the market today require installers with highly specialized training. At the very least, they require the services of a specialized electrician during installation. Specialized labor not only drives up the cost of installation, but limits consumer options for future serviceability.
Most homeowners purchase roofing products from roofing contractors who are skilled in the installation of traditional asphalt shingles, and not from roofing manufacturers or distributors. The solar roofing system of the present invention targets this very issue specifically. The system taught by the present disclosure not only provides solar shingles that can be made identical to traditional asphalt shingles in shape and size, but solar shingles that can be installed and manipulated in nearly the same manner as traditional asphalt shingles by anyone skilled in the practice of traditional roofing with traditional tools and fasteners. Therefore, this solar roofing system could become part of a more pedestrian catalogue of roofing products offered by any roofing contractor.
This photovoltaic system is first and foremost a roofing product, having all the advantages of adaptability and of requiring only existing standard roofing skills, tools, and fasteners to install.