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Roofing
A new curved photovoltaic-tile option energizes a centuries-old roofing style.
The timing was serendipitous last September when SRS Energy director of marketing Abby Feinstein contacted US Tile to determine the company’s interest in adding a solar option to its line of Mission-style clay tiles. “We were evaluating several different roofing manufacturers to work with, while they were also evaluating solar people to work with,” says Feinstein. Just one week later, SRS Energy paid a visit to US Tile’s headquarters in Corona, California, and the partnership for the Solé Power Tile was born.
Launched last May at the AIA Expo in San Francisco, Solé Power Tile is the first building-integrated photovoltaic roofing product in the U.S. designed for curved roofing systems. The electricity-generating “barrel-style” tiles are specifically designed for installation in steep slope roofs alongside US Tile’s traditional clay roofing, and are offered as an upgrade to a traditional roofing purchase. In addition to applications in new construction, the tile has potential in historic retrofits that want to promote sustainability without compromising aesthetics. [cont.] [Reader Service: August 2009 #205] |
