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New Ceramic Solar Tile Could Revolutionize Roofing Around the World

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It’s not written in stone that roofs have to be covered the way they are now: wood shingles, or composite, or clay tiles. What if a material was completely impervious to rain, insulated so well that it cut energy costs up to 40% and generated solar electricity at the same time, wouldn’t that be what we should roof our homes with in the future?

In Spain, a high end ceramic tile company and a solar company have combined forces in the creation of a revolutionary – potentially world-changing – roofing material that could cut the cost of solar power around the globe.

Yet the inventors, Butech (the subsidiary of high fashion Porcelanosa that develops new materials) and Onyx Solar are inexplicably marketing their tough and extremely useful invention as a “pavement” material, for its walk-ability.

But it makes a lot more sense as a new roofing material to replace the  traditional composite, wood shingles or tiles, that are so unsatisfactory and duplicative now.

These solar ceramic tile roofs would be durable and waterproof. By replacing the need for no longer needed roofing material under solar panels, this invention could greatly speed solar adoption, by cutting its costs.

Why is it a good thing that you are able to walk on this solar panel? Firemen do need to be able to access roofs in an emergency. Rules about preserving fire access cut into the amount of coverage solar panels are allowed on roofs now.

Source: Technology For Life