After two long days of non-stop hustling between seminars and product exhibits at the AIA (American Institute of Architects) 2009 National Convention and Expo, I was on my last stretch of speed walking through 800 plus vendor stalls. Fatigued and with a growling stomach, I was about to call it a day until I saw some dark blue, semi-glossy, curvy panels that reminded me of lasagna. Yummy! I’d struck gold and discovered some remarkable solar roof tiles.
The What: SRS Energy, a leading developer of sustainable solar roofing systems, has developed a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing product designed for curved roofing systems. Launched on April 30, 2009 at the AIA Convention in San Francisco, California, the Solé Power Tile system employs cutting-edge thin film solar technology that incorporates triple-junction amorphous solar cells made by UNI-SOLAR.
The Solé Power Tiles are sized at 37.4” wide x 18” long with 15” exposure (3” lap) and are made from durable light-weight TPO-based high performance polymers, making them easy to handle and install. Manufactured in the U.S. by SRS Energy, they are designed to integrate exclusively with US Tile clay tile roofing products.
An integrated roofing system made up of Solé Power Tiles and US Tiles’s clay tiles can achieve multiple LEED points including the On-site Renewable Energy credit and the Recycled Content credit. According to Abby Nessa Feinstein, Director of Marketing at SRS Energy:
“The tiles’ components are recyclable, and SRS Energy’s research and development team is currently exploring various recycling streams for the tile and thin-film at the end of their use.
In the future, SRS Energy plans to continue its mission to increase solar technology’s accessibility by developing additional profiles that integrate with existing premium roofing products.”
The Solé Power Tile will be rolled out in phases across the U.S. beginning in California and will be distributed by US Tile and its national network of distributors and contractors.
The Who: I had the opportunity to learn about how the company was founded and the challenges it faced in its course of bringing the product to the market.
“SRS Energy came together in 2005 when CEO Marty Low and Director of Marketing Abby Nessa Feinstein began commercializing solar technology patents that had been developed nearly a decade earlier but had lain dormant.
While initial concepts had a strong focus on how roof tiles connect to one another, market research suggested the real win would be stepping out of the box of chunky solar panels and truly integrating the technology into a roofing product, eliminating a homeowner’s aesthetic dilemma over wanting to make a sustainable choice but having to compromise curb appeal. In addition to aesthetic barriers, issues of complexity also dampened solar enthusiasm among homeowners.”
SRS Energy found a solution to these challenges by helping the homeowners make their decision to go solar incremental, rather than monumental.
“We (SRS Energy) absorb the headaches and paperwork surrounding solar incentive programs, and work with the building community so that the Solé Power Tile™ system is sold during a traditional roofing purchase with a single point of contact for the homeowner. It’s as easy as choosing granite countertops over laminate.”
Inventing a product is not simple, but SRS Energy did reach a turning point in its development.
“As a company, SRS Energy’s a-ha moment was when we realized that we weren’t just designing a product, but that we were developing a game-changing opportunity. It didn’t happen overnight, but after speaking with major players in the roofing industry we realized that our mission is about much more than simply developing the best-looking solar module (although introducing the first curved solar tile to the marketplace has definitely made a splash). Our mission is about integrating the emerging, rapidly growing industry of solar into the established, centuries-old roofing industry.”
The beauty of the Solé Power Tile roofing system is that it simplifies the distribution of renewable energy while also acting as a weatherproofing membrane and eliminating the need for additional roofing penetrations. Owners who want to know how much electricity the system is generating can remotely monitor the system over the Internet. The Solé Power Tile is a creative solution that performs multiple functions, and helps building owners offset their energy needs and reduce their carbon emissions.
Be the first to comment