The PV Integrated Roofing Product

A very important aspect of Sustainable Building is the production and use of energy. According to the Dutch building code, a building has to be designed in such a way that the energy use of this building is as low as possible and will not exceed a certain level. Yet energy will be needed to make the building perform its duty’s. Consequently the next step in sustainability is to focus on the generation of the energy needed. Wind Energy has proved to be very successful, however application in heavily populated areas is not likely. Photo Voltaic generated electricity (PV) can be a very good alternative especially for housing projects as there are no moving parts and no noise is being produced. PV only needs a well oriented surface preferably facing south. One important condition must be fulfilled: the surface must be free from shadows of trees or other buildings. Surfaces like this exist on many houses and consequently many experiments and projects using PV on roofs have been realized. This paper deals with the development of a integrated roofing product capable of generating PV and performing the roofing functions as well. In this development proven existing techniques are combined in order to create a new product. The new roofing product is designed for both new and existing roofs. Contrary to so many PV projects this product is developed to be mounted on the roof by inexperienced individuals, preferably without subsidies.