Roof integrated solar replaces the tiles or slates on the roof so the panels sit lower down in the roofline to look more like an intended part of the house and less like a bolt-on afterthought than above-roof rack-mounted systems.
The aesthetic benefits of roof integration are clear, but there are other benefits from going in-roof.
Solar panels should last thirty years or more. In this time it is highly likely that the roof covering will need either maintenance or replacement.
An on-roof system will have tiles or slates behind the panels, so the solar system would need to be decommissioned and removed before a single tile can be replaced.
A simple job that can be carried out from a roof ladder by a roofing contractor has become a significant task that requires scaffolding and the involvement of an electrician or solar installer.
With roof integrated solar, there are no tiles behind the panels, so all roofing repairs can be carried out while leaving the solar system in place.
For new roofs or extensions to existing buildings, new regulations require that all tiles are fixed with nails or clips.
This makes the task of fitting an above-roof solar system afterwards very difficult. Tiles may need to be broken to access the roof structure below and attach fixing brackets. Replacing removed tiles in accordance with the roof fixing specification is likely to require an adhesive bond between the replaced tile and the surrounding ones.
By contrast, roof integrated solar panels can be installed easily in a new roof. Solar specialists can fix the panels and flashings before the roofing contractors fix the roof covering around them.
When installing to an existing roof, integrated solar is often seen as more work than above-roof systems. However, the task of weathering around numerous fixing hooks can be time consuming. Removing a patch of tiles or slates does not take much longer, and provides spare roof tiles that are a perfect match for any future roof repairs.
We have partnered with charitable organisations that plant native tree species to restore natural ecosystems. Carbon emissions are removed from the atmosphere, habitats are restored for wildlife and soil erosion is prevented.
Solar panels fixed above the roof offer a safe, sheltered area behind for birds to roost or nest.
While this may at first sound like a good thing to do, householders with solar installations that have been colonised in this way have reported a number of drawbacks including noise and fouling of the panels, walls and paths below the nests. A small industry has sprung up to bird-proof above roof solar installations with spikes and mesh around the outside, further reducing their aesthetic appeal.
Clearly nests below the panels will reduce the free passage of cooling air behind solar PV panels increasing operating temperature and reducing energy yield (see next point).
When solar is roof integrated wind pressures are much higher. The wind resistance of some roof integrated solar products is not sufficient enough, especially for exposed locations.
The certified wind resistance for Clearline Fusion is more than four times higher than competitor products and achieves this without any modification to the roof structure below. This makes the product extremely safe, especially when compared to competitors.
