When is someone going to Build solar panels into the roof of a house??? I was looking at some pics online and after all the “new” construction and new shingles..someone comes along, crawls all over it and puts dozens of holes in the roof. Why don’t they plan ahead and build the panels into the roof? I think something like a sky-light or a dormer.
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they do have solar panels that fit in place of concrete roof tiles. Expensive, but much better looking than free-standing panels.
On our Habitat sites in San Juan Capistrano, a sponsor has underwritten the cost in conjunction with SDG&E and a solar vendor to install panels. On those houses the penetrations are made before the roof tiles go on, but the panels still have to be installed after tiles and we have simply given up trying to teach the solar guys how to walk on tiles without breaking them.
The other problem is that penetrations done before the roof is laid out may be placed right where the top of a row of tiles has to go or right where adjacent tiles have to interlock.
You can get roofing integrated solar. I've been doing them commercially (no I'm not selling a product) at my work. There is a thin film PV material; comes in rolls 16" wide and it is peel and stick. We've been using it on carport roofs. It withstands higher temps than conventional crystaline and also performs better under shade conditions (e.g. clouds), but has a lower rating per area than conventional.
As the other poster said, there are spanish tile and also some other roofing tiles. Downside is the expense, but it is roofing/power in one unit.
This industry is changing pretty fast ... there is a lot out there for you to explore ... go find it!!