BIPV roofing supplier

L Luke Product Manager, GreenMore · BIPV solar tiles, facades & storage A PV tile has a harder job than a normal solar panel. A panel only has to generate; a tile has to generate while acting as the finished, watertight surface of the roof for decades. That is why our roof-integrated tiles are built as laminated glass–glass units rather than a single glass sheet over a plastic backsheet. This article explains how that double-glazed structure is put together, what it does for durability, and what we do and do not promise on service life. Why the Structure Matters Our roof-integrated PV tiles are not mounted above the roof — they replace the covering and sit in the weather-exposed layer. They therefore need to hold their own against the same forces a conventional roof faces: wind uplift, snow and foot traffic, driving rain, humidity, repeated temperature swings and years of UV. A symmetrical glass–glass build gives a tile four properties that matter here: Mechanical rigidity that spreads loads across the face of the tile. Low moisture ingress, since glass does not absorb water the way a polymer sheet can. Strong fire performance from two non-combustible glass layers. Long-term UV stability, with no backsheet to become brittle over the years. Comparison diagram of double-glass and single-glass laminated structures How the Dual-Glass Build Protects the Cells The cells are the part that actually generates, and they are fragile in isolation. Encapsulating them between two sheets of toughened glass addresses the failure modes that shorten module life: Moisture — glass is effectively impermeable, so the encapsulant and cells stay dry and insulation resistance stays high, which limits PID (potential-induced degradation). Microcracks — the stiffer sandwich flexes less under point loads and wind, so cells are less prone to invisible cracks that quietly reduce output. Thermal cycling — the matched glass layers expand and contract symmetrically, lowering the repeated stress that comes with heating by day and cooling at night. Service Life and Warranty: What We Actually Promise We design these tiles for multi-decade service in line with a permanent roof, but we prefer to state warranty terms rather than advertise a round number such as “30 years.” The terms are deliberately separated, because different parts of a system age differently: Power output — the photovoltaic tiles carry a 25-year power warranty (a defined minimum output at year 25). Tile product — material and workmanship on the tile itself are covered for 10 years. Other components — the inverter, battery and other non-tile parts carry a 3-year warranty. This matters for cost planning: a well-installed glass–glass roof should not need mid-life replacement, but no single blanket figure covers every component, and we would rather quote the real terms than a headline that does not match the warranty document. GreenMore All-Black Flat Panel Photovoltaic Integrated Roof Technical Specifications The figures below describe the double-glazed tile structure. Exact values vary by model, so the project datasheet remains the controlling document. Parameter Value Layer structure Front glass → encapsulant film → solar cells → encapsulant film → back glass (frameless) Front glass 3.2 mm toughened ultra-clear low-iron glass; light transmittance ≥91% Back glass 3.2 mm toughened glass, carrying the rear load Encapsulant EVA / PVB / PO / ionomer; PVB is common in laminated tiles Cell type CIGS thin film; back-contact (BC) cells used on higher-efficiency lines Front load ≥5400 Pa Rear load ≥2400 Pa Max system voltage 1000 V Fire rating Class A, non-combustible glass build Operating temperature −40 °C to +85 °C PID behaviour Low risk thanks to the glass–glass seal; the array is still bonded and grounded for safety Standards IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 Reviewed September 27, 2026 PV Tiles vs Conventional Framed Modules Integration Framed modules sit above an existing roof; PV tiles replace the covering and form one continuous surface. Back protection A polymer backsheet can weather over decades; a glass back keeps its mechanical and sealing properties rather than relying on that sheet. Trade-off Glass–glass tiles are slightly heavier than backsheet modules and cost more per watt, and curved profiles carry fewer watts per square metre than large panels. The payoff is a roof that is durable and fully integrated, as shown across our BIPV systems and our curved triple-arch tiles. Frequently Asked Questions Why use a double-glazed structure? Because a PV tile is part of the roof, it needs stronger environmental protection than a typical module. Sealing the cells between two sheets of toughened glass gives better resistance to moisture, load, fire and temperature cycling. Does the second sheet of glass reduce efficiency? Not meaningfully. The front uses high-transmittance low-iron glass (≥91%), so the added durability comes without a practical loss of generation, and output over the long term is typically more consistent. What is the actual warranty period? The tiles carry a 25-year linear power warranty; the inverter, battery and other non-tile parts carry 3 years. We do not advertise a blanket “30-year” figure that the warranty documents do not support. Are glass-glass tiles heavier? They are slightly heavier than a backsheet module but remain within the load limits of a standard roof structure. We confirm this against the roof design for each project. Does a glass-glass tile still need grounding? Yes. Glass–glass construction lowers PID risk, but the array and mounting still require equipotential bonding and grounding for safety and to meet installation codes. “No grounding needed” would be incorrect. Specifying double-glazed PV tiles? Tell us the roof type and area, pitch, country, target capacity and whether storage is included. As the tile manufacturer, GreenMore will send the matching datasheet, layout and quote. Use the contact page or email export@gmsolarkit.com. L Written by Luke — Product Manager, GreenMore Luke manages GreenMore's BIPV tile and storage product line. He has worked on photovoltaic systems since 2017 and writes about how the tiles are actually built, tested and warranted rather than repeating marketing figures.

L Luke Product Manager, GreenMore · Photovoltaic building materials For a long time, rooftop solar was something you added to a finished building: rails were fixed over the existing covering, panels were clamped to the rails, and the roof underneath simply carried the load. That is changing. The current generation of PV tiles is designed the other way round — the tile is the roof covering and the generator at the same time. That only works if the tile is engineered as a building component first. It has to keep water out for decades, carry wind and snow loads, resist fire and ultraviolet light, and still produce electricity every day. This article looks at the structural design that makes that possible. Two Ways to Put Solar on a Roof: Added-on vs Integrated It helps to start with the distinction between BAPV and BIPV, because it explains why the construction is so different. BAPV (building-applied photovoltaics) is solar applied to an already complete roof. The panels and the roof covering are separate systems, each doing its own job. Standard modules are low in cost per watt, but rails and clamps penetrate or sit over the covering, and the result clearly reads as “solar on a roof.” BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaics) replaces part of the building envelope itself. In a tiled BIPV roof, the PV tile is the weatherproof outer layer, so there is a single roof surface rather than a roof with equipment bolted to it. Comparison of solar roof tiles and traditional photovoltaic panels Integrated design removes duplicated layers. Instead of a tile roof plus rails plus panels, the roof does both jobs at once. That is also where the engineering bar is higher: once the tile is part of the weather envelope, it cannot afford to leak, crack, or delaminate. You can read more about how these systems are put together in our BIPV system guides. Anatomy of an Integrated PV Tile Roof A properly detailed integrated roof is a stack of layers, each with a clear function. From the inside out, the typical build includes the structural deck, a levelling layer, a waterproof underlay, insulation where the design calls for it, battens or a fixing rail, and the photovoltaic tiles themselves — finished with edge, ridge, and verge pieces. Cross-sectional view of a multi-layer installation structure for a solar tile pitched roof A few points in that stack are worth understanding, because they are where cheaper integrated designs tend to fail. The tile overlaps, it is not butted together PV tiles are laid like roof tiles, not glued like wall panels. Each course overlaps the one below, and the side joints interlock. Water running down the roof travels over the overlaps and is carried away; it never depends on a single seal. EPDM or similar durable strips are used at the joints that need compression sealing. A secondary waterproof layer still sits underneath Even with overlapping tiles, a waterproof underlay (a breather membrane or reinforced waterproofing layer, depending on roof type) is installed over the deck. This belt-and-braces layer catches wind-driven rain and any meltwater, and it protects the structure during construction before the tiles are laid. An integrated tile roof should never rely on the glass alone to stay watertight. Air can move behind the tiles Battens or rails hold the tiles slightly off the underlay, leaving a ventilated cavity. Air entering at the eaves and leaving at the ridge carries away heat and moisture. This keeps the cells closer to their efficient operating range and stops condensation building up against the structure — important in both hot and cold climates. We describe the benefit as lower operating temperatures, rather than quoting a fixed extra percentage, because the real gain depends on the cavity, the pitch, and the weather. The Tile Itself: Laminated Glass-Glass Construction The active tile has to survive hail, falling branches, snow, decades of ultraviolet light, and repeated freeze–thaw cycles — while protecting live electrical parts. Our flat and curved tiles meet this with a laminated, double-glazed build rather than a single sheet. Two layers of toughened glass sandwich the solar cells. Toughened (tempered) glass resists impact and thermal shock, and if it does break it crumbles into small, blunt particles rather than sharp shards. A laminated interlayer (PVB or EVA) bonds the assembly. In a laminated unit the interlayer holds the glass together if it is broken, so the roof covering stays in place — the same safety principle used in laminated automotive and architectural glass. Glass is inherently durable outdoors. It does not rot, rust, or soften in ultraviolet light, which is why it is used as the outer skin rather than a polymer film. Because both faces are glass, there is no plastic backsheet that can chalk or crack over time, and the symmetrical build is less prone to the moisture- and voltage-driven degradation known as PID. We cover the testing behind this in our article on waterproof photovoltaic roof tiles. GreenMore Solar Tile Pitched Roof Groove Rain and Water Spray Test The Structural Requirements a PV Tile Has to Meet As a building component, a PV tile is judged on more than watts. These are the structural properties that matter, and the logic behind them. Wind and snow load Roof covering standards and PV standards both test mechanical loading. Our PV tiles are designed for a frontal (downward, snow/foot-style) load of 5400 Pa and a rear (upward, wind-uplift-style) load of 2400 Pa, verified in static load testing. The fixing system — battens, clips, or rails and their fasteners — is designed for the specific building’s wind region; the tile and the fixing are a system, not separate purchases. Fire performance Tiles are rated for fire performance to the applicable roof and PV standards, with our tiles meeting a Class A rating. Glass and a cementitious or mineral deck do not sustain flame, and the ventilated cavity is designed so it cannot act as an open chimney for embers. In bushfire or wildland-urban settings this detail is often as important as the electrical rating. Temperature cycling A dark roof surface can be far hotter than the surrounding air, and well below freezing in winter. Our tiles are rated for an operating range of −40 °C to +85 °C and are put through thermal-cycling and humidity-freeze tests, which repeatedly expand and contract the glass, encapsulant, and frame to expose weak bonds before they reach a building. Electrical safety and earthing A frameless glass–glass tile reduces aluminium on the roof, but it does not remove the need for earthing. The array, mounting metalwork, and inverter enclosures still require protective earthing and equipotential bonding, with surge protection and, where required, rapid shutdown of the DC side. These are code requirements for safety and fire-service access, and a reputable integrated design will include them from the start rather than treat them as optional. Underlying these points is a long-run trend: measured at the module level, commercial silicon products have climbed from the low-teens to around 20–22 percent efficiency, with research cells considerably higher. Independent sources such as Fraunhofer ISE, the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the IEA’s PVPS programme track these figures. For an installed tile, though, the whole-unit number is the one to use, because frames and overlaps use area that does not generate. Real Specifications for an Integrated Flat PV Tile To make the design discussion concrete, here are the actual published parameters for our framed, double-glazed flat photovoltaic tile (LDM series). These are datasheet figures, not estimates. Parameter Specification Models LDM109 / LDM112 / LDM115 Maximum power (STC) 109 / 112 / 115 W Cell 210 mm monocrystalline silicon Product size 1817 × 420 × 29 mm Glass module size 1732 × 418.5 × 5 mm Weight 9.6 kg per tile Structure Double-glass, black aluminium frame Whole-tile efficiency Approx. 15 percent (installed footprint) Front / rear static load 5400 Pa / 2400 Pa Operating temperature −40 °C to +85 °C Max. system voltage 1000 V DC Connector / junction box IP68 connector; IP67 junction box with two diodes Cables 700 mm positive and negative Power temperature coefficient −0.34 percent/°C Updated on September 27, 2026 A note on the efficiency figure: the solar cells inside the tile are considerably more efficient than 15 percent, but the rated whole-tile output divided by the full installed footprint — including the frame and the overlaps — is the number the roof actually delivers per square metre. It is worth keeping the two straight when comparing products. The same applies to the IP ratings: IP68 describes the electrical connectors and IP67 the junction box. The roof’s waterproofing comes from the overlapping tiles and the underlay, which is a different mechanism than an electrical ingress rating. How It Connects: Inverters, Strings, and Storage The tiles generate direct current, which has to be converted to grid-compatible alternating current. Tiles are connected in series into strings; the combined string voltage must sit inside the inverter’s window over the full temperature range, so string sizing is an engineering calculation rather than a fixed count. On larger or partly shaded roofs, module-level power electronics help: microinverters convert at each tile, or optimizers condition each tile before a string inverter. These reduce the impact of shading on one tile and give panel-level monitoring, at a slightly higher equipment cost. You can see our solar inverter options for the supported architectures. Adding a home battery lets the roof store midday generation for the evening, run essential loads during outages, and increase self-consumption. Because a battery sees DC power in and out, matching the battery voltage and the inverter/charger is part of the design. Our article on all-in-one off-grid backup systems shows how these pieces are packaged, and you can browse the full solar tile range for flat and curved profiles. Frequently Asked Questions What exactly makes a PV tile “next generation”? The shift is structural rather than just a better solar cell. Instead of panels added over a finished roof, the tile is engineered as the weatherproof roof layer, with laminated glass–glass construction, overlapping joints, a secondary waterproof underlay, and a ventilated cavity. Higher-efficiency cells sit inside that structure, but the integration is the main change. How long will an integrated PV tile roof actually last? We state this through the warranty rather than a marketing lifespan: the tiles carry a 25-year linear power warranty. The inverter, battery, and other non-tile components carry a 3-year warranty. Glass and mineral roof components are durable materials, but we do not claim a 30-year service life that the warranty does not back. Are integrated PV tiles heavier than a normal roof? The framed flat tile weighs 9.6 kg per unit; the curved triple-arch tiles are lighter per square metre. The roof structure should be checked against the local code for the added dead load, in the same way it is checked for slate, clay tile, or an add-on array. For new builds this is simply part of the structural design; for retrofits an engineer confirms the existing structure is suitable. Can PV tiles really keep the roof waterproof? Yes, through roofing design rather than an electrical IP rating. The tiles overlap and interlock so water drains over the joints, durable EPDM seals compress where needed, and a waterproof underlay provides a second line of defence. Independent water-spray and weather testing verify the build, and proper detailing at eaves, ridges, verges, and penetrations is part of the installation. Are integrated PV tiles worth the higher cost compared with panels? It depends on the project. Add-on panels remain cheaper per watt and make sense when an existing sound roof only needs generation. PV tiles cost more per watt but replace the roof covering itself, so on a new build or a re-roof the comparison should be against the cost of the roof plus a panel array. They are most attractive where appearance, planning requirements, or a heritage-style profile matter — which is exactly where our curved triple-arch tiles are aimed. Designing With GreenMore GreenMore is a photovoltaic tile manufacturer: our solar tiles, photovoltaic bricks, and photovoltaic curtain walls are produced in-house, with inverters and batteries supplied as the supporting parts that complete the system. We work with distributors, installers, and project owners from the earliest design stage, helping match the tile profile, structure, electrical architecture, and storage to the building and the local code. If you are planning a project, send us the building type, roof area, location, and target generation, and our team will come back with a real, buildable proposal rather than a generic datasheet. Reach us through our contact page or email export@gmsolarkit.com. L Luke · Product Manager, GreenMore Luke manages GreenMore’s photovoltaic building-material range, from the curved triple-arch tile to flat tiles and PV curtain walls. Working in the solar industry since 2017, he focuses on designs that are genuinely buildable: clear structure, correct electrical sizing, and warranty terms that match what is actually shipped.