How to Read BIPV Solar Tile Wind and Snow Load Ratings

NANJING, China — October 23, 2026

GreenMore has issued guidance for distributors, roof contractors and project buyers on how to read mechanical load ratings when specifying building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roof tiles for winter projects. The company says questions about snow and wind performance rise sharply in the fourth quarter, and that a single kilopascal figure on a specification sheet is not enough on its own to qualify a roof for a given climate.

A BIPV tile is not a panel bolted over a finished roof. It replaces the roof covering, so the tile itself has to carry wind pressure, snow weight and wind uplift and transfer those forces into the roof structure. GreenMore’s guidance sets out the four points buyers should check before a project moves from quotation to order.

Interlocking curved solar tiles form the weather surface as well as the generating surface of the roof

Why Load Ratings Matter More for Roof Tiles

With rack-mounted panels, a separate aluminium rail and clamp structure absorbs most of the mechanical stress. On an integrated roof, there is no second structure to lean on. The tile, its interlocking edges and its fixing points are the weather line and the load path at the same time. A rating that would be adequate for a mounted module can therefore understate what an integrated roof is asked to do.

Load on a roof comes from two directions. Snow and downward wind pressure load the front face; wind flowing over the ridge creates suction that pulls at the back face. Buyers in snow belts care most about the first figure; buyers in coastal and high-wind regions need both.

What the Standards Ask For

The IEC 61215-2 qualification procedure for terrestrial photovoltaic modules sets the MQT 16 static load test at a minimum uniform load of 2,400 Pa. As a roofing component rather than a standalone module, a BIPV tile also has to satisfy construction product requirements; in Europe the relevant references include EN 14782 for self-supporting metal roofing products and EN 1090-1 for structural components, alongside CE marking.

GreenMore advises buyers to ask three questions when comparing products:

• Is the figure a test load or a design load? A test load and the permitted design load are not the same number once safety factors are applied. The supplier should be able to state which one is printed on the sheet.
• Is a back-side (uplift) rating given? A front figure alone says nothing about storm suction.
• Can the test documentation be supplied? Ratings should trace back to a test report or certificate, not a marketing line.

GreenMore’s Current Rating

GreenMore’s Triple-Arch Hantile 32W is rated for a static mechanical load of 5,400 Pa on the front side and 2,400 Pa on the back side. The front-side figure is more than twice the 2,400 Pa IEC minimum test load.

The triple-arch geometry stiffens the part and channels rainwater off the roof, while the double-glass, frameless build spreads load across the whole tile rather than through a perimeter frame. Interlocking edges and dedicated windproof hooks secure each course to the next, and the junction box and connectors carry an IP68 rating. The product is certified to EN 14782, EN 1090-1 and CE, and is covered by a 25-year linear power warranty.

How the 5,400 Pa figure is reached in testing → BIPV roof tiles under 5,400 Pa of frontal pressure

A Four-Point Checklist for Winter Orders

For projects specified before the snow season, GreenMore recommends buyers confirm the following in writing:

• Front and back static load figures, with the standard and test procedure named.
• Roofing-product certification in the destination market (CE and the applicable EN standards for European projects).
• Fixing method and the windproof detail at eaves and ridges, since a tile is only as good as its weakest course.
• Warranty terms — weather-sealing and power output are usually covered separately.

The same checklist applies to Mediterranean and coastal markets, where summer thermal cycling and salt air place different but equally real demands on the roof. A completed 15 kW residential installation in Greece shows how the system is detailed for that climate: 15 kW rooftop solar tile project in Greece →

Statement from GreenMore

“A solar roof is a structural product long before it is an electrical one, and the buyer who finds that out after a storm has paid too much for the lesson,” said Jimmy Wang, CEO of GreenMore. “We would rather a distributor put our 5,400 Pa rating next to the local snow and wind data and ask hard questions before ordering. If the numbers fit, the roof will still be a roof twenty winters later. If they do not, no efficiency figure in the brochure fixes that.”

GreenMore supplies BIPV solar tile and BIPV systems to distributors and EPC partners across Europe and the Middle East, with OEM/ODM customization for dimensions, colours, profiles and electrical interfaces. Technical drawings, load documentation and samples can be requested through the company’s customized services team.

About GreenMore

GreenMore (Jiangsu GreenMore Technology Co., Ltd.) is a BIPV solar tile manufacturer based in China. Its core products are curved solar roof tiles built on BC cells, alongside flat solar tiles, photovoltaic ceramic tiles and photovoltaic curtain wall panels, with solar energy systems and residential, commercial and industrial energy storage supplied as part of integrated building-energy solutions. For more information, visit gmsolarkit.com.