Meyer Burger has revealed plans to launch a solar roof tile product, expanding its rooftop solar product range.
The solar equipment manufacturer-turned-module maker intends to unveil the roof-integrated tile product at Intersolar Europe in October before starting deliveries in H2 2022.
Meyer Burger has acquired the intellectual property related to a solar roof tile solution from an unnamed German engineering service provider, which specialises in innovations in photovoltaics and electric mobility, including all associated patents, certifications and German national technical approval as well as the technical know-how, it said.
Meyer Burger said it was confident the acquisition of such a highly innovative product will significantly increase overall demand for solar roof tiles, and strengthen the company’s sustainable business development.
CEO of Meyer Burger Gunter Erfurt said: “Integrated solar roof systems still represent a market niche today. With our novel solar tile solution, we plan to take roof-integrated solutions out of the niche and into a larger market. It thus perfectly complements our portfolio of premium solar products and is another logical step within our growth strategy.”
While niche, solar roof tiles are not unique to the market, with the most notable provider of such a product being Tesla in the US. Tesla first launched its solar roof tile product five years ago to much fanfare, however the company has since encountered technical issues and rising costs in manufacturing and installation, to the exasperation of customers. In 2019, Elon Musk said technological improvements were being made.
Erfurt stressed that existing roof-integrated solutions do not represent a satisfactory solution for customers, stating that there was “huge dormant potential” for rooftop photovoltaics.
“Our heterojunction HJT/SmartWire technology combined with a sophisticated roof-tile system integration now enables a truly unique product,” he said.
The company believes its product will be an especially good fit for private roof installations for new build or replacement roofing, properties in renovation and historic preservation areas, homes with limited roof loads, and roof installations with particular aesthetic requirements.