I first saw this today at
Inhabitat's blog. I have seen roofs with panels that heat water. I have seen solar panels on roofs. But now
SolTech Energy in Sweden figured out how to combine them. The thin film solar panels are laid on the roof. Then the glass tiles are laid over them. The glass tiles heat up air that is used to heat water, which is stored, and available for heating and domestic water use. This idea is so cool.
This is their schematic.
Here is their finished product.
Glass tiles can't be cheap, and the roof would need extra strength to support it all, but the awesomeness of the whole thing cannot be beat.
update:
It turns out
an American company in New Jersey named
Englert has developed a similar system with thin laminated solar panels on a standing seam metal roof with the glycol/water piped underneath the roof.
As far as aesthetics go, the glass tiles look so much better. But you get what you pay for.
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