- Meyer Burger plans to commence commercial production of PV roof tiles.
- The company has acquired a German engineering firm to this effect.
- The company believes it can move PV tiles from a niche segment into a larger market.
Swiss company Meyer Burger plans to begin the commercial production of solar PV roof tiles. The high-performance PV system will be installed on roofs like traditional roof tiles. Meyer Burger has already acquired a highly developed solution from a German engineering service provider to help accelerate its market entry. The purchase agreement will see Meyer acquire all intellectual property rights to the PV roof tile solution, including all associated patents, certifications, and building authority approval, as well as technical know-how.
The company states that the first deliveries of the PV tiles to customers are scheduled for the second half of 2022. The tiles will be designed to enable easy installation and maintenance by roofers, the company added. Meyer believes its novel solar tiles will move the roof-integrated PV market out of its current niche status into a larger market. The roof tiles will also be beneficial in areas where the installation of standard PV modules is not possible, the company adds. Meyer Burger will also utilise its proprietary heterojunction smartwire technology for the roof tiles.
Tesla will be one of Meyer Burger’s prominent competitors in the PV roof tile market as the company’s CEO Elon Musk announced its solar roof vision in 2016 but is yet to fully corner the market.