8KW Solar Photovoltaics, Slate and Flat Roofs - Vale

As part of a long-term renovation project which started at ground level and wound its way up to the roofs, the only sensible solution to the leaky chimney and parapet was to replace this and the mismatched roof slates with solar. The main roof off-the-shelf “Building Integrated PV” went in easily over the existing roof once the chimney had been removed.

Dressed in mostly reused and some new purple welsh slate and lead, with aluminium guttering gives a combined retro-industrial feel to the client’s requirements. The flat roof installation is also BIPV (Building Integrated solar photovoltaics) and custom-designed to suit a very low profile. These solar systems face west and the lower one experiences shading, so there’s a microinverter on each flat panel, installed in a garden shed to maintain the low roof profile (conventionally the inverter units are placed under the panel, however, there was no room).

Adding this to the existing solar thermal system and heat pump was a pleasure. All monitoring and heating control is internet-connected and works as a smart home concept, all interactive and automated. Next will be more solar thermal and battery storage.