Solar Roof Tile as Alternative Roofing Material in Spanish Colonial Heritage Structures

Solar tile is an emerging technology. Its utilization is dependent on the flatness of the structure. This limits its application to a curved roof of Spanish colonial structures. Curvature in the solar tile causes the tile to experience partial shading depending on the radius. Other than partial shading, temperature and wiring connections affect the output as well. Using a Spanish clay tile and 10 PV cells per tile, we tested two separate wiring topologies in a mounting frame with ventilation holes for cooling. The solar roof tile design allowed relatively low temperatures in the tropical climate and maximized its output combined with wiring. With the mounted total-cross-tied solar roof tile, efficient results were obtained.