The first generation of the Sanyo PV roof shingle is shown in Figure 1. The traditional roofing material in Japan has been tile. However, an asphalt-based roof shingle similar to that produced in the United States is now being used increasingly on new residences because of cost. Sanyo has recently revised their flat-panel shingle, changing its scale to better integrate with these new conventional roofing materials. The latest version, shown in Figure 2, is about 90 cm wide by 35 cm high, with an exposed area of about 15 cm high.
Installation is direct-mount over the structural roof deck.
A test house employing this new Sanyo roof shingle has been completed at the Japanese PV test site at Rokko Island operated by Kansai Electric. This house is shown in Figure 3. All modules are custom order. In addition to commercial curtain-wall view panels, many other varied applications such as individual skylight units, sloped glazing systems, and residential window units are possible with this versatile product. Sanyo followed the classic Japanese model for market entry.