Patent ID: 8695289

Claim:
A photovoltaic roofing system comprising an electrically-interconnected plurality of photovoltaic roofing elements, each photovoltaic roofing element comprising: a flexible multilayer asphalt shingle comprising a plurality of asphalt layers; a photovoltaic element disposed on the flexible multilayer asphalt shingle; and an electrical connector operatively coupled to the photovoltaic element, wherein the flexible multilayer asphalt shingle has formed therein a recess shaped to receive the electrical connector, the recess being formed as a hole or a cutout through the entire thickness of at least one, but not all of the asphalt layers of the flexible multilayer asphalt shingle, such that the recess does not go all the way through the flexible multilayer asphalt shingle, the plurality of photovoltaic roofing elements comprising a first photovoltaic roofing element, the electrical connector of the first photovoltaic roofing element being disposed entirely within the recess; and a second photovoltaic roofing element disposed so as to cover the electrical connector of the first photovoltaic roofing element.