Patent ID: 8168880

Claim:
A shingle comprising at least one layer of shingle material; the shingle material having top and bottom surfaces, upper and lower edges defining the shingle height, and right and left edges defining the shingle width; the shingle having a butt portion extending from the upper edge toward the lower edge and between the right and left edges and being adapted to be substantially covered when installed on a roof; the shingle having a tab portion extending from the lower edge toward the upper edge and between the right and left edges and being adapted to be substantially exposed when installed on a roof; the top surface of the tab portion of the shingle having a plurality of visually distinct zones serially arranged between said right and left edges; said visually distinct zones comprising at least one of: (i) zones of different material thicknesses; (ii) zones of different numbers of layers of shingle material; (iii) zones of different numbers of overlay; (iv) zones of different colors; (v) zones of different combinations of colors; (vi) zones of different surface ornamentation; (vii) combinations of any of (i) through (vi) above; wherein at least one said zone includes an active photovoltaic element of predetermined height and width; wherein said at least one zone that includes an active photovoltaic element having any zones that are adjacent thereto being free of an active photovoltaic element; and with the aggregate width of the total number of the at least one photovoltaic element of the shingle being less than half the shingle width.