Patent ID: 8209926

Claim:
An assembly for collecting solar energy to reduce ice damming along a roof, comprising; a tabular panel shaped solar collector having an upper surface and a lower opposing surface including a plurality of water drainage passages extending entirely there through; a plurality of support pads containing an upper and lower edge, wherein each support pad is joined along said upper edge to said lower opposing surface of said tabular panel and wherein said lower edge engages an exposed exterior surface of a roof, spacing entirety of said tabular panel away from said exposed exterior surface of said roof forming an airgap of generally uniform thickness extending between said lower opposing surface of said tabular panel and said exposed exterior surface of said roof; wherein said tabular panel is placed on said exterior surface of said roof such that said panel extends beyond the peripheral edge of said roof; and wherein said tabular panel assembly passes solar radiation through said tabular panel to said exposed exterior surface of said roof thereby heating said airgap.