Solar-reflective roofing granules having deep-tone colors are formed by coating base mineral particles with a coating composition including an infrared-reflective pigment. Color is provided by a colored infrared pigment, a light-interference platelet pigment, or a metal oxide.

Solar-reflective roofing granules having deep-tone colors are formed by coating base mineral particles with a coating composition including an infrared-reflective pigment. Color is provided by a colored infrared pigment, a light-interference platelet pigment, or a metal oxide.

A method and apparatus for applying or dropping granules onto the asphalt coated surface of a moving sheet in shingle manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes sharing each drop between two or more blend rolls with a subsequent blend roll or rolls applying a partial drop directly on top of partial drops already applied by a first blend roll or rolls. High production speeds can be accommodated since each roll can be operated at slower rotation rates and with slower acceleration and deceleration requirements than would be required if the full granule drop were applied during the same time interval with a single blend roll.

A solar heat-reflective roofing product includes a base sheet, and solar heat-reflective roofing granules on top of the base sheet. The granules have a base particle with a flake-like geometry covered by a uniform coating layer. The coating layer has a thickness of at least one mil and includes a coating binder and at least one solar heat-reflective pigment. The solar heat-reflective pigment provides a solar heat reflectance of greater than 70 percent to the granules and the roofing product. Roofing products including roofing shingles and roofing membranes are described.

A method of making a laminated shingle is provided. The method includes coating a shingle mat with roofing asphalt to make an asphalt-coated sheet, adhering a reinforcement member to a portion of the asphalt-coated sheet, covering the asphalt-coated sheet, and optionally covering the reinforcement member, with granules to make a granule-covered sheet, dividing the granule-covered sheet into an overlay sheet and an underlay sheet, wherein the overlay sheet has a tab portion normally exposed on a roof and a headlap portion normally covered-up on a roof, the headlap portion having a lower zone adjacent the tab portion and an upper zone adjacent the lower zone, and wherein the reinforcement member is adhered to the lower zone of the headlap portion and laminating the overlay sheet and the underlay sheet to make the laminated shingle.

The present invention relates generally to the photovoltaic generation of electrical energy. The present invention relates more particularly to photovoltaic arrays for use in photovoltaically generating electrical energy. Aspects of the present invention provide a variety of photovoltaic roofing elements and systems that include, for example, interlocking geometries to provide for water handling and integration with conventional roofing materials; and wire management features that can protect wiring and associated electrical components from physical and/or environmental damage.

Roofing granules comprising agglomerated inorganic material, and building materials, such as shingles, that include such roofing granules. By fabricating roofing granules from agglomerating inorganic material it is possible to tailor the particle size distribution so as to provide optimal shingle surface coverage, thus reducing shingle weight and usage of raw materials. Additionally, the use of agglomeration permits the utilization of by-products from conventional granule production processes.

A shingle blank includes a substrate coated with asphalt, a headlap portion, a prime portion, a starter shingle separation line, and first and second ridge shingle separation lines. The headlap portion has a first sealant that extends along the width of the substrate, and the prime portion has a second sealant that extends along the width of the substrate. The starter shingle separation line extends along the width of the substrate and facilitates separation of the shingle blank into first and second starter shingles. The first starter shingle includes the first sealant and the second starter shingle includes the second sealant. The first and second ridge shingle separation lines extend along the height of the substrate from an upper edge of the substrate to a lower edge of the substrate and facilitates separation of the shingle blank into three ridge shingles. Each of the three ridge shingles includes a portion of the first sealant and a portion of the second sealant.

A roofing shingle includes an asphalt-coated overlay sheet, an underlay sheet having a front surface secured to the overlay sheet, and a reinforcement member is secured directly to the asphalt coating of the headlap portion of the overlay sheet without extending into the tab portion. The asphalt coated overlay sheet includes a first granular material secured to a first portion of a front surface of the headlap portion of the overlay sheet along the nail zone, and a second granular material secured to a second portion of the front surface of the headlap portion of the overlay sheet adjacent to the first portion of the front surface of the headlap portion, with the first granular material providing a thinner cross-section than the second granular material to define a depressed surface extending along said longitudinal axis of the nail zone.

Solar-reflective roofing granules having deep-tone colors are formed by coating base mineral particles with a coating composition including an infrared-reflective pigment. Color is provided by a colored infrared pigment, a light-interference platelet pigment, or a metal oxide.