A shingle comprises an overlay, an underlay, and a height increasing material disposed between the overlay and the underlay. The height increasing material includes a first adhesive adhered to the overlay, height increasing granules adhered to the first adhesive, and a second adhesive adhered to the height increasing granules and the underlay. The height increasing material can extend along front ends of tab portions of the overlay, along front cutout edges that extend between tab portions of the overlay, or both.

Roofing shingles are disclosed that are capable of self-adhering to a roof deck or underlayment and/or other roofing shingles and that require few or no mechanical fasteners to remain attached to the roof. By appropriate positioning of sealant lines on the shingle, direct adhesion between the shingle and the roof deck or underlayment and/or other roofing shingles can be achieved. If the shingle is laminated, the layers may be mechanically attached with indentations in the common bond area. The nail zone of the shingle may be visually indicated with fines and/or one or more paint lines. A roofing system comprising a plurality of courses of the shingles is also disclosed.

A roof tile system and a method for installing the roof tile system is disclosed. The roof tile system comprises a first roof tile and a tile-holding device. The first roof tile comprises a first attaching means, the first attaching means for attaching the first roof tile to a second roof tile when the first roof tile and the second roof tile are arranged together on a roof. The first roof tile further comprises a flange extending from a first end portion. The tile holding device for fixing tiles to the roof comprises a channel for receiving the flange so as to inhibit lifting of the first end portion away from the roof.

There is provided a cladding member (13) formed of a supporting body portion (67) having mounts (54) and a head portion (12), and an absorber surface portion (70) having a peripheral boundary wall (71) defining a recess into which a solar cell array (removed in this view for clarity) is bonded. The supporting (67) and absorber surface (70) body portions are pressure moulded from polyvinyl ester/glassfibre (30%)/fire retardant (40%)/pigment sheet moulding compound. Complementary bonding portions (72) form a glue line in assembly and have complementary water passages (73) defined therebetween. The bonding portions (72) contrive a generally sinusoidal glue space (74) that is longer that the transverse sectional dimension of the boding portions (72), cooperating with the adhesive system to resist water pressure in the passages (73).

Roofing shingles are disclosed that are capable of self-adhering to a roof deck or underlayment and/or other roofing shingles and that require few or no mechanical fasteners to remain attached to the roof. By appropriate positioning of sealant lines on the shingle, direct adhesion between the shingle and the roof deck or underlayment and/or other roofing shingles can be achieved. If the shingle is laminated, the layers may be mechanically attached with indentations in the common bond area. The nail zone of the shingle may be visually indicated with fines and/or one or more paint lines. A roofing system comprising a plurality of courses of the shingles is also disclosed.

A shingle comprises an overlay, an underlay, and a height increasing material disposed between the overlay and the underlay. The height increasing material includes a first adhesive adhered to the overlay, height increasing granules adhered to the first adhesive, and a second adhesive adhered to the height increasing granules and the underlay. The height increasing material can extend along front ends of tab portions of the overlay, along front cutout edges that extend between tab portions of the overlay, or both.

A multi-element panel system configured for attachment to a mounting surface includes at least two panels. The panels each have an upper portion oriented upward and a lower portion oriented downward, relative to the mounting surface. A plurality of faces are formed on the panels and a plurality of keyways are formed between the faces. The keyways are recessed toward the mounting surface from the faces. The panels have a water trough, which has a planar intersection with the faces, formed on an exterior side of the upper portion, and a water channel extending between the upper and lower portions of one side of the panel. The panels have a side lap extending between the upper and lower portions on the opposite side of the panel from the water channel. The side lap of one of the panels overlaps the water channel of another, horizontally adjacent, panel.

A flat photovoltaic tile includes a shell made from plastic material and a photovoltaic element in a recess. The tile has front and rear faces, upstream and downstream edges, two right and left lateral edges. Overlapping portions ensure at least water-tightness against liquid water. The tile includes an electrical connection, the rear face including, towards the upstream edge, a tenon intended to hold the tile on a retaining device, in particular a batten. At the photovoltaic element, the tile includes, in its thickness, from the rear face towards the front face: a part of the shell a rear panel, a lower EVA film, a silicon photovoltaic conversion plate, an upper EVA film, and a tempered glass transparent layer, and, elsewhere, the tile includes, in its thickness, the plastic material of the shell.

A multi-element panel system configured for attachment to a mounting surface includes at least two panels. The panels each have an upper portion oriented upward and a lower portion oriented downward, relative to the mounting surface. A plurality of faces are formed on the panels and a plurality of keyways are formed between the faces. The keyways are recessed toward the mounting surface from the faces. The panels have a water trough, which has a planar intersection with the faces, formed on an exterior side of the upper portion, and a water channel extending between the upper and lower portions of one side of the panel. The panels have a side lap extending between the upper and lower portions on the opposite side of the panel from the water channel. The side lap of one of the panels overlaps the water channel of another, horizontally adjacent, panel.

A system including a plurality of photovoltaic shingles installed on a roof deck, a plurality of roofing shingles, such as asphalt shingles, installed on the roof deck, and a plurality of step flaps. One end of the roofing shingle overlays a first side of a corresponding one of the step flaps, and one end of photovoltaic shingle overlays a second side of the corresponding one of the step flaps.