Solar roof tiles: Unleashing technical advantages and contribution to sustainable society

A solar photovoltaic (PV) system is exposed to multiple environmental stresses such as bird droppings, soiling, and cast shadows during its operation, leading to the formation of hotspots. Traditional PV panels are equipped with a bypass diode to prevent system failure in the presence of such stresses. However, the failure of the bypass diode can lead to system failure and accelerated aging. In contrast, solar roof tiles (SRTs), due to their unique series-parallel configuration, are prone to hotspot creation and system failure, even in the absence of bypass diodes. This paper provides a critical analysis of SRTs, focusing on their technical benefits and potential for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Using a Simulink model, the performance of a 1.5 kW SRT system is compared with a traditional PV system under various environmental conditions, including standard testing conditions and scenarios where cells are completely or partially shaded. The study concluded that in a 1.5 kW system, SRTs experienced an energy loss of 1.73 %, while the traditional PV system created infinite resistance to the flow of current. This resulted in no energy production when a single panel in both systems was exposed to environmental stress in the event of bypass diode failure. Moreover, findings demonstrate that SRTs can significantly contribute to a sustainable society by promoting affordable and clean energy access by generating 1871.72 kWh of clean energy annually. In addition, SRTs advance climate action by mitigating 335.7 kgCO2 equivalent GHG emissions through green energy production, even when taking system and aging losses into account.