An "Invisible Revolution" in Mounting: Standardisation Leads the Way in Installation Methods
Tiled roof solar mounting systems generally consist of mounting hooks, brackets, rails and fasteners. They must adapt to different tile shapes – flat, curved or interlocking – and use corrosion‑resistant materials such as aluminium alloy and stainless steel to ensure durability. Traditional installation methods require drilling holes in the roof to fix the brackets, which often leads to cracked tiles, failed waterproofing layers and weakened structural integrity. In 2024, the industry’s focus has shifted decisively from “whether installation is possible” to “how to install without causing damage”.
On the international stage, tiled roof mounting technology took the spotlight at the Solar & Storage Live UK 2024. Mibet, a well‑known mounting system manufacturer, presented its ceramic tile and colour‑coated steel tile PV mounting systems, which closely follow roof contours, are easy to install and maintain, and are highly compatible with the wide variety of tile shapes found on old buildings across Europe – greatly improving the efficiency of non‑destructive installation. Meanwhile, in April 2024, US solar mounting solution provider S‑5! released a new rooftop mounting system featuring modular components and corrosion‑resistant materials, further simplifying the installation process on both metal and non‑metal roofs. Clearly, manufacturers worldwide are accelerating the transformation of tiled roof installation from “customised construction” towards “standardised products”.
Concentrated Patent Grants: Solving the Two Big Headaches of Waterproofing and Load‑Bearing
The second half of 2024 saw a wave of utility model patents in China specifically targeting tiled roof mounting systems, directly addressing two major pain points:
Pain Point 1: Leaks caused by drilling. In November 2024, Zhongshe Co., Ltd. obtained a patent for a support mechanism for building‑integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) that uses a magnetic structure for installation – no holes required in the colour‑coated steel tiles. This technology not only improves installation convenience, but is also expected to fundamentally solve the problem of shortened roof life caused by rusting screw holes.
Pain Point 2: Roof tile removal that damages the roof structure. In December 2024, China Construction Fourth Engineering Division Corp. obtained a patent for a “photovoltaic roof for low‑carbon buildings”. Its design features a “Z”‑shaped support that protrudes through the gap between two adjacent tiles, combined with a clamp fixed to the roof’s support beams – completely eliminating the need to remove tiles or damage the original supporting structure. Around the same time, Shanghai Youwen New Energy launched a “scissor‑type adjustable PV bracket for roofs”, which uses a scissor mechanism to flexibly adjust the tilt angle of PV panels, improving installation adaptability on tiled roofs with different slopes while maintaining structural stability.
Furthermore, in December 2024, the Qinghai PV Innovation Center of State Power Investment Corporation published a patent for a counterweight block structure for rooftop PV brackets, offering a cost‑saving solution in logistics and installation by eliminating transport deformation issues associated with pre‑embedded bolts.
From Heritage Buildings to Rural Homes: Real‑World Projects Validate the Technology
The ultimate test of any technological advance lies in field application. In 2024, several landmark projects – from protected historic buildings to zero‑carbon villages – validated the maturity of next‑generation tiled roof mounting systems and BIPV technology.
On heritage buildings abroad: Swiss module manufacturer Freesuns successfully installed 33,300 solar roof tiles on three protected buildings in Neuchâtel. Faced with irregular curves and varying slopes, conventional brackets would have been inadequate. This project used custom‑shaped tiles combined with invisible mounting structures, preserving the architectural aesthetics while achieving impressive capacities of 188 kW, 130 kW and 95 kW respectively.
In the domestic (Chinese) market: For a high‑end villa project in Hangzhou, Chint New Energy and Chint Anergy used photovoltaic roof tiles that closely mimic ordinary tiles. With no protruding fixing components, each tile weighs only 6 kg and uses a modular bracket design that achieves “zero structural damage” to the roof, while also passing a Category 15 typhoon uplift resistance test.
At a larger scale, 33 rural households in Xingsheng Village, Pingluo County, Ningxia, uniformly adopted a BIPV model – each with 5.4 kW of PV panels and battery storage, using an integrated mounting system for “self‑generation with surplus electricity fed into the grid”. Each household generates around 9,000 kWh per year and earns an additional RMB 3,000–4,000 annually, making it the first near‑zero‑carbon village in Ningxia. In Zhangjiagang, 35,000 PV panels were successfully installed on a 312,000 m² curved roof with a maximum span of 160 metres. The demanding requirements for structural strength and wind resistance of the mounting system further confirm the rapidly improving reliability of today’s tiled roof mounting solutions.
