Australian company Volt: Making solar a "standard" for new homes

In March 2023, Australian clean energy company Volt announced it would bring to market the "world's first" integrated tile that generates electricity as efficiently as traditional solar panels. This might sound like a simple product launch, but the story behind it is telling.

Volt's founder, Peter Leeson, is an electrician himself. After years of installations, he grew frustrated with traditional methods: "We drill holes, put in bolts, cover the roof with silicon dust, and leave a hole for water to seep in... In 15 to 20 years, we'll look back and think how ridiculous it was." That frustration with "clunky" installation drove him to spend eight years figuring out how to seamlessly embed solar cells into a standard roof tile.

Notably, Leeson openly criticized Tesla's Solar Roof in an interview: "Tesla's biggest mistake was thinking they could become a roof manufacturer... that's not what they're good at." Instead of building its own sales network, Volt smartly partnered with traditional building materials giant Bristile Roofing, making solar tiles part of the "roof" sale. They were targeting Australia's new National Construction Code, which took effect in May 2023 and imposed higher energy efficiency requirements for new homes. Leeson predicted this would directly boost the solar installation rate for new Australian homes from 10-20% to 80-90%.

UK's Wienerberger: Paving the way for the "Future Homes Standard"

Around the same time (February 2023), global brick and roof tile giant Wienerberger launched a new product in the UK called "Sandtoft in-roof Solar."

The context is equally clear: the UK government planned to implement a stricter "Future Homes Standard" by 2025, requiring new homes to reduce carbon emissions by 75-80% from current levels. Wienerberger's launch was designed to help builders meet those regulations early.

Unlike Volt's emphasis on "high efficiency," Wienerberger focused on "integration" and "simplicity." Their tiles use an interlocking design and can be installed directly onto roof battens, making installation fast and looking nearly identical to traditional clay or concrete roofs. To ease builders' concerns, they offered a 15-year warranty on the entire roof system. This was a classic move by a traditional giant embracing clean energy – using its deep industry expertise to make solar an unobtrusive necessity.

Denbighshire, UK: Giving 110 homes a "power-generating coat"

If the first two stories were about "new product launches," the January 2023 report from Denbighshire, UK, is about a real project.

Denbighshire Council undertook a major renovation for 110 older homes – replacing the roofs. They chose a complete roofing system from Marley, which included integrated solar tiles called "SolarTile."

This project is highly representative, touching on a huge retrofit market in Europe. For these older homes, traditional solar panels might spoil the architectural look, but integrated tiles solve that perfectly. Council officials said it would not only help tenants cope with rising electricity bills (estimated savings of about £260 per year) but also give the old houses a more modern, aesthetically pleasing renewal.

A technical note: The hidden heroes

Beyond these finished tiles, the underlying support technology was also advancing. Although the patent from Ironridge (US 11009262) was granted in 2021, it was still frequently cited and discussed in 2023.

The patent describes a clever mounting bracket design. Unlike traditional methods that require penetrating tiles, it uses a base fixed under the roof and an adjustable L‑shaped bracket to support the solar panel rails. For installing traditional solar panels on tile roofs, this represents a huge efficiency and safety improvement. It shows that even if you don't choose expensive integrated tiles, smarter mounting systems are making installations simpler and more reliable.