Excerpt from CBC Article:
BIPVs can simplify installation and potentially save on costs.
PV Technical Services, based in St. George-Brant County, Ont., has been installing traditional solar panels for more than a decade. Co-founder Katherine Zhou said customers started asking why they had to hire one contractor to re-roof their home first and another to install the racks and panels on top — especially since the rooftop penetration required for the panel installation voided the roof warranty.
So the company developed its own solar shingle in 2016. Now, for a cost that Zhou estimates is similar to a metal roof installation, her company can put in solar shingles that both protect the roof from the elements and generate power. “That saves a lot of headaches,” she said.
They can potentially last longer than traditional building materials.