ML System Expands Photonroof. Another Patent and Over 23,000 sq m of Photovoltaic Roof Tiles in Orders

ML System has received another patent related to its Photonroof photovoltaic roof tile. The protection covers a set of elements that form a complete roof covering – glass roof tiles with integrated photovoltaic cells and their installation method. The company already holds a patent for the manufacturing technology of the tile itself, so the new solution completes the entire Photonroof system. The product’s premise is simple: a roof does not have to be a surface on which a solar installation is mounted after the fact. It can generate energy itself. Photonroof replaces traditional roofing, while the PV cells embedded in the tiles simultaneously generate electricity.

The new patent covers, among other things, the method of fastening and sealing the roof tiles. They can be laid on wooden battens, much like classic ceramic tiles. There is no need for the additional aluminum support structure required by standard photovoltaic panels. This simplifies installation and reduces the number of elements needed to construct the roof.

When it comes to roofing, however, it is not just the installation method that matters. The material must withstand variable weather conditions and mechanical damage for years. The ceramic layer applied by ML System strengthens the glass. The roof tile is resistant to impacts from tennis ball-sized hail at speeds of 140 km/h. Its scratch resistance, meanwhile, is 8/10 on the Mohs scale.

“This is yet another patent granted to ML System recently, and a confirmation of the innovative nature of our solutions. Our specialty has become technologies used in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), where building materials can not only form a structure and fulfill specific utility functions but also generate energy. Our inventions redefine the role of buildings, transforming them into active objects of the green transition,” emphasizes Dawid Cycoń, Vice President of ML System.

Over 23,000 sq m in the Order Portfolio

Photonroof has been available on the market since 2025. In its first year of sales, ML System delivered 1,716 sq m of photovoltaic roof tiles. Today, the order portfolio exceeds 23,000 sq m. This is over thirteen times the sales volume achieved last year.

The product has already found applications both in Poland and abroad. Photonroof was used, among other places, in a ski chalet in Chamonix in the French Alps and in apartments in Bali. The roof tiles are also being supplied to private domestic and foreign investments.

An important element of the solution is the ability to reconcile energy production with the building’s aesthetics. This is particularly significant in places where the use of classic panels might interfere with the property’s architecture. Photonroof has received positive recommendations from national heritage conservators and regional landscape conservators. It also meets fire safety requirements, allowing the solution to be used on roof surfaces exceeding 500 sq m.

The development of the roof tile is part of a broader strategic direction adopted by ML System. The company is working on building materials that, in addition to their primary function, can also generate energy. In September, the company announced another patent concerning an element that connects a photovoltaic cell with glass and a durable ceramic coating. The surface can mimic the appearance of wood, concrete, granite, or marble, among others.

As a result, photovoltaics increasingly look less like an additional installation bolted onto a finished building. It can simply be one of the materials used to construct the building—a roof, a facade, or glass—that simultaneously generates energy while serving its primary function.

ML System currently holds 22 patents, with further patent proceedings pending.