We have peel-and-stick floor tiles, so why not solar panels?

Lumeta, a unit of DRI, the Irvine, California-based commercial and residential construction and roofing company, is gearing up to unveil lightweight solar panels that can be installed on a flat commercial roof simply by peeling and sticking. The company will also launch solar panel tiles for the residential market that will meld with tile roofs made of concrete and clay, which Lumeta said makes them more aesthetically pleasing.

“Solar panels are an afterthought put on top of the roof using a mounting structure that many times produces penetration to the roof systems,” said Stephen Torres, chief operating officer at Lumeta, which got into the solar-panel market a couple of years ago. “We looked at the space and found products that didn't integrate with roof systems.”

Lumeta, which put together a team of solar experts to develop and manufacture the new form factors for solar panels, is addressing the movement toward more sustainable energy. With oil above $125 a barrel, corporations and individuals are looking for ways to save on energy costs.

Called PowerPly, the peel-and-stick solar panels use advanced solar-panel technology but reduce the weight of the panel by close to 50%.  Lumeta replaced the traditional glass front plate of the solar panel with a Teflon-based transparent sheet made by DuPont (DD) that has the same transparency properties of glass. The sheet is reinforced with fiberglass on the back to give it the needed rigidity. The result: a solar panel that weighs 1.8 pounds per square foot. Traditional solar panels weigh 2.8 pounds per square foot, said Torres.

“There are a number of building types, especially in the sunbelt states, that have light or low-weight tolerance for their roofs,’’ said Torres. “A standard roof system plus a standard solar system on top is higher than the weight limits on many buildings.”

After laying out the solar panels on the roof, all a roofer has to do is peel it from the wax paper and stick it in place.

“Solar panels are developed specifically by solar companies that are very focused on the technology," Torres said. "We looked at it from a construction perspective and from a roofing perspective. The innovation is the form factor around the product rather than the actual technology.”

The PowerPly solar panels will cost 5% to 10% more than traditional solar panels and are geared toward new and existing construction. Torres did caution that since the solar panels have a 20- to 30-year lifespan, it wouldn’t be economical to put on an old roof. PowerPly solar panels should be available by the end of June, after Lumeta gets the product certified. Torres noted that on average it will cost from a few hundred thousand dollars to millions of dollars for installation of the solar panels on commercial buildings, with close to half of the cost covered by government incentives.

On the residential front, Lumeta plans what the company calls Solar S Tiles. These tiles, which will cost on average between $25,000 and $35,000 for a total system, are made to look like tiles found on concrete and clay roofs. Government subsidies will cover about one-third of the cost, according to Lumeta.

Torres said the Solar S Tiles, which will also be available in late June after they are certified, are appealing to residential homebuilders which in the past have been hesitant to incorporate solar panels because of how they look on the roof.

“If you look up at the roof from the street angle, the S Tile blends with the other tiles on the roof,’’ said Torres. “It’s an aesthetically superior solution for solar.”