New Solar Panels That Imitate Roof Tiles Can Retain Around 95% of Their Power
April 23, 2026 | Source: Interesting Engineering | by Georgina Jedikovska
German researchers have developed a technique for applying realistic designs to photovoltaic (PV) modules that allow them to imitate roof tiles, and blend more seamlessly into buildings.
The new method, called ShadeCut, was invented by a research team at Freiburg’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), one of the largest solar energy research institutes in the world.
It enables complex visual patterns while also retaining approximately 95 percent of the power output of an uncoated module. The novel approach builds on the institute’s MorphoColor technology, a bio-inspired coating for solar panels.