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COMPLETE ROOF SYSTEM FROM MARLEY REDUCES GRID RELIANCE AT MAJOR SWANSEA SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT

Building Products Index Ltd PV systems, Roof tiles, Solar Leave a Comment

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To support a roof upgrade and help cut reliance on grid electricity, Princess of Wales Court, an independent living community in Swansea, has selected a complete solution comprising Marley SolarTile® and Mendip concrete roof tiles.

The project, part of a programme supported by the Welsh Government’s Optimised Retrofit Programme (ORP) funding, involved the stripping and retiling of multiple roofs at the development, which is managed by non-profit registered social landlord Caredig.

For Caredig, integrating solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with a planned roof refurbishment provided an opportunity to upgrade the existing housing stock while also supporting carbon reduction targets.

The homes would remain occupied throughout the works, meaning the project needed to be delivered efficiently while minimising disruption for residents.

Support from the project outset

With Marley appointed as the roofing system provider, the project team benefited from early engagement and technical support from specification through to installation. Marley developed the roof specification and ensured the proposed solution was suitable for the project requirements.

This included a site meeting and visual survey, followed by development of an NBS specification and solar PV array design, and the provision of a full component list extending to ridge, fascia and eaves systems.

Crucially, Marley provided guidance on combining SolarTile – a roof-integrated photovoltaic system pairing renewable energy generation with the performance and appearance of a traditional tiled roof – with the rest of the roof design, ensuring a co-ordinated approach.

SureServe Energy Service Wales Ltd carried out the roofing work including the installation of 502 Marley SolarTile panels, each rated at 410W, alongside Marley’s Mendip interlocking concrete roof tile in Smooth Brown.

Collaboration throughout the process

Close collaboration between SureServe, Caredig and Marley ensured smooth progress, with a co-ordinated roof system specification and ongoing communication throughout the project helping to overcome the challenges of delivering refurbishment works to occupied homes.

Tomas Davies, Trainee Project Officer at Caredig, explained: “We were keen to explore a fully integrated photovoltaic solution that could be delivered as part of a complete roof system. Having specified Marley as the roofing system provider, we were particularly interested in their integrated PV offering to ensure a cohesive, high-performing solution.”Chris Marshall, Marley’s regional sales director for the south-west, continued: “Marley SolarTile brings together our roofing knowledge and PV expertise, creating a product that performs and perfectly complements our roof systems. Because we were involved from the earliest stages of the project, we were able to help Caredig develop a specification that addressed the scheme’s technical requirements while delivering reliable roof performance and renewable energy generation.

“This required a high level of co-ordination and communication from SureServe Wales and the wider project team at Caredig to minimise disruption to residents while ensuring works could proceed safely and efficiently,” Tomas explained.

As an integrated solar panel, Marley SolarTile is installed as part of the roof covering, replacing traditional roof tiles to create a low-profile appearance. By combining the roof covering and PV installation, roof-integrated solar PV simplifies installation and improves project efficiency without compromising roof aesthetics or performance.

Benefits over traditional systems

The integrated design of Marley SolarTile also offers practical benefits over traditional on-roof PV systems. Because the tiles sit flush with the roof covering, there is less potential for debris accumulation and bird activity, helping to minimise maintenance requirements. The system has also been designed to withstand local wind pressures.

Tomas noted: “The Marley team worked closely with Caredig to ensure the system met both our technical requirements and the practical constraints of the project. This early collaboration gave us confidence that the integrated roofing and PV solution would perform as intended and could be delivered efficiently on site.”

He concluded: “Overall, the decision to specify Marley as the system provider, combined with early-stage support, strong collaboration with Caredig and effective delivery by SureServe Wales, has resulted in the successful delivery of an integrated roofing and PV solution.”

The Princess of Wales Court refurbishment demonstrates how a roof renewal project can maintain long-term performance and weather resistance in existing housing stock, while providing an opportunity to integrate renewable energy generation into social housing.

The project has been shortlisted for the Pitched Roofing Awards 2026 in the Best Integrated Solar Application category.

For more information, visit Marley’s website.

A brighter balance

Building Products Index Ltd Roof system, Roofing, Rooflights, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

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Making room for photovoltaic panels and daylight

By: Mark Wilcox, Managing Director.

It’s clear that a commercial roof can put sunlight to work in two ways. Photovoltaic (PV) panels generate electricity, while rooflights bring natural light into the building, reducing the need for electric lighting. Planning for both helps a roof deliver more value, through the energy it generates and the environment it creates inside.

For large-span industrial and commercial buildings, the benefits of rooflights go beyond lower lighting energy consumption. Daylight also supports the people working below, giving building owners and occupiers good reason to look beyond how much electricity a roof can produce.

The changing light throughout the day connects occupants with the outside world and supports a healthy 24-hour body clock. Daylight has also been shown to improve alertness and concentration, both welcome additions to the working day.

Spaces well-lit with daylight are associated with better staff retention and reduced absenteeism. Sufficient exposure to daylight is also believed to support long-term health and wellbeing. There are property benefits too: good daylighting has been shown to increase asset value and space utilisation.

Some of these benefits are easier to measure than others, but all deserve consideration when deciding how to use the roof.

For non-residential industrial and commercial buildings, effective daylight provision typically requires rooflights across 10–20% of the roof area. This is a useful starting point when planning rooflights alongside PV panels. The right balance will depend on how the space below is used, the positioning of rooflights and the other equipment the roof needs to accommodate.

There is plenty to fit in, which makes early planning essential. In large-span buildings, daylighting performance is directly related to the proportion of roof allocated to rooflights. Their position matters too. Leaving daylight provision until other rooftop requirements have been settled limits the options available.

For architects, specifiers and roofing contractors, planning rooflights and PV together helps make the most of the available space. It allows the needs of the building and its occupants to shape the roof design from the start.

A successful roof earns its keep in several ways: generating electricity, reducing lighting demand and creating a better working environment. Giving PV panels and rooflights their place in the design helps deliver all three.

At Filon, our specialist rooflighting expertise can help you make daylight part of a balanced, high-performance roof design. Reach out to our team at sales@filon.co.uk, or explore our range on NBS Source.

Fire Protection in Compartmentalised Roofs

Building Products Index Ltd Roofing Leave a Comment

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Working with Marley as a single source roofing solutions supplier will help ensure you meet all regulatory requirements for your clients. 

 

More about the complete Roof System from Marley

 

The Social Housing Regulation Bill
With concerns expressed in the Social Housing Regulation Bill about safety standards in some homes, the ability to offer reassurance about protection from the spread of roof fires should be a key factor in building specification choices.Read our blog about fire safety

 

 

Minimising the dangers

 

According to the government, fire services attended over 40,000 fire-related incidents at homes or primary dwellings over the last 12 months, highlighting the ongoing and obvious danger fires in home spaces – including the roof – present to lives and property. Current building regulations stipulate that any newly constructed home needs to be specified with fire protection measures in place to delay the spread of fire and allow crucial time to escape.

 

Marley Roof Defence

 

The role of a fire barrier is viewed by experts as an integral safety feature that can prevent the spread of flames between properties.

 

Marley Roof Defence fire barrier system is a simple to install and fully fire protective solution that achieves up to a 60-minute fire rating.

 

The Roof Defence fire barrier features two strips of intumescent material bonded at 90 degrees, with an inverted T design, which can simply be installed under tiles and between roof battens to close all gaps in the event of fire.

 

 

One Source Solutions

 

For ultimate peace of mind from specification to construction. A fully tested, complete roof system from Marley is also backed by a 15 year warranty

 

 

Part L

 

Marley SolarTile® is a roof-integrated solar PV system offering specifiers a carbon reducing, Part L compliant solution for new (or retrofit) housing developments.

MARLEY’S ROOF SYSTEM SCOOPS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Building Products Index Ltd Roofing Leave a Comment

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HB Product winner logo 2022 (blk)Marley’s full roof system has won the Best External Product award in the highly competitive 2022 Housebuilder Product Awards.

The expert panel of industry judges recognised how Marley’s complete roof system including integrated solar PV and an innovative fire safety solution – Roof Defence, could help housebuilders tackle prominent issues round future sustainability and end user safety, and ultimately, provide future-proofed roofs.

3056-integrated-PV-OhmEnergy-Sussex(C)ViridianSolar - smlThe judging panel at the Housebuilder Product Awards commented: “The judges favoured entries which satisfied the key criteria of the category including offering solutions to the housebuilder and cost and time saving, as well as, importantly, the need to meet sustainability and zero carbon challenges facing the industry. The judges were impressed by the approach of the best and winning product in this category to put sustainability at the heart of the product range.”

Solar developmentMarley SolarTile®, together with the new and innovative Roof Defence product, can both be specified as component solutions within a fully integrated roof system and help play a significant role in enabling specifiers to satisfy new carbon reduction responsibilities under Part L of the Building Regulations, as well as enhance protection against the risk of fire spread between roof spaces.

Stuart Nicholson, roof systems director at Marley, said: “We are committed to working with specifiers so they can select roofing solutions that meet the needs of their customers and the regulatory landscape they’re operating in. That’s why we’re delighted that the value of future-proofed roofs

“Marley’s single supply offering ensures specifiers can access a fully integrated roofing solution that has sustainability, safety, and performance at its heart.”

To find out more about Marley’s full roof system, visit: https://www.marley.co.uk/roofsystem