Lunching and learning with RT3

By Lauren White

Tractile is transforming the roofing industry one solar tile at a time.

The Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) gathered together Tuesday afternoon of International Roofing Expo (IRE) week with some new friends from Tractile. Based out of Australia, the owner and inventor of Tractile, Jason Perkins, and Lloyd Alcorn with SolarWaco from Texas, joined us for a Lunch and Learn to share about the innovative Tractile solar tiles.

Offering both solar tiles and roof tiles, Tractile provides residential contractors and homeowners with a whole roof solution. “I put roofing, photovoltaic and thermal into a tile that’s 25 mm thick,” Jason shared. This independent company is providing lightweight building solutions that are certified for extreme winds, hailstorms and wildfires. Suitable for hot or cold climates, beachfront homes and hail-prone areas, Tractile is a financial asset for consumers due to their energy conservation and energy efficiency. “55% of the suns energy is converted into usable electricity for household products,” Jason shared. Compared to other models, Tractile generates approximately 12% more electricity than other models on the market. “We want to transform the roofing industry,” as Jason put it. And based on the reaction of RT3 members in attendance, Tractile has achieved that.

Jason knew that he “needed to wrap the technology in a desirable format” as he was developing Tractile. The sleek design is aesthetically pleasing, lightweight and easy to install. Designed with contractors in mind, each tile is the width of an average person’s arm span and light enough that one person can carry it themselves. The durable, noncorrosive material won’t break when hit with a hammer and can withstand the weight of multiple contractors and their tools. And what really surprised and impressed the RT3 attendees was its interlocking hook and batten system, which means there’s no need for penetrations on the face of the tiles, making it a true waterproof system.

In terms of thermal capabilities, there’s a lot of potential for homeowners to make their homes even more efficient. With the serpentine design of the piping that runs behind the solar tiles, there are opportunities for homes in hot and cold climates. In areas like Dubai, Jason shared that the pools get too hot and homeowners are paying to cool their pool water, but with Tractile, that warm water can be run through the pipes at night to cool the water down and add it back into the pool to save on those energy costs. And on the other hand, for homes in snowy climates where the panels will get covered in snow, warm water can be run through the pipes to help melt that snow. Another perk? The materials are safe for rainwater collection because, according to Jason, in Australia every roof needs to be able to harvest drinkable water.

Already popular in Australia, one installation has been completed in the United States in Stephenville, Texas, just over three hours north of San Antonio. For the first time presenting to an audience in the United States, Jason was eager to share about Tractile to a group of such forward-thinking individuals and early adopters in the roofing industry. Considering the Australian market is several years ahead of the U.S. in terms of roofing technology, and based on the adoption rate in Australia, we expect to see Tractile flourish in the states.