Visaka Industries has been granted a 20-year patent for its ATUM Solar Roof, for the invention titled “Eco-Friendly Energy Generating Roof.”
Visaka Industries Limited has been granted a 20-year patent for its ATUM Solar Roof. The patent has been granted for the invention titled “Eco-Friendly Energy Generating Roof.” ATUM is a roof that generates electricity. It is a completely integrated, seamless solar roof made with poly or monocrystalline solar cells and cement boards – a highly durable roofing material making it the world’s first solar panel which can be directly used as a roof.
The firm stated that the ATUM does not need any roof underlay like many conventional solar tiles available in the market, it is a standalone roof. As a roof, it has mechanical properties that are far superior to tiles/ shingles/conventional panels. It provides 20-40 percent higher capacity in a given area which makes it a go-to product for utilising the roof area for generating solar power. It also generates 20- 40 percent more power compared to the traditional solar roofs.
“It also looks aesthetically appealing and gives an additional floor space which is not possible with the traditional systems. This makes the ROI with ATUM less than 4 years and a highly attractable investment. Therefore, a consumer can expect to break-even in less than 4 years and enjoy free power for the next 25 years,” the firm issued in a statement.
Speaking about achieving this milestone, Vamsi Gaddam, Joint Managing Director, Visaka Industries Ltd, said, “The invention of ATUM – the world’s first solar roof that generates power is an idea I have been working on from 2016. We filed for the patent in March 2017 following which there were several hearings against global citations we had to validate and make a point regarding the innovation of ATUM. Today, we have a true “Made in India” product for the solar industry. I am delighted to receive the patent for – ATUM – our integrated solar roof. ATUM is the world’s first Eco-Friendly Energy Generating Roof and further strengthens our vision to innovate, focus on sustainable and green technologies, and make an Atmanirbhar India.”
ATUM secured the UL Certification as per the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. It has also been certified by Campbell Corporation, to take a uniform load of 780 lbs per sqft, a snow load of 2200 lbs and the jointing mechanism is a patented leak-proof system as per American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) standards. It is a roof which is a class A fire rated and designed to take wind speeds of over 150 km/h making it hurricane proof. It uses GreenPro Certified material which makes it a highly sustainable, reliable, and safe solar roof.
Compared to a conventional rooftop, which has a lifespan of 15 years, the firm stated that the ATUM has a lifespan of 30 years. The product, as the firm claims, has been successfully installed across many locations in India including Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Mumbai (Maharashtra), and Hyderabad (Telangana).
