Scientists at have designed a new hybrid roofing system which could halve energy bills in new homes.

The patented new system, designed by scientists at Brunel University London, harnesses a unique mixture of technologies to pre-heat domestic hot water for radiators, baths and showers while also generating electricity.

At its heart is the use of heat pipes — super conductors of heat energy — found in high tech devices from PCs to the International Space Station where they prevent it from melting in the heat of the sun on one side and freezing in the vacuum of space on the other.

Dr Hussam Jouhara of Brunel’s Institute of Energy Futures, who led the British team which developed the new system explained:

“Until now there was no system which fully addressed all the technical and practical issues which face making an entire building’s roof a solar-powered generator of both heat energy and electrical energy.”

Heat pipes seemed to Dr Jouhara an obvious solution to a major technical issue with solar cell or photovoltaic (PV) panels used to generate electricity.

Attempts to integrate installing solar panels with conventional roofing techniques have a poor track record.

“What was needed was an engineered, systems approach,” said Dr Jouhara. “Our solar panels are PV coated for the most southerly-facing aspect of the roof and are designed to clip together as a weather-tight roof as simply as clicking together laminate flooring.

The solar roof is now undergoing extensive further trials at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in Watford where a prototype is powering a standard UK three-bedroom detached house.

And already there has been one unexpected finding. “Our flat heat pipes are so efficient that they can actually capture the energy from early morning dew evaporating off the trial roof,” added Dr Jouhara.