The vast majority of PV installed on 
rooftops is just that … installed on rooftops. Developing in recent years have been Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV)
The objective being, the transition of solar PV, from being just a merely bolted on afterthought, into being an integral part of the building, dare we say part of every building?
Moving toward integrated solar gets past some of the fiscal and other barriers to greater penetration of solar on rooftops throughout America.
DRI Companies, one of the larger roofing companies in the Western United States,
today announced the launch of a new subsidiary to provide roof integrated solar energy installation services to commercial building owners and residential home builders. The new company, DRI Energy, will address each step of the solar installation process, from design and engineering to installation, finance, rebate administration support and system monitoring services.
What is DRI Enegy offering? No headache roofing/solar. Your solar installer is your roofer. You energy design company is your financier. DRI, with years in the the roofing business, is staking out a position to take advantage of growing technological opportunities, regulations favoring solar power, and tax incentives.
DRI Energy Chief Operating Officer Stephen Torres … says that DRI’s roof integrated solar offering positions the company at the forefront of the solar industry in the West. “For California’s ‘Million Solar Roofs’ campaign to succeed, it’s critical that solar integrators use sound construction management practices,” says Torres. “With DRI Energy, we’re creating one company that can provide a seamless roof integrated solar solution to all our commercial and residential customers in California and other western states.”
The entry of traditional construction firms into the renewable energy business is a good sign of growing market penetration and mainstreaming of “Green” technologies.