For many owners of heritage-listed homes, the road to sustainable energy is anything but straightforward. The roofs above these buildings may be beautiful, rich with terracotta ridges, decorative detailing and traditional materials, but they often stand in the way of modern energy upgrades. Strict planning controls, technical constraints and visual sensitivities have long kept solar off the table. Yet as the movement toward clean energy gains momentum and emissions targets become more ambitious, more and more homeowners are looking for ways to contribute without compromising the architectural legacy of their homes.
The challenges of installing solar on heritage homes are often shaped by planning restrictions and roof geometry. Traditional solar panels are large, rigid systems that require expansive, unobstructed roof space, something many heritage-era homes simply do not offer. Steep pitches, decorative rooflines and small, fragmented planes can make it difficult to position panels in a way that is both effective and discreet. In areas protected by heritage overlays, which are planning controls designed to preserve the historical character of a neighbourhood, visible solar installations are often limited or prohibited, especially on street-facing elevations. Even when technically feasible, these constraints can lead to drawn-out approval processes or design compromises that impact performance.
This tension between heritage preservation and sustainable energy has left many homeowners in limbo, eager to make an environmental upgrade but constrained by the limitations of their roof or planning scheme.
What if solar could be integrated in a way that respects both?
That is the question Volt Solar Tiles is helping to answer. Developed in Australia and now available globally, Volt’s roof-integrated system offers a viable solution for heritage and character homes where conventional solar is not an option. Instead of sitting on top of the roof structure, Volt tiles become part of it, replacing standard terracotta or concrete tiles with a product that matches their format while incorporating advanced photovoltaic technology within each unit.
It is a solution that addresses multiple constraints at once. Volt tiles are designed to integrate seamlessly into the roofline, preserving the rhythm and geometry that define heritage character. Their modular format allows them to be installed across smaller, fragmented roof planes where conventional panels would struggle to fit. From a planning perspective, their integrated design presents a more compatible option for heritage approvals compared to surface-mounted panels, especially when visibility and material alignment are taken into account.
“There’s growing interest in solar from owners of heritage homes, but so much of the existing market isn’t compatible with their needs,” says Peter Leeson, CEO of Volt. “Our technology is designed to meet performance requirements without compromising architectural integrity. It’s not about making solar disappear, it’s about making it belong.”
That sense of belonging is central to a recent project in Tasmania, where I Want Energy installed Volt Solar Tiles on a heritage-inspired home renovated by Studio Ilk and roofed by Rockwell Roofing. Whilst the street-facing section of the roof was finished in a traditional Marseille profile in Roja, the remainder of the home was complemented with Bristile Roofing’s Planum range in the same warm terracotta hue. Volt tiles were integrated into this refined profile, their presence deliberate but discreet—a quiet gesture of modernity within a traditionally framed silhouette.
There is something compelling about this contrast. The clean, low-profile geometry of Planum allows Volt’s technology to be expressed without shouting. Instead of mounting panels above the roofline, the solar system is woven into it, not hidden, but harmonised. For homes with tight roof planes or stringent planning overlays, this approach offers a way forward, balancing performance with visual integrity.
Crucially, Volt’s tiles are not an afterthought. They are intended to be installed at the time of roof construction or replacement, making them especially well suited to restorations, rebuilds or homes in transition. As local councils begin to engage more openly with integrated solar solutions, systems like Volt’s are emerging as a credible alternative to conventional rooftop arrays.
Of course, not every heritage property will meet the criteria for rooftop solar. But where context allows, Volt opens the door to a new kind of architectural dialogue, one that embraces energy efficiency without forsaking the character of place. In a sector long underserved by clean energy design, it represents a subtle but significant shift.
There is, perhaps, a deeper alignment here too. Heritage homes were built in an age of care and consideration, when materials were chosen for life and craftsmanship was part of the structure itself. Volt’s approach echoes that mindset. It is a solution built to last, shaped to suit, and designed not to overwrite, but to complement what came before.
As Australia continues its transition toward a net-zero future, our historic buildings must find their place in that conversation. With integrated solar technologies now maturing, the path forward no longer demands compromise. Instead, it offers the possibility of progress, gently expressed and architecturally resolved.
Written by Natassja Lindrea