movable louver roof
with solar panels as tile replacement
2026
Private test project · movable louvers · solar panels instead of roof tiles
A movable louver roof where the roof tiles are replaced by solar panels. The louvers can be adjusted: they open, shade, and tilt the panels toward the sun.
The project was built privately to test ideas that had only existed in my drawings so far — to see how they translate into the real world: mechanics, loads, joints, effort.
| Typology | Movable roof |
| Principle | Adjustable louvers |
| Covering | Solar panels instead of tiles |
| Context | Private test project |
| Location | Karlsruhe |
| Status | In development |
Pricing
Not available
A private research project, not a product. If you are interested in the principle or a possible implementation, please get in touch.
The current state is a prototype. More footage and technical details will follow.
01 — Base frame at 60 cm
I started by building the base frame just 60 cm above ground. Working low made it easy to align the posts, check every joint and fix mistakes before the whole structure was lifted into the air.
02 — First panels test-fitted
Next I mounted the first solar panels temporarily to see how they sat on the louver frames, how the weight distributed and where the cables would later run.
03 — Mechanism tested
With the panels in place I could test the mechanism: the louvers tilt, the bearings run along their rails and the whole field can open and close as one unit.
04 — Raised to 2.1 m
Once the mechanics were confirmed I raised the entire frame onto its final posts, bringing the roof up to 2.1 m — high enough to walk comfortably underneath.
05 — Panels final-installed
Finally the twelve used solar panels were wired in four groups of three and fixed for good. The cells are from 2006, technically outdated, but still perfectly useful here — a second life instead of new material.