Cut-away diagram of the KISSTile showing where water and electricity would connect to the tile

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SYDNEY, 22 May 2006 - A clever roof tile has been invented that can generate electricity, perhaps cutting the energy requirements of Australian homes.

Industrial Design graduate at the University of Western Sydney, Sebastian Braat, has devised a roof tile that heats water and generates electricity using the sun's rays.

"The tile is made from tough plastic and exactly matches existing concrete tiles. There are no brackets or extra fittings to attach the device to the roof, so homeowners can simply replace individual tiles on their roof to create the solar array," said Braat.

He has named his tile, KISSTile, which stands for: Keep it Simple Solar Tile. It uses cheap, recycled materials and the integrated nature of the tile means installation is quick and easy.

Inside the plastic tile is a package of solar cells, a heat exchanger and connections to the house's hot water system and electrical wiring.

"There are ever-expanding housing estates with hundreds of thousands of square metres of concrete tiles currently soaking up megawatts of solar energy and doing absolutely nothing productive with it," said Braat.

"It's frustrating to see cutting edge solar technology being developed in Australia but not being implemented widely in our cities," he said.

Braat hopes to find a commercial partner to bring the tile to market.