Sounds like there are a few things being mixed in there. I'm not really that convinced that solar panels are any more subject to damage than they would otherwis

Sounds like there are a few things being mixed in there. I'm not really that convinced that solar panels are any more subject to damage than they would otherwise be. Maybe you gain a little in terms leak proofing by having a normal roof underneath but it's a lot of material for a marginal gain. Typically roofs these days are constructed with an impermeable plastic sheeting which is waterproof in its own right but requires protection from the elements (particularly the sun). It's impressive that they managed to make a DC electrical connection proprietary though!