Abstract: A photovoltaic shingle having a photovoltaic assembly with a photovoltaic cell or cells. The substrate has an outward face and an inward face and a profile having a plurality of traverse parallel ridges with each ridge separated from the next ridge by a traverse parallel trough. The substrate facilitates vertical and horizontal nesting and alignment. The photovoltaic cell substantially spans the outward face except for a portion thereof that is intended to be overlapped by another similar shingle. The substrate can have two tiers or more, each tier being separated by an integral riser that creates the appearance of two rows or more of shingles. The substrate can be produced from recyclable plastic. The shingles have a translucent color enhancing means for imparting an uniform color and can be produced in many colors and shapes. The shingle is attached directly to a building or roof structure without an intermediary support or framing structure therebetween.