The roof, supplied and installed free of charge by Calder Stewart Industries Ltd, was commissioned by the Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson.
The supply and installation of the roof was valued at $20,000.
Calder Stewart Roofing general manager John Daly, of Invercargill, said the company saw Doc as a "huge customer in years to come" and wanted to demonstrate the product, which Calder Stewart designed and produces, and prove it would work in extreme climates.
The company approached Doc last year to see if it could trial the Solar Rib in one of the department's huts.
"Our philosophy is you've got to give something to get something back.
"Long term, we'd like to see a lot of those huts converted to Solar Rib roofing."
The Solar Rib technology allows for solar panels to be integrated within the roofing material, supplying power without requiring bulky panels above the roof-line.
Mr Daly said the new roofing was more architecturally sympathetic and unobtrusive.
Doc Te Anau Visitor Assets programme manager Ross Kerr said the department had a couple of huts which required re-roofing, including the main Dumpling Hut roof.
However, Calder Stewart had to trial the product on a small section of Mintaro Hut to see if it could withstand the weather, where an average of 7m of rain falls annually, and kea attacks.
The kea did investigate the roof and "did all sorts of things", but the product proved to be parrot-proof and Calder Stewart was given the green light for the Dumpling Hut installation.
"It's at their [Calder Stewart's] expense, they've kindly done this, which is really nice," Mr Kerr said.
"We're trying to work as an organisation much closer with businesses."
Tansley Electrical also contributed to the project, designing and supplying a suitable electrical system for the hut, Mr Kerr said.
Mr Kerr said he was unsure if the department would roll out the new technology in other Great Walk huts, but said these were "exciting days".
"It's very sustainable and we're using what nature provides.
"We do have gas for people to cook on and that sort of thing ... but if we can make any savings there ... that's a big advantage."
