How Are solar battery Power Roof Shingles Different

How Are solar battery Power Roof Shingles Different?

Solar shingles are a type of thin-film, flexible solar panel, which is produced in sheets that look amazingly like regular asphalt roofing shingle sections. This Old House Magazine describes these products as building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) that blend photovoltaic cells, other roofing materials and asphalt--or metal and slate. They generate electricity in the same way as regular solar panels, and can be connected to the grid or used off-the-grid. A single solar roof tile provides only about 50-200 watts, but since you are installing yards of these shingles, the sheer number of solar cells create a solar powerhouse of energy production. Another advantage is that the solar roof tiles do not need to be covered with glass, such as solar panels, which increases both sunlight absorption and efficiency. As you would with an installation of rooftop solar panels, the shingles should be installed on parts of the roof that are facing solar south, and should never be shaded.

Solar Roof Shingles Cost Less than Rooftop Panels

New technology is constantly improving solar system shingles, and new products are gaining market share. Dow Chemical, whose product research and development was assisted by funding from the US Department of Energy, presented their new solar shingles in 2009, and plans to launch the product by the end of 2011. Dow says the overall cost of their product, called the "Powerhouse", will be lower than conventional solar energy systems. This is because of a new type of semiconductor used, copper indium gallium diselenide, as well as the fact that roofers do not need special training to install these shingles. Experts predict that, just as prices are falling each year for standard solar panels, improvements in technology and production efficiency will also lower costs for solar shingles within the next few years.