After encouraging trials with roofing contractors in Texas, California and Colarado, Dow Chemical’s building integrated solar PV is hitting the market.
Dow’s Powerhouse Shingle integrates thin-film CIGS photovoltaic cells right into standard asphalt shingles. Roofing contractors install the shingles with no specialized skills or knowledge of solar installation required.
The product design is said to reduce installation costs because conventional roofing shingles and solar-generating shingles are installed simultaneously by roofing contractors.
“We’re expanding availability in strategically chosen markets where there is strong interest, where electricity costs are high, and where the market is already supporting solar through legislation and incentives,” says Mauro Gregorio, president, Dow Energy Solutions. “These markets have motivated homeowners who are interested in finding ways to bring down their energy costs. In this case, we’re providing a novel solution using an untapped part of the home – a roof – for energy innovation.”
The product is now available in New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Louisiana and Michigan.
Homeowners can’t buy the shingles on their own. Professional roofing contractors are authorized by Dow to sell and install the shingles. The only add-on required is a DC-to-AC inverter which feeds power into the home or back to the electric grid.
In 2007, Dow received $20 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) to fund innovations in building integrated solar PV (BIPV) for residential and commercial markets.
The market for BIPV is forecast to grow dramatically over the next five years, to 4.6 gigawatts in new capacity. Much of that growth will be in Europe, and DOE’s SunShot Initiative has invested $145 million in the technology.
Here’s the website:
Loading...
Very bad idea!! Too many terminations in very hot roofing materials is asking for trouble. If they are wired in series to increase voltage, it’s even worse. PV does not operate efficiently when the temperatures are elevated. They need to have cooler air behind them to achieve this. Another scam to get government money in my opinion.
SOLAR ENERGY SOON WILL POWER ALL OF THE EARTH
ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES & ELECTRIC VEHICLES SOON TO OUT SELL ALL OTHERS
Energy has driven the world for over a thousand years Wind, Hydro and Solar are the oldest forms of energy giving power to all smart enough to use it.
In the last 200 years Coal, Oil and Nuclear has given energy to many worldwide and great power and wealth to only a few. At the cost of many lives in coal Mines, Oil Spills, Radiation, Cancer and Polluting the Air and Water on all of the Earth.
Unfortunately for the wicked there is not an unlimited amount of oil on earth. Just the same as the Forest Trees that clean the air and make Oxygen we breath and all living on earth need to Live. As some in denial are not able to recognize or ever see or live with blinders on.
Doctors and Drug ceo’s have been making millions prescribing drugs to many that live near or by High polluted areas. From dirty energy that hurt breathing our lungs, water we drink and harm our children and all. That we all pay for. When all on earth need is Clean Air and Water, and Clean Cities.
Now common sense would be for all to look for a Clean Fuel Source like Wind, Hydro, Geothermal and Solar. Renewable Energy is eliminating the need for Dirty Energy Worldwide at a record pace. With SOLAR ENERGY Clearly the front runner.
To the fear of some of the richest people on Earth. They to surprisingly are doing
something extraordinary investing in Solar Energy. After years of many of them trying to under mine it.
Fuel that makes energy to ship goods, or make electric for homes and manufacturing. Can transform whole nations into prosperity and wealth or poverty and economic hardships for most all. Just as taxes on taxpayers has done. For over two thousand years. Making slaves of many to the wicked and unjust few. History Lesson Roman Empire, Persian Empire now OIL Empire oh sorry OPEC.
The Freedom to get your own Power from the Wind and Sun, Solar Energy has been there for years. Are Libraries and Schools should have been the first to have gone Solar and Renewable Energy. And why are they not? Churches are all over the Planet. They are going to Solar Energy.
Thank GOD for the Pioneers like John Schaeffer that Started Real Goods The first and Best catalog for Renewable Energy and Dr. Addison Bain one of NASA top Scientist and Scientist Bill Young at the FSEC Florida Solar Energy Center and Monica D. Key Lindbergh for many years wrote to legislators promoting Solar and Renewable Energy and many others.
These Pioneers helped put Wind, Solar And Renewable Energy in the Spotlight for all the World to see. One of The Greatest Scientists ever Albert Einstein Stared it with a Dream that the day would come that all the World would use Solar Energy. His many years of work with the law of the “Photoelectric Effect”, and showing this to the World won him the Nobel Prize in Physics. For the “Photoelectric Effect”
Free Energy From the SUN in the heavens above.
We still do not teach this to our young.
Very soon Hybrid Vehicles and (EV’s) Electric Vehicles will out number the ones that need oil and gas to go. With the ability to recharge them at home and work from the sun.
Tesla Motors with its new Model S electric sedan, will be one of many the World will see soon. Honda, Nissan, Audi,VW, BMW and Volvo are just some of the Car Companies putting into production Electric Vehicles a EV, and many more are and many are building Electric / Hybrid Vehicles. The DeLorean Motor Company will be putting into production by 2013 a DMC-EV Electric DeLorean, that will have a body and power plant that will last you a life time. Just think you can recharge them at home and work free from the sun Solar Energy.
The Lord’s Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
Now to own a car that will never rust way and runs on the power from the sun that’s the one for me. Very soon most all on earth will be able to get energy by recharging from the sun and wind.
Cities that want to be Clean clean-cities.org many of them are putting in recharging stations in their heart of their downtown of their city all over the Planet Earth. Many Thanks mostly to Scientist Bill Young and his team at FSEC for their many years of work at this..
GOD Bless You Professor Takashi Ohira and your team for the good work they are doing. To promote Clean Cities with Clean Transportation that will let some drive all day without having to stop to recharge. As Neil Armstrong would say one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Just one step closer to the World being powered be the Sun Solar Energy.
Going Solar
Germany, Denmark, Australia, Sweden, Norway, India and Israeli clearly a leader in Solar companies and Renewable Energy is helping many World Wide and a long list of Nations Going Solar even Iran with its Archimedes Tower. At its Shiraz Solar Power Plant Iran and all the Oil Nations on Earth know the World is going to SOLAR Energy.
Albert Einstein’s Dream coming true
The Earth Powered By SOLAR ENERGY.
IN response to Johnathan Cole above. You are talking about problems that we could fix with solar SMALL problems and that is why we can’t have this technology? No this is a ridiculous sentiment for you to express. Instead of using your knowledge to say why it can;t be done, why not use it to help make something that WILL work. Please this is not a time for what we can;t do. We should focus on what we can.
As a professional roofer with 35 years of experience, I can tell you that hundreds of “great” ideas have been introduced and failed miserably in the field. Roofing accounts for 50% of all construction lawsuits. Adding anything to a roof’s “job” is a bad idea. If homeowners really want to save energy, then they should build with SIPS or spray foam in their walls. How “energy efficient” will these solar panels be when they start leaking, saturate insulation and create mold inside the home? Solar is fine with me but not as part of the roof. Trust me. I’ve seen this all before.
Bert, What’s going to leak out of a SOLAR shingle? Are you thinking water??
Actually, PV silicon has heat issues…not the case for PV CIGS which are what DOW has…be careful when you generalize about things