The DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle, part of The Dow Chemical Company's (NYSE:DOW) extensive foray into solar energy, should be available in the coming year.
While solar shingles are nothing new to the world of renewable energy, Dow Solar Solutions appears to be on to something with a shingle that actually looks and installs--well, like a shingle.
In the Right Direction:
The DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle integrates low-cost, thin-film CIGS photovoltaic cells into a proprietary roofing shingle design. Each shingle has its own circuitry and is connected to others via wireless plug-style connectors.
Even better, it can be installed by regular roofing contractors, without specialized knowledge of solar array installations. It's slick design also boasts better--though still not incredible--efficiency: 13% rather than the standard 11%.
Agreed, 13% is pretty crummy when in contrast to other forms of renewable sources, but the aesthetic of the product, combined with the ease of installation and minor improvements in efficiency indicate a trend in the right direction. Part of these improvements also include Dow's emphasis on developing low-cost but reliable photovoltaic materials.
But It's Not Cheap:
Set to be manufactured at Dow's first full-scale production facility in Midland, Michigan, The company estimates that homeowners will pay US$10,000 for 250 shingles spread over 1,000 square feet. Not exactly cheap.
And with a 250 shingle roof only generating 3.5 kilowatts of power, the end product isn’t nearly enough to cover most people’s energy use.
Still, Dow says that the panels can pay for themselves in energy savings within a decade.
It's the sort of development that indicates necessary progress. The DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle has been recognized as one of TIME Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2009, and was also given an award from the GLOBE Foundation for "Environmental Excellence in Emerging Technology."
SOURCE: energyboom
