After years of anticipation, Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingles are finally available this month, and they stand to transform residential solar. In case you have not heard about this amazing product, it combines regular roofing material with solar panels to create building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Solar roofing materials allow people to both re-shingle their rooftops and also install solar panels with less bulk and aesthetic impact.
Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingles first will be available in October 2011 in Colorado, and then rolled out thereafter to California and other states in 2012.
Solar roof shingles are unlike regular solar panels. They can be installed just as regular asphalt shingles, and weigh less than PV panels. The shingles are glass-free and created with thin-film solar cells, making them like conventional roofing shingles in nearly every aspect, except their ability to generate clean, solar electricity!
Dow Powerhouse solar shingles can be walked on, stacked and dropped. They operate with a plug-in modular system to simplify electrical connections. Consumers have been eagerly awaiting this product for years!
The biggest drawback at this time is the fact that Dow has not yet stated what the price of their solar shingles will be. We do have one hint, however, from Dow Solar Vice President Jane Palmieri who has stated that solar shingle systems may cost up to 15 percent less than conventional residential solar panel arrays. This means about $12-20,000. Palmieri also stated that the system will recoup installation costs in “first part of its intended life,” and that the system “has a lower net cost over its lifetime than a conventional roof and grid-supplied electricity.”
Dow Corning is targeting homeowners that need new roofs, to consider the new solar shingles. Fortunately, solar roof shingles may qualify for solar rebates and tax credits, which help to further defray costs at the outset.