Solar shingles
Encyclopedia
Solar shingles, also called photovoltaic shingles, are solar cells designed to look like conventional asphalt shingle
s. There are several varieties of solar shingles, including shingle-sized solid panels that take the place of a number of conventional shingles in a strip, semi-rigid designs containing several silicon solar cells that are sized more like conventional shingles, and newer systems using various thin film solar cell technologies that match conventional shingles both in size and flexibility. Solar shingles are manufactured by companies including (Ecotech) ecotechshingles.com, SunPower
Corporation, U.S. Green Energy Corporation, United Solar Ovonic (Uni-Solar), Solar Components Corporation, Atlantis Energy Systems, and Dow Chemical.
estimated that their entry into the solar shingle market would generate $5 billion in revenue by 2015 and $10 billion by 2020.
to make the conversion.
(CuInxGa(1-x)Se2) cells can be installed in 10 hours, compared with the 22 to 30 hours required for the installation of traditional panels. The lower cost of installation dramatically reduces the cost of solar power implementation.
Asphalt shingle
An asphalt shingle is a type of roof shingle. They are one of the most widely used roofing covers because they are relatively inexpensive and fairly simple to install.-Types:...
s. There are several varieties of solar shingles, including shingle-sized solid panels that take the place of a number of conventional shingles in a strip, semi-rigid designs containing several silicon solar cells that are sized more like conventional shingles, and newer systems using various thin film solar cell technologies that match conventional shingles both in size and flexibility. Solar shingles are manufactured by companies including (Ecotech) ecotechshingles.com, SunPower
SunPower
SunPower Corporation designs and manufactures high-efficiency crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, roof tiles and solar panels based on a silicon all-back-contact solar cell invented at Stanford University. SunPower Corporation is publicly traded on the NASDAQ as SPWRA and SPWRB...
Corporation, U.S. Green Energy Corporation, United Solar Ovonic (Uni-Solar), Solar Components Corporation, Atlantis Energy Systems, and Dow Chemical.
History
Commercial solar shingles were first available in 2005. In a 2009 interview with Reuters, a spokesperson for the Dow Chemical CompanyDow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
estimated that their entry into the solar shingle market would generate $5 billion in revenue by 2015 and $10 billion by 2020.
Description
Solar shingles are photovoltaic cells, capturing sunlight and transforming it into energy. Most solar shingles are 12 by and can be stapled directly to the roofing cloth. When applied they have a 5 by strip of exposed surface. Different models of shingles have different mounting requirements. Some can be applied directly onto roofing felt intermixed with regular asphalt shingles while others may need special installation.Appearance
Solar shingled roofs have a deep, dark, purplish-blue color, and therefore look similar to other roofs in most situations. Home-owners may be drawn to solar shingles because of their aesthetic value, allowing the homeowner to utilize solar power without large panels on their roofs.Conversion
All photovoltaic power is produced in the form of direct current (DC). Homes use alternating current (AC). Therefore part of the cost of installation of solar shingles is the price of an inverterInverter (electrical)
An inverter is an electrical device that converts direct current to alternating current ; the converted AC can be at any required voltage and frequency with the use of appropriate transformers, switching, and control circuits....
to make the conversion.
Energy storage
The most inexpensive way to install solar shingles is to use the grid as a backup source of electricity. Backup storage, in the form of batteries, is expensive, adds complexity to the installation, and is uneconomic in any large scale. Battery backup units require an array of additional hardware. This includes batteries, battery enclosures, battery charge controllers, and separate sub panels for critical load circuits. However, grid power is only useful as a backup system if it is available when solar power is not.Cost
Older solar shingle designs were more expensive to install than traditional PV panels, but new, more efficient designs such as thin-film copper indium gallium selenideCopper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
(CuInxGa(1-x)Se2) cells can be installed in 10 hours, compared with the 22 to 30 hours required for the installation of traditional panels. The lower cost of installation dramatically reduces the cost of solar power implementation.
See also
- Building-integrated photovoltaics
- Energy developmentEnergy developmentEnergy development is the effort to provide sufficient primary energy sources and secondary energy forms for supply, cost, impact on air pollution and water pollution, mitigation of climate change with renewable energy....
- Green technology
- Solar energy
