Dow Chemical Company revealed a new line of solar shingles they say can be installed into roofs made of conventional asphalt shingles.The solar shingles should be available by mid 2010 in a limited supply and then readily accessible by 2011.
The new shingle technology is composed of thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide photovoltaic cells in a design that creates a solar energy generating roof product. The product is intended for use by homeowners interested in generating their own electricity.
“One day, a person would no more think about buying a house without solar shingles than they would buy a house without plumbing. That is our hope, at least.” said John Cleereman, Senior Director of Solar Development.
Building Intergrated Photovoltaic systems often are integrated into roofing tiles, but Dow says their technology is more energy efficient and costs less. The energy efficiency of their shingles has been reported to be above 10 percent.
They also say their new technology requires only about one third of the installation time of similar technology.
Dow believes their new product could generate 5 billion dollars in revenue by 2015. The company has a large prescence in Michigan, and Governor Jennifer M. Granholm remarked, “Making Michigan a leader in manufacturing green energy products continues to be a key part of our economic plan to grow the economy and create jobs.”
The U.S. Department of Energy provided Dow with $20 million in funding to help develop its BIPV products.
(Image above is generic and not actual product).
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