If you want to generate some solar energy but don't want to have weird-looking solar panels on your roof, Dow Solar has a solution for you. The company has achieved solar shingularity: Its roof shingles are solar panels! The solar panels are shingles! The discerning homeowner can live out green dreams while still conforming to suburban norms.
The shingles use thin-film solar technology, which generally is not as efficient at converting light into energy as traditional silicon solar panels. But thin-film panels are often cheaper to manufacture and can be more durable than silicon panels. And if you’re doing your whole roof, it doesn’t matter so much if each tile is less efficient.
Rooftop solar panels also have the effect of keeping buildings cool, thus reducing how much energy you need to get out of them. So if you tile your entire roof with solar shingles, maybe your attic will be cool enough to give Junior the hip, under-eave bedroom he always wanted to live out his teenage angst in.
