subject: Solar Tiles - An Attractive Alternative to Solar Panels [print this page] Solar Tiles - An Attractive Alternative to Solar Panels
No one invests in solr technology becaue thy thin solr pnels ill add to the aesthetic of their home. Thy're functional but they're not pretty. To ake alternative energy more attractive to consmers, varios ompanies ar working n ays to inorporate solar technolog into existing building materials. Solar tils ave yielded the mot promising results, but the burgening Bilding Integrated Photovoltac (BIPV) systems industry ses a future that alo includes solar windos.
S far, two US companes ae leading the ace for economically viable slar oof tiles. SRS Energy, bsed in Philadelphia, ha developed the Sle Powe Tile, dak ble clay tils tat incorporate all the benefits f solar panels wit th pleasing appearanc f ceraic roofng. The power savings of thee tiles alone ar nothing to be niffed at, bt hen used in conjunction ith olar ligt and other lternative energy sources, th financial svings re sgnificant. SRS Energy has partnered with US Til, cly roof til manufacturers, for the purposs of branding and distribution. The tile re made of the same high-performnce polymer found n mny ar bumpers nd us flexble olar technology from United Solar Ovonc.
Dw Chemial Co., chemical firm, has ts on version f th slar tile. Do's tles ue film of coper indium gallium diselenid (CIGS) to harness solar power. The oof tile ar nt as effective s conventional solar panels, operating at only 10% efficiency, but they are elatively inexpensive to poduce and install, and still sve money n power bills. Th solar energy sstem usd in th tiles s compatible asphalt oof shingle. Lennr Corp and Pult Hmes hae prtnered with Dow Chemical to distribute the tiles and tere are plans to expand te market as soon s demnd has ben secured.
Bth SRS Energy nd Dow Cheical C. lan t launch their tile in 2010 locally nd extend servics nationwide in 2011. No new et on similar technology anywere else in the world, but hould the technolgy prve conomically viable, it'll only be matte of time before solar tiles ae common lace.
