OTGD: Solar Shingles
Nov 13th, 2008 by Kevin
Part of our Off the Grid Development Series.
Solar panels on roof tops have gotten much nicer to look at that traditional roof top solar systems. Take solar shingles, of where there are a number of vendors out there. Here is a product from OKSolar - Photovoltaic Shingles. The shingles assume the patter of traditional asphalt shingles creating a source of electricity as well as protection from elements. They are textured to blend and compliment surrounding shingles. Electrical wires pass through the roof deck to be connected to interior spaces.
SunPower is another vendor of solar roof tiles. Their tiles work with both flat and S-tile roofs. The third vendor I looked at was Dovetail Solar and Wind that also sells roofing panels or shingles.
The pricing on these systems are still relatively high per kwh. Take a look at your home monthly electric bill and then compare it to the cost of these systems. However in an area where the the grid is unreliable (many developing countries) or the cost to connect to the grid is prohibitive these can be a nice addition to an off the grid power system. Plus most homes that we all live in are very inefficient - there many things that could be done to use the power in a more effective way. The efficiency of the devices being powered is key. Take a 9 watt LED light that produces as much light as a standard 70 Watt incandescent.
Further with smart technology coupled with ‘dumb’ solar systems, developments can not only power devices but also distribute and spread the energy around. For example if a development had a number of cabana’s with solar shingles, and they were all connected their power could be shared and redistributed. A cabana not being rented can still contribute to the development - not just if people are using it.
