Introduction to Solar Power Shingles

Solar power — By Stephanie on August 29, 2008 at 9:37 am

You may have heard of solar power shingles, maybe you’ve even seen photos, but do you really understand what they do when installed on your home or business? Placed on rooftops as any other type of roof shingle, solar roof shingles are photovoltaic (“PV”) devices which transform solar power (in the form of light and radiation) directly into electricity.

Introduction to Solar Power Shingles

Just like regular asphalt shingles, solar power shingles offer durability and protection from weather. After the initial outlay of cost in purchasing and installing the solar power shingles, the result is practically zero cost for electrical power. It doesn’t take long for these shingles to pay for themselves.

The benefits of using free, renewable solar power are endless. How about the comfort of knowing that your home will not lose power during a storm or emergency? Are you concerned about your carbon footprint? What about rising energy costs? Any solar energy harnessed that is not immediately used can be stored by your utility company and credited to future energy bills.

Right now there are billions and billions of available acres on which solar panels can be installed. You need not buy any additional land, or worry about the impact of covering fields of otherwise useful property with structures to harness the energy of the sun. The roofs of our houses, commercial buildings and even skyscrapers, stand virtually empty – ready for coverage with solar power shingles. The combined surface area of all buildings’ roofs – if you can imagine it – would provide ample area on which installed solar energy devices could provide all the electricity required for modern living.

Given how simple and straightforward it is to use these specialized solar power shingles to provide efficient, reliable power, it is amazing that many elected officials do not know that solar power shingles even exist. It is time to raise awareness regarding renewable energy options such as solar roofing, particularly considering the pressing issues related to global warming and climate change. Why would we turn our backs on the option of producing all of our electrical needs by solar power shingles and other solar panels?

It makes no sense for politicians, business managers and government agencies to remain in the dark with respect to the bright future of solar energy. So, let’s take the future to them. Who’s with me?

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10 Comments

  1. ari berger says:
    December 2, 2008 at 5:32 pm

    am a contractor in Texas, interested in installing your product.

    phone 409-515-5808 cell 214-563-6031

    Thanks

  2. Stephanie says:
    December 2, 2008 at 11:23 pm

    Hi Ari – thank you for your interest! We are not directly selling the solar roof shingles here, but we have links throughout this article to companies that do sell them. If you want some more direction, please email us directly and we can provide more links and information about companies that sell solar panels, solar roof shingles and more!

    Thanks,

    Stephanie

  3. DON says:
    January 15, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    i WOULD LIKE TO BECOME AN INSTALLER OF YOUR PRODUCE

  4. John says:
    August 10, 2009 at 6:45 am

    Please send me the links or company info. I need to repair the southern half of my roof and I want these solar power shingles.
    thanx john tyler denver colorado.

  5. Terry says:
    August 18, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    Please provide information on your product.

    Thanks,

    Terry

  6. David says:
    August 20, 2009 at 11:41 pm

    If there are links to a product in this article, I can’t find them. Doing a google search I can’t find any products that look like the picture in the article.

  7. Paul says:
    August 21, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    David – UniSolar makes a 17w solar shingle. It may be the product referred to by the OP. Link===>> here

  8. Steve says:
    September 6, 2009 at 8:41 pm

    Several websites are listing the solar shingle refered to as being discontinued. Made by UniSolar, item #SHR-17 PV Shingle.

  9. Joe says:
    September 20, 2009 at 8:46 pm

    Just think your power would never go out. We could save the planet. Yay, we are green. We are happy green people.

    Why are they not available? Because of the oil companies? Because of the government? Because of the power companies? Because of the coal companies? Why can we not install these devices? I want these solar panels. I want to cut the tie with the power company.

    Well, because they do not work. It takes more energy to make than than the energy they will produce before they fail.

  10. Hirotomo Nii says:
    August 13, 2010 at 6:15 pm

    we have a concept on structured land systems that utilizes solar panels universally rather than lot by lot linkages. If you have the time, please check us out:

    Please visit my blog Remodeling SF Bay Area; and Urban Ecology. Thanks. http://oakhiro.blogspot.com/ The ecology end of it utilizes structured land systems. Also please visit http://www.unsprawl.net for visuals etc

    Thanks and have a great weekend

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