Solar Shingles - Power Tiles
88Solar Power Shingles
Solar Power Shingles are a wonderful approach to harness endless, environmentally friendly solar power for producing free electricity.
They look like regular roof (asphalt) shingles, which have a special photovoltaic substance in the form of a thin film on the top, with ability to transform solar radiation (light) directly into electricity.
As any other roof tiles they blend with the roof in the best possible way and they certainly don't ruin the aesthetic value of the building.
The (Solar) Power of our Sun
We simply can not imagine the sheer power of our Sun, because we are not used to deal with such a large quantities in our regular life.
What we all should know about our Sun is: Every single hour, our planet Earth receives enough solar energy from our Sun, in the form of heat-radiation, that we could cover absolutely all our energy needs, if we wanted to.
As a human race, we haven't encountered any other energy source, which could be so optimally placed, constant in its nature and distributed all over the planet in quantities, which are large enough to satisfy absolutely all our power needs.
Free Electricity for Your house for good
The size of any regular roof surface is large enough to cover all your electricity needs for your household. This photovoltaic devices are capable of producing renewable power for years to come. They are created as long term device to harness solar power. Long term means, that they could produce electricity for 25, 30, 40 or even more years. You install them once and you can really forget about them. They are totally silent devices, which work for you by producing power and lowering your monthly energy bill.
Add a 10% Price Premium to your Solar Powered House
If your house has already solar power system as renewable energy source implemented, that represents a substantial price premium to the value of your property. Every day, people are getting more concerned about environment, because global warming and climate changes have become a substantial part of our life.
Buildings, which follow Eco sustainable design and use renewable energy sources, have much more competitive and stronger position on the resale housing market.Current situation on the property markets worldwide is quite bad, considering the house prices, which are in a constant decline now, after many years of high growth. From this perspective, it is sometimes of crucial importance, if the house includes also solar power system.
Implementation of roof power tile adds about 10% to the value of your house, immediately. Well, that is a very nice price premium and there is additional advantage of constant income by producing your own electricity. PLUS, another advantage in the form of Total Power Independence of your household, which could, in the case of real emergency, save many lives.
Buy once, harvest Endless Solar Power for ever
Your investment in solar power shingles is a Single Investment, which means that you pay installation cost, once, and you are going to produce free electricity for the whole life span of your roof.
It is like an investment of your money in safe government bonds, which are earning safe interests for its owner. One difference between government bonds and your solar power system is the fact, that energy prices are constantly rising, while government's bond's interest rates are constantly falling.
Freedom of Your own Electricity
Being totally electricity self sustainable and independent in modern world is a very rare, but very useful commodity. We simply cannot imagine a modern life without a constant power at home. TV set, Hi-Fi, computers, iPods, mobile phones, all different home appliances, especially lighting, fridge and freezer.
It is really very wise decision to be totally independent, considering electricity supply.
It is also a matter of Personal and Family Security and Safety to possess an independent - own source of electricity, because we simply cannot survive without electric power for many days. There is no modern life without a fridge/freezer, other cooking and bathroom appliances and of course computers, phones, Internet, TV, etc.
Yes, for Batteries
Many private solar power installations are connected to national power grid. They send (sell) sufficient electricity to the power supplier, and they are buying electricity back at the same price later, when they need it.
However, if you really want to be totally power independent, you need to have your own batteries with sufficient capacity to power your needs. There are many sorts of batteries on the market, but I strongly suggest you to choose batteries, which demand no maintenance, so you don't need to worry about adding additional water, later.
Is the Solar Power Expensive?
No.
Solar power installation could add about 4% to overall cost of your house. However, it immediately 'gives you back' the price premium of about 10%, which is an increased value of your property, after making it energy efficient and renewable. So, if you are a price cautious home owner and you always look for the best return of your investment, that is about 6% gain in the very start.
You also get another immediate gain by lowering your monthly electricity bill and that is going to last for another 25,30, 40 or more years!
Solar Power System in your house behaves as a constant, silent, but persistent Money Maker for its owner.
How Carol and Alden Hathaway have done their Solar Power Roof?
Alden Hathaway and his wife Carol live in Londoun County near Hillsboro,Virginia. He is an energy expert and he knows how to do it properly, that sun works for you. I found this video so very positive and real, that I suggest you to watch it and to learn some practical facts about solar power roofs and solar panels, which could be easily installed in your house, or in any other building. They also speak about their advantages of producing their own green electricity.
Solar Power at Home 1
Larger surface of Solar Panels, which are not part of the roof
Very interesting practical example of how to use solar panels, if you don't want to spoil the look of your house by solar panels. If you possess a bit more free land, you can place them a bit further from the house. I like such cases from the real life, because they are not about sometimes quite boring theory, but every day life and real numbers.
Solar Energy at Home 2
Promotional Video of one Solar Power comapny
Even though, this video was made for promotional purpose of one company, it contains many very practical examples of using renewable solar energy.
Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Home 3
Video about Solar Power and solar Roofs, Solar Gardens
Use of Green Solar Energy at Home 5
Fast Solar Roof Prototype
How to really make any country more Safe?
Any Government could make its own country and all its citizens much safer, if it doesn't rely on foreign energy sources, such as oil, gas, coal, highly radioactive nuclear material, imported electricity.
Introduction and support of totally renewable energy sources, such as solar power, wind power, tidal power, wave power, power of sea currents, hydro power, geothermal, etc.
These renewable energy sources are absolutely FREE of charge and truly unlimited. Why, then, not to use them much more widely and thoroughly? Well, ask your Prime Minister and other politicians, who are paid to make the nation as safe as possible...
There is a Bright Future for Solar Power
I strongly believe, that there is a bright future for the wide use of endless solar power, worldwide. We don't need to spoil the nature around us, if we use vast surface of our empty roofs more wisely.
Sooner or latter, people are going to realize that nobody is going to survive, if we are not going to take pollution more seriously. Oil, gas, coal, nuclear. All of them are causing terrible pollution, which destroys life, every day. All of them cost us direly, financially and environmentally.
There is a country, which already covers more than 40% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy sources. That country is Portugal. USA and UK, which are much, much bigger, more developed and much wealthier are faaar behind it. (That is a really great shame for its elected leaders.)
Solar Powered Future
Life in present form is dying on this wonderful blue planet. That is just a fact.
Life is dying, because of our terrible pollution, exploitation of natural resources and greed of individuals and corporations - business.
Only use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, could save us and other animals and plants.
Why not to use our roofs to power our life? Why not to dress them up in solar power installation and make them to work for us?
Efficiency rate of Solar Power Roofing Shingles
Efficiency rate of any solar powered device is a number, which tells us, how much power the device - the solar cells could extract from the all quantity of solar power (measured in Watts), which reaches the solar cell. Higher the efficiency rate, higher the power output at given sun light.
Educational Resources about Solar Power
There is hardly anything better out there about Solar Power, Solar Cells, Solar Shingles, Solar Panels, Efficiency rate of solar devices, than you can find on the website: University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-3130, USA
Beta of the 2nd Edition of the PVCDROM: Photovoltaics CDROM Christiana Honsberg and Stuart Bowden
Additional info about Solar Shingles
- Wikipedia Solar Shingles
Explanation about solar shingles on Wikipedia - Solar Energy Technologies Program: Photovoltaics
US Department of Energy - Honsberg
Professor Christiana Honsberg researches ultra high efficiency solar cells at the University of Delaware - Blog about Solar Shingles
Blog about Solar Shingles
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Comments
solar shingles a great idea, w e are just beginning to plan our home and will incorporate these in the design.
Looks like a great product to me. My uncle built a solor house int he 1960s and he would have liked to have had solar shingers. :)
What a great, comprehensive hub. I hope to invest in these when I get a house :)
Thanks Glassvisage! Time is getting better and better to buy a cheap and nice house, because of the financial crisis, which pushes property prises down.
And the prices of solar power devices, such as solar panels, solar power shingles, etc. are getting lower and lower, as well.
Hi Solar Shingles, great first hub you made ;) . When I built my house a few years ago I was thinking about buying a solar system for water heating but unfortunately I haven´t. I suppose it should be paid by now :( . I´ll be attentive to this type of system around here and see if it´s already available in Portugal, but I probably will have to wait until it becomes cheaper :)
Thanks, Funride! (the first and the sweetest, as they say...)
You would have been amazed about your country, if you would have known, how very successful the Portugal is in the field of renewable energy.
http://solarshingles.blogspot.com/2008/04/little-p
About use of solar power at home: I think, the combination of heat collectors, solar shingles/panels and a heat pump could be far the best solution for domestic use in this moment. And the good news: prices are falling and efficiency rates are rising.
What an amazingly great product. Just what I like to read about. sooner or later everyone will be energy saving savvy.
Great informative hub.
regards Zsuzsy
Thanks Zsuzsy Bee! Yeah, such products help the environment and personal budget, as well. Solar power is just the cleanest and the cheapest energy source we have on this planet, but we are rather paying oil barrel at a price of $114
This is very important information....can you go tell Congress? or Conoco? or Shell, I'd say Cheney, since he's an inside man with the oil chiefs, but he'd just say "so?"
I would love to have a solar house...I hope I live long enough to see this come to pass. Thanks for such great information... I would love for our country to be independent with energy -- using Sun, Wind..finding ourselves self sufficient frees us from suffocating ties...=)
Congress knows about the topic, already. Time is still not right for the 'oily bosses', who are harvesting the highest oil profits, ever, caused by Iraq war. New president and her/his new government is going to bite to this 'renewable apple', for the first time. soon.
p.s.
Al Gore is going to enter the White House from the back door, finally.
Stupid questions, but 1.) can you partially do it or do you have to do your entire roof all at once? 2.) about how much is it? 3.) how does it get "hooked up" if you will, to your home's energy? Our electricity bill is about $600 a month while everyone else on our street never even reaches $200. Something's wrong there!
Not stupid at all, but real.
Yes, you can do it partially, it's up to you.
There are different prices (at least 3 producers - each has different models for shingles/tiles, and many more producers and models for solar panels)
Your energy bill is amazingly high! You should really consider: solar shingles(more expensive) panels (cheaper) and also a heat pump/solar heater combination.
I'll take some more time later and add some real additional videos for your easier decision making process. Let the bank finance for your solar system, if applicable in your case, what you could see in video.
Always ask for a quote and negotiate for the best conditions.
p.s.
This is just official site of DoD http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/componen
p.p.s.
(Prices in UK are much higher than in the US)
Hooray for the fight against global warming. All other shingles and roof systems should become obsolete. Great first hub. Welcome to the pages. Cheers,
Thanks Sligobay! Roof is just one part of the house/building, which could get additional functionality by harnessing endless and free solar energy...but, there are many more places/structures in the building, which could be used for producing renewable energy to help in efforts for total decentralization of national power grid and other energy transport routes.
We've got all the technical knowledge needed for such renewable energy applications for quite a while, yet we are not using it for the sake of Powerful Oil Lobby, which runs all big world governments and corporations on the expense of their citizens.
Oil Corporations like Shell, BP and others are now also the biggest players in the renewable solar power field, and could decide the direction and the speed of changes. Such behaviour stinks! Well, something is very wrong at this department! Nobody could have expected, that a tiger is going to play a nice game with a sheep, while the current prices of oil have reached the record level ($116 per barrel) and oil corporations have been reporting the highest profits, ever.
It is so very sad, that elected politicians, who are trusted by all nation, are just little puppies of Powerful Oil Corporations.
Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey are just fantastic in this video, which describes a lot about money and power: 'Money Makes the World Goes Around'
Great Hub Thanks for the Great info welcome to hubpages
Thank you for your nice words!
This article is well documented with photos and video interview and site presentation!
I think if this kind of break production could be increase to fullfill the need of common people also then really one kind of revolution could be achieve in the field of energy!
Thank you, solarshingles!
Dear Healwell51, thanks for your positive thoughts!
If only people would have known, how very simple is the solution of absolutely all our energy needs from the position of the American President. The knowledge is here, the technologies are well known, even the products are ready, the only missing element is leadership to integrate all departments and to control and to motivate all the processes. To get rid of oil price blackmailing for ever!
But, that is possible only, if the president is the leader of this process, because of his immense leveraging Super Power. Just by a very few government decisions and deals with research institutions and technology companies, the prices of renewable energy could be cut enormously and efficiency rates of new power devices and technologies increased dramatically.
I'd love to have this on my roof. Can you come to Ohio to do my roof?
Dear Sue, I would really love to come to Ohio to help you with all needed considering your roof, but, sadly, I am tied to one project in UK and continental Europe for at least 3-4 months. In next 7 days I am going to add some more practical advices about solar power roof, shingles-tiles, solar panels to this hub, with numbers and some direct addresses for easier decision making process.
What can I say -- it's an excellent idea!
From a former Brit now living in North America.
(Come to my site: http://adsensestrategiesadsense.wordpress.com )
Thanks, yes it is very simple idea of how to use free energy source (our Sun) to power our energy needs at home or anywhere else.
p.s.
I am going to accept your kind invitation.
Great hub. Excellent information. I do hope we move in this direction for new construction and for commercial buildings with large areas of roofing, such as malls and office complexes. Geothermal for heating and cooling should be required for new schools, government buildings, and commercial construction. That would make a big difference. The government should help to create a grid for railroad transportation that would expedite the transport of goods and passengers across the country, not just on the East Coast. Europe and Japan are far ahead of us in this. It would save a LOT of gas. As for these tiles, or for solar paint, both are too costly, even considering rising energy costs and tax credits, in the current real estate market. We own stock in energy companies, and the dividends pay our bills. We save electricity by keeping lights off, rarely using the kitchen range, owning Energy Star appliances, and using low-consumption bulbs. We have owned stick-shift Honda Civics (40 mpg on the highway) since 1995 and live in a town where all commutes are short.
Thanks BlueRabbit! I agree, that prices of solar photovoltaics technologies are at list 50% overpriced, and not so efficient as it could have been already, but that's just because some top officials in White House haven't moved their bodies as they should have in the direction of renewable energy sources. They simply don't want to make the country energy independent, because they would have lost their fantastic OIL PROFITS. Really sad.
Great hub there, I am also planing to put a solar panel on my roof, as I my country is facing some serious energy crisis.I would prefer as noiseless and environment friendly solar based system rather than a generator to power my house.Thanks for tips.
Thanks! Solar heat collector for hot water, panels and batteries for electricity and you are going to be power independent. If you also have cold winters and you are additionally heating your home, you should also consider heat pump installation with underground heat storage.
Truly excellent hub! I will come back to it to learn what I missed.
Thanks Bluewings! I am looking forward to make it even more useful and comprehensive. I simply cannot believe, that we are not using solar power much more. It is everywhere, it is totally clean and absolutely free of charge. And our empty roofs could also do some good work for our personal budget and for the environment, as well.
:) And it's extremely significant in the times we are living in and advancing towards.I hope to learn from your provident hub.
Thanks! You are right. We are heading towards $200 per barrel of oil, yet President Bush and Prime Minister Gordon Brown still support oil and fossil fuels stronger than ever, because their oil profits are simply too tempting.
Good news for renewable energy sources and energy independence: Gordon Brown has achieved very bad local election results, yesterday and there are Presidential elections in the US this year, as well. (I also hope, they won't attack and destroy Iran's industry, before that time...for the sake of OIL, again...)
New American President and new government are going to widely support renewable energy sources and new technologies to help American and world economy to recover from total dependency to oil, and consequently help the environment, as well. (My wish):
Yeah, from where I stand, I too don't see any of them attacking Iran.What might happen though is more serious sanctions being brought in.
Politics is a science without reason and I can't say if the regimes to follow will be as prudent as we'd like them to be but at least it keeps the hope alive.Hope your wish comes true.
Renewable energy, such as solar power, wind power, geothermal, tidal, ocean currents, wave power, etc are absolutely free of charge and truly endless and they could make even the largest world economies energy independent.
That would also have been a real blessing for the our environment and all plants and animal species, who are massively dying because of our extensive pollution.
Great Hub. Here in Crete more people and companies are looking to solar power for their energy needs, but it is still lagging behind when you think that this island has over 300 days of sun a year. Nearly all new homes being built have solar water heating, but that's generally as far as it goes. The Greek govt have fairly recently brought in subsidies for businesses who install photovoltaic devices, but nothing for homeowners and the current costs are out of reach for most here. Let's hope this changes here soon and that we can afford to harness all that natural energy.
Dear Carolina, Greece is certainly one of the best locations for wide use of solar power in Europe! It is really so sad, that the government is not wise enough to apply solar power as one of the main renewable power sources in this great country. They still prefer to rely on expensive oil, gas, and coal, and they are wasting huge national resources for importing oil and destroying the environment by this dirty technologies.
I hope, 'fresh and bright leaders' are going to replace that old, corrupted politicians, soon.
Excellent hub! It should be mandatory that all new house construction implements renewable energy methods. This would grandfather the idea into practice.
Yes, Shesagogetter, mandatory! However, not only the missing legislation to force anyone to apply solar photovoltaics technologies in every new building, but also to cut its price by at least 50%-60% and to increase efficiency rate of PV devices to 30%, up to 50% in following years. That is the topic for the government, not the war for oil at $120 per barrel and already at $10 per gallon of patrol in Britain.
Great Hub,
Son three is a mths teacher and his school have decided to make their school join the World Solar Panals.
What is more they are paing most of it themselves some panals at a tijme, as they can afford it.
Even waterless toilets. They have the jump on all the other schools on our Northern beaches
Thank you
MrMarmalade, that's very encouraging news! I simply can't believe that they are paying their school solar panels system themselves?! Authorities are wasting millions and billions on silly projects rather than renewable energy, environment, preventing pollution.
Amazing information and just in time. We are just about to replace the shingles on our roof and I am going immediately to some of the sites you listed to see what our options are. Thank you so much for providing such good information.
Rhym, thank you for your nice words! I hope you are going to choose the right solar power shingles for your roof and that they are going to serve you well.
Very informative and will definitely be keeping in mind for my dream home... :o)
RainbowRecognizer, thank you for your positive comment. Solar shingles - power tiles - solar roof shingles could totally transform the process of power generation in one's household, worldwide. In combination with a battery bank they truly make you power independent for good. They are also substantially lower the carbon footprint of the family - pollution by green house gases.
working
cgull8m says:
6 weeks ago
My new home will be 100% Solar and Wind powered, I wish government mandates every one to adopt at least 10 to 15 % solar components at home.