Solar shingles - your home’s tomorrow’s power source
I found an article on livescience.com about solar shingles. Increasing numbers of people are putting their roofs to work generating electricity. And that does not necessarily mean installing unsightly steel-and-glass solar energy modules. New advances on the production of photovoltaic solar panels allow for them to be made in the style of roofing shingles. Instead of just a big clunky block of solar capturing, the solar cells can be integrated to look like normal roof tiles, making your choice of power not only inconspicuous, but more pleasing to the eye. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has been testing new photovoltaic panels in Maryland, calibrating their output and performance for widespread use in the future. Additionally, California and New Jersey offer tax credits that actually make solar power economically sensible, Maycock added. Maycock figures that the cost of electricity from a PV roof is about 40 cents per kilowatt hour, but that tax credits can reduce that figure to 20 cents. The national average for utility power is 12 cents, but the price ranges between 16 and 21 cents in California, and as high as 24 cents in parts of New York State. Original article.
