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Dow Chemical Rolling Out Solar Shingles Next Year

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the one-more-thing-to-break dept.

Several users wrote to tell us that Dow Chemical plans on selling solar shingles as early as next year. The solar version can be integrated with normal asphalt shingling and will be introduced in 2010, with a wider roll-out scheduled for 2011. "The shingle will use thin-film cells of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material that typically is more efficient at turning sunlight into electricity than traditional polysilicon cells. Dow is using CIGS cells that operate at higher than 10 percent efficiency, below the efficiencies for the top polysilicon cells -- but would cost 10 to 15 percent less on a per-watt basis."

4 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Direct Link to DOW by swanzilla · · Score: 3, Informative

    Dow Solar

    FTA

    "This is just one example of how Dow's $1.5 billion annual R&D investment is allowing us to deliver practical solutions for some of the world's most critical challenges," said Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew N. Liveris.

    They might have hit this one out of the park if the projected $20 billion by 2020 is remotely close.

    --
    0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
  2. My brother by poptones · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yeah, he puts on "rooves."

    Now, let me ask YOU this: can YOUR whiny ass carry a pack of shingles up a ladder in 100 degree sun? Have you ever even been ON a roof?

    Contractors are responsible for the contracts, not the roofers. It's not the greasy, sunburnt guys working their asses off who steal your money - it's the well dressed fellow sitting in the truck watching them work who takes your money.

    That said, I don't think any of you have read TFA. These are thin film shingles. There are demo videos on youtube - you can see them press holes in the shingles, even drive nails through them and they still work just fine. These are not silicon and glass, they are thin film on some sort of flexible substrate. And it's about time.

  3. Re:One more thing to break indeed! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    You can't walk on slate shingles either yet people still find ways to work on slate roofs. I doubt that they don't have a solution.

  4. Eagle roofing has had durable shingles for a while by Brigadier · · Score: 4, Informative

    Not sure why this is being posted as if it's a new product. Eagle Roofing based in California has been carrying a fairly successful product for some time now. Not only do they have a warrantied usable product but it also supports LEED cool roof requirements. see link below to check it out for yourself.

    http://www.eagleroofing.com/greenBld_eagleSolarRoof.htm