Photovoltaic Shingles
Solar power shingles
2.0 kW Solar PV Roofing Tile System
Even though conventional solar panels are by far the most common way of turning sunlight into electricity, other materials like photovoltaic shingles are also starting to gain acceptance in many areas.
These photovoltaic shingles have been available for a few years and were initially a novelty that did not generate the amount of power that was possible to obtain with a standard solar panel.
Click Here For The Green DIY Energy Guide!
Through improvements in the designs and materials used to create these photovoltaic shingles, their efficiency has improved and today they provide a reasonable alternative to standard photovoltaic solar panels.
They also have the added advantage of being more cosmetically pleasing to most homeowners. Since they lay flat on a roof they are less visible and almost unnoticeable to the average passerby.
The photovoltaic shingles are built to mimic standard shingles and are installed in much the same way.
They can be installed when the home is being built along with conventional shingles, or be used to cover the entire surface of a roof. The more area these photovoltaic shingles cover, the larger amount of power they can generate.
To install these shingles, they are laid in place like standard shingles and attached to the roof. A layer of felt is used between them and the roof surface to provide padding and a layer of extra protection from the elements.
The power connection for these photovoltaic shingles is accomplished by routing the wires that extend from the back end of the shingles through the roof surface. These can then be connected together in the attic as needed to obtain the power they produce.
These photovoltaic shingles produce a DC current like a standard solar panel and generate about the same amount of power for a given surface area. This DC current needs to be converted to AC current so that it can be used by the home and this is accomplished through the use of an inverter.
The color of most of the modern versions of these photovoltaic shingles is a darker blue and this blends in well with darker roofing materials.
Another advantage that these photovoltaic shingles provide over conventional solar panels is their structural integrity. Normal solar panels are mounted on rails that are raised above the roof’s surface a bit to allow water and ice to travel below them.
Because of this, the standard solar panels have to be very strong to handle the weight of snow that may collect on them in the winter months. The heavy snow load can cause damage to the frame of the solar panels and lead to premature failures.
Also, in areas of high winds the conventional solar panels have the potential to lift off a roof in very heavy winds and this can destroy the solar panels and the roof. By installing these photovoltaic shingles instead of a group of solar panels all of these issues can be avoided.
The other advantage of these photovoltaic shingles is that if they are installed when the home is being built, they can actually be less expensive than solar panels. This is because they not only convert sunlight to electricity but also act as a roofing material and can save you the cost of a conventional roof.
As these products continue to improve they may soon become the solar power product of choice for most homeowners.
Until then it’s still possible for you o make your own Solar Panel for less than $200. For more information on how to do it check out Green DIY Energy.
Click Here For The Green DIY Energy Guide!
