US manufacturing firm Dow Chemical Company has unveiled a range of innovative new solar shingles that are capable of being integrated into existing roof structures.  These new shingles are set to make a partial market debut in 2010, and become fully available one year on.  Photovoltaics - the process of converting solar energy into electricity – is already well exploited with solar panel designs – but these shingles take the idea one step further. 

According to Dow, their energy efficiency exceeds ten per cent, thanks to the use of CIGS (copper indium gallium diselinide) cells. 

Solar Shingles

Installation of these solar shingles is said to be straightforward, and not a process that needs in-depth knowledge of either straightforward construction or photovoltaic building techniques. 

Dow’s solar shingles represent the most innovative new development within a specialised field known as BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) systems.  In other words, new renewable energy technologies that can be incorporated into traditional roof building designs.  At present, tiles are really the only types of BIPV systems to become available to consumers, but their high cost has precluded mainstream sales.  Dow’s new technology, however, will potentially offer a 40 per cent saving over market alternatives.

Solar Roofing

Dow’s new solar roofing products were developed through a $20 million cash injection from the US DoE (Department of Energy).

“One day, a person would no more think about buying a house without solar shingles than they would buy a house without plumbing”, the firm’s John Cleereman stated, adding: “That is our hope, at least.”

“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”, Andrew N. Liveris - the chairman and chief executive officer of Dow – stated in a press release issued on the company’s website.