The Beginning
Once upon a time, solar roof panels were cumbersome and expensive. Large arrays had to be bolted onto rooftops or installed in large fields in order to capture enough light to work. In 2005, the creation of photovoltaic roof tiles allowed thinner, smaller solar panels to be built directly into roof shingles. Unfortunately, this new technology was very expensive and cost prohibitive in most cases. Over time, the cost to produce and install these solar roof shingles decreased and the technology became much more affordable. As prices dropped, solar roof panel technology became more popular.
How It Works …show more content…
These shingles are installed using the same methods as asphalt shingles and are designed to look like their asphalt counterparts. This allows you to repair a roof with solar shingles or use solar shingle only on parts of the roof and stick with traditional asphalt in shaded areas. The transition between one shingle type to the other will be hidden and difficult to spot. These shingles absorb sunlight and turn it into 12 watts of energy per square foot of roof space, which is channeled into an inverter box that creates usable energy. These shingles function wirelessly for a clean installation and are grid-tied, meaning they are meant for houses with existing electrical