The Wonders of DOW Powerhouse Solar Shingles

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Big George

The idea is good, but the math all wrong. Solar panels - shingles or otherwise - are fine & good. But they're also expensive, and they are NOT (at this point) cost effective. Hopefully the technology continues to improve, to the point where they DO become cost effective.

Good grief, where does misinformation like this come from, when there is so much accurate info available?

There are thousands and thousand of happy customers all around the country who have installed solar systems on their homes precisely because they ARE cost effective when properly sized to need.

And there are cost estimating calculators all over the internet to help you figure out what the payback periods would be for various configurations, at your location.

[OpenD]

A few things to keep in mind when considering them...

You will still need conventional shingles for much of the roof.

They are basically just a modular system with a smaller unit size than panels. Why these would be acceptable to HOAs who are opposed to solar panels is beyond me, as the look is similar.

One possible technical issue is that they seem to run DC from the tiles back to a central inverter, whereas the most efficient setup today with panels is to place a mininverter at each panel and run AC back to the panel. This avoids the "weakest link" performance issue when part of the system is shaded.

Regular rooftop solar PV panels today can be bought for under $1 per watt of capacity. I believe these "shingles" are considerably more expensive. But as with everything solar, you need to run the numbers in order to make a decent comparison between the two.

[MikeBear]

I have a neighbor that installed these a year ago, and they look GREAT on his roof. They also cost more than TWICE as much as the standard comparable solar panel installation.

P.S. We live just outside of Midland Michigan, home to the Corporate sites of both Dow Corning AND Dow Chemical, and this neighbor even works for Dow Chemical. He still paid full price for his installation.

[Dakster]

You are also forgetting areas where utility power is in the .65 - .75 cent per KWH range... The payback may be much quicker and getting the shingles there easier...

ANd in keeping with the green forum theme - A lot of remote communities can't drive to the local hardware store to get stuff it needs to be flown in. Yes, this would be a non mainstream societal use - but there is still a use for it and prevents the burning of diesel fuel for power... And of course it takes diesel fuel to bring diesel fuel for the generators too. Once the shingles are in that stops.

I am actually looking more and more into solar power since my new abode only usues around 1000 kwh a month, rather than the 5000 kwh a month my old place used.

[Mack Knife]

Originally Posted by molukai

Hmm, many things have been going awry since my original post....

(1) My original query was regarding Solar Shingles -- not Solar Panels (outside of possibly a cost comparison analysis).

(2) GregW is correct; aside from aesthetic reasons, solar shingles have a dual role of being the actual part of my roofing as well as being a conduit for solar energy capture. The efficiency is lower per piece but I bet you that I can fit way more of those shingles on my roof than panels.

(3) I can believe that solar panels may be cheaper, considering Dow's product is made in the USA and it is being compared to Chinese made products. However, when you factor in labor and transportation of good costs, it may actually be cheaper to go with shingles. I am just making assumptions admittedly, but I have yet to see an actual cost analysis comparison.

(4) The 70% return of investment is in regards to the value added to the house upon selling. This is totally ignoring the actual savings made in terms of energy costs for the time you actually live in your house. Solar panels and shingles - ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW - are cost effective (assuming you make use of the federal government 30% tax credit, the state government tax refund if applicable, and that you plan on living in your house for at least a decade).

The benefit when selling your house will vary greatly and while the added value exists right now, it will not in the future:

As the solar shingles age, they lose productivity. Like a new roof, new solar shingles are going to age and decrease in their value. Someone buying a house that needs a new roof in a few years is going to calculate that into the value. Likewise, if your solar shingles are aged, no one is going to pay you a 70% return on the price you paid.

You can't change out solar shingles when higher efficiency shingles come out without a substantial cost. It is unlikely that you would be able to mix and match singles.

You'll need to have extra shingles as replacements if one of them fails or develops a problem. The percentages can work against you, the fewer the components (as in panels) the fewer points of failure. The opposite is true for shingles. Will you be able to get replacements in a few years or will the styles and types have changed?

Shingles lock you into the technology as you bought it. With panels, sapping them out isn't difficult and can be cost effective depending on the advancements in the technology which appears to be on the cusp of new generation of panels.

You can remove the panels and sell them if you decide you no longer want them, recover some cost if you upgrade them or depending on how many you have, take them with you if you sell the house and the offer for them as a value isn't what you want. That gives you leverage. It is unlikely you'd be able to sell used shingles for much if you need to upgrade them and removing them is like removing your roof, you'd have to install a new roof.

There are a lot of things to consider when thinking about solar roof shingles. If appearance is a concern, roof top solar is becoming more prevalent and most people don't consider panels on the roof as a detraction but a positive.

Either way you go, sooner or later the incentives will dry up so now is a good time.

[MountainBiking]

A few blocks over from me (So Cal) is a semi-new sub-division of 2 story homes with these solar shingles. They blend in real nice next to the flat gray tiles that are all around the solar shingles. So MANY homes in my area have solar now (new and existing homes).

-Cheers.