| Solar shingles are an exciting new technology that | | | | energy costs, it can reduce the impact of the |
| replace existing roof shingles with solar shingle | | | | up-front costs. |
| photovoltaic cells that convert the sun's light into | | | | Installing solar shingles on you roof is much easier and |
| electricity for use in your home. Solar shingles can | | | | faster than installing solar panels. Solar shingles come |
| save you money and help save the planet. Solar | | | | in thin squares that are the same size as conventional |
| shingles generate no hydrocarbons. Solar shingles can | | | | asphalt shingles. They are layered in the standard |
| reduce or eliminate your home use of electricity | | | | shingle patterns. |
| produced by CO2 producing power plants. And the | | | | Initial costs are high, about $30,000 installed for an |
| energy source for solar shingles, the sun, is free! | | | | entire roof of solar shingles. But, most don't cover |
| Solar shingles look like conventional shingles and, | | | | their entire roof with solar shingles, just a section or |
| besides generating electricity and keeping the look of | | | | two, depending on how much they want to spend |
| your house, they protect the roof from rain and | | | | and their energy needs. However, an entire roof of |
| weather just like the old fashion kind of shingle. Solar | | | | solar shingles in a sunny area could power your entire |
| shingles can save you tons of money in energy | | | | home and then some. The excess is sold back to the |
| costs. In some cases, solar shingles can generate | | | | power company (if you are not off the grid) and you |
| more electricity than you need that can be sold back | | | | can actually make money on the deal. |
| to the power company. Initial costs are higher than | | | | I wouldn't recommend trying to install solar shingles |
| solar panels, but many believe that the aesthetics | | | | yourself unless you have training from the |
| more than make up for it. | | | | manufacturer and roofing experience. Also, don't |
| Solar shingles are the result of the great advances | | | | expect a conventional roofer to know how to install |
| made in solar cell technology in the past few years. | | | | solar shingles, no matter what they might tell you. Go |
| Most solar shingles are about 12 inches wide and are | | | | with an experienced installer. You can get a referral |
| laid in an overlapping pattern either grouped together | | | | from the manufacturer or retailer, or you can find |
| in one area of the roof, mixed in with asphalt shingles | | | | one in your area from an on-line contractor referral |
| in a patchwork pattern, or covering the entire roof. | | | | service. |
| The solar shingles are connected to each other and | | | | There are two primary manufacturers of solar |
| then either into an inverter that converts the electric | | | | shingles. Atlantis Energy Systems and United |
| current into usable AC, or into a battery for storage | | | | Solar-Ovonic. The Atlantis Solarslate solar shingles |
| to use after dark or on cloudy days. If a battery | | | | produce about 13 watts each. The Uni-Solar Shingles |
| system is not used then the excess electricity the | | | | produce 17 watts each. Expect to pay about $12 per |
| solar shingles produce goes directly into the power | | | | watt by the time they are up and running. |
| grid where it is sold to the local power company. | | | | The federal government offers a one time tax credit |
| Solar shingles are more expensive to install than | | | | for solar energy installation. Many states offer |
| larger solar panels. However, when you take into | | | | increasingly generous credits and subsidies for home |
| account the savings on the roofing tiles that the solar | | | | owners who install solar shingle roofs. Check with |
| shingles replace and the tremendous savings in | | | | your state to see what kind of incentives they have. |