June 19, 2005
Solar Roofs Get a New Look
Solar roofs are appealing to many homeowners both because they help the environment and you can cut the costs of heating your home (or in some cases eliminate energy bills altogether) using solar power. However, some homeowners balk at the idea of hanging a mishmash of solar panels on the roof (AKA eye-sore). Today's manufacturers are responding by making sleek less noticable solar panels. One example is a product called Sunslates, put out by Atlantis Energy Systems of Sacramento, California.
Sunslates glues conventional cyrstalline PV panels to the surface of a shingle. Then the shingles overlap as with a typical slate roof. The shingles are wired in strings of twenty four and connected to a junction box that goes in the attic. Sunslates can withstand snow and rain along with winds up to 125 mph. They're also designed to blend in; visitors just see what looks like a black slate roof.
Solar roofs aren't cheap (a typical system costs anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000 according to the Jul/Aug 2005 issue of Smart HomeOwner
