Solar Shingles home PV project

[Chris]

Hi guys I came across this very cool website that fully details one man's efforts to convert his roof (or at least part of it) into a power generation station.

I have searched high and low for a good replacement for conventional shingles. It just seems like they are still a few years off. With all of the thin-film technologies out there today one would think that it would be no problem to find something that you could simply substitute for your conventional shingles. But that doesn't appear to be the case just yet.

I saw a show on discovery channel last month where a dude was drilling holes into a plastic solar cell that he had hooked up to a radio. It continued working just fine despite the holes. -Well to me that sounds like the perfect solution to shingles. Just nail them to the roof and bingo... done.

In fact you could be really smart about it and use special nails to actually hold the shingles on while delivering the electricity through the roof. I believe regular shingles take 4 or 5 nails. Well why not make 2 of those a special stainless steel nail that goes through 2 pre-fabricated contact holes in the shingle. Then on the underside you just connect to those special stainless steel nails and bingo you're done. No drilling holes and pulling wires anymore. Just connect to the special RED and Black nails on the underside and you're all set.

Maybe I should patent that idea hey?

If anyone has good resources or links for feasible solar shingles please provide them here. Like I said I had a hard time finding good resources. It just seems like the technology is still a few years away.

Here's my link that I found:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bgoodsel/solar/blog.htm

[Looking In]

Chris,

I found a web site a few months back. .
FEATURES & BENEFITS:

BUILDING INTEGRATED SYSTEMS

* A completely waterproof solar roof with no penetrations
* Fire rated, UV stabilized, and low maintenance systems
* Hail resistant, low profile, wind resistant design
* 20-year warranty covers roof material and energy performance
* Installs over existing roofs, no demolition, and disposal costs.

SIMPLE, ELEGANT DESIGN

* Light weight, easy and inexpensive to install
* No structural reinforcement required
* No complicated rack mounting hardware required
* Modular, fully scaleable and expandable
* Maximizes energy output by installing around roof obstructions

TECHNICALLY ADVANCED PRODUCT

* Highest per ft ² power output in the industry
* Plug and play junction box leads with waterproof connectors
* Captures low light levels 2% to 5% better than glass
* Minimize power loss from shading, debris, and soiling
Thickness of membrane 0.3075”
Thickness of junction box 0.735”
Total thickness of membrane 1.0425”
Check it out!

[katman]

[Chris]

[Looking In]

[Looking In]

[coffeelover23]

I know that these solar roof shingles can be done by fitting in highly modified PV cells. Does anyone else think that it would be smarter to use the existing technology as efficiently as you can (including energy spent installing), then installing as that technology becomes more available?
I know these and other technologies are being developed now; do you think that the predictions are accurate, or are they just hype?
_________________

[resident_genius]

why not use a silk-screen apparatus and print your own PV cells onto glass? i've got some hard to find data on these newer japanese PV cells which have very high efficiency for home built cells, around 10%. after the initial purchase is made (specific type of glass and chemicals), you can literally "print" (using silk-screening apparatus) your own solar cells then finish them, and mount them on your roof.