SunSlates – Something New in Solar Shingles
Solar shingles are taking the home improvement industry by storm, combining the advantages of solar power generation with greatly improved appearance compared to panels. Materials vary according to vendor, but often work best on relatively smooth roofs made of asphalt or similar composition shingles.
Now, if you have a slate or tile roof, there’s a new option that lets you go solar and offers superior aesthetics and durability: SunSlates from Atlantis Energy;. This innovative product combines Swiss-made Eternit cement-composite roofing slates, which have been in widespread use on the Continent for over 60 years, with solar panels; the result is state-of-the-art protection from the elements combined with power generation of 1 kilowatt per 100 square feet.
SunSlates work especially well in areas with extreme weather conditions and are currently performing well in blazing sun and heavy snow. If you’re attracted to the idea of going solar but worried about the fact that your roof really takes a beating, they might be the perfect solution.
Technorati Tags: sunslates, solar shingles
Posted on January 9th in Solar Products by Marye.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Can you tell me the costs including installation fo these solar shingles per sf? I am considering using in a new lakehouse that we are seeking LEED certification on. Thanks.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:06 am
We are are beginning to develop aprox 5,000 homes in the next 10 years. We are thinking about going solar option on our homes. Please send me all information on your solar singles and installation.
How many singles to produce enough electricity for a 1,800 square foot home with all elect heating and air, and major appliances.
Hal Roberts
president
October 24th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I am a roofer, and I am interested in these shingles. It would seem that one square (or 100 square feet) of these shingles would produce 1 killowatt. Therefore if my roof is 18 square (1800 square feet) I would get 18 killowatts. Now is that hourly, daily, weekly or what? In an average month my household uses 1300 to 1600 kWh of electricity with oil heat and hot water. This cost would be much higher if heat and hot water were converted to electricity. How many square of these shingles would I need to produce around 2500 or more kWh of electricity per month? Also, what are the installation specs especially concerning underlayment and ridge cap? Where can I purchase them and how much do they cost per square? Can they be installed with a coil nail gun or must they be hand nailed? Can you use roof jacks and planks or is there a special safety device used to install them and can you walk on them?
I have been very enthusiastic about this technology since I first saw it two years ago, but I can find no useful information regarding this system. My main concern (apart from cost and where to buy) is that most solar panels only have 20% efficiency and so I worry that these shingles are even capable of producing enough electricity to meet my needs.
~Athene