Solar Shingles - Installation
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Solar shingles are installed in a manner very similar to how normal roofing shingles are installed. The only real difference is the addition of the electrical wires, which will need to come through the roof sheeting into the attic space, in order to make the electrical connections.
If you are hiring a contractor he will usually begin by following conventional roofing installation procedures, up to the point where the solar shingles need to be installed. Usually a template supplied by the manufacturer of the solar shingles is used, to mark and drill holes for the solar shingle wiring. This wiring is then pulled through the roof into the attic space, where the electrical connections are made.
Once the solar shingles are installed to match the course of the conventional shingles (that is, if you are also using conventional shingles), an electrician will need to wire the solar shingles together in the space below the roof, according to the instructions and specifications of the supplier of the solar shingles. With this step done, the rest of the electrical solar power system components are added in such, as the charge controller, the meters, the fuses, an inverter (to convert the DC electricity supplied by the solar shingles in to regular 110 Volt AC power supplied by the outlets in your home), and a few other components - depending on what type of set up you have, off grid solar power, net metering, or a hybrid solar power system.
Tags: electrical, electricity, grid, hybrid, Installation, inverter, Net Metering, off grid, solar, Solar Power, solar power system, Solar ShinglesRelated posts:
Solar Shingles and Solar Roofs
Solar Shingles and the Solar Power Roof
With the rapid advancement of solar power we are now seeing new products enter the market containing “integrated solar panels”. For example, solar shingles.
What are Solar shingles? Essentially they are ordinary roof shingles which are made out of photovoltaic materials. They perform the same function as an ordinary roof shingle, but have the added capability of producing electricity.
The advantage of the solar shingles is that these thin “solar panels” can now be integrated right into one’s building materials - so instead of having solar panels on your roof, you would now have a solar roof.
Aside from being more desireable from an aesthetic standpoint, this also eliminates the need for the installation of bulky and heavy “traditional solar panels”.
How are Solar Shingles Made?
Advancments in solar power technology, such as the inventions of solar ink and other combinations of semi-conductors, have made it possible to combine or include photovoltaic materials in with a wide range of other products and materials. Solar cells no longer need to be made out of bulky heavy weight silicon panels, but can in fact be printed on just about any type of material - such as plastic, metal, and others. Researchers have even found ways to produce organic photovoltaics, though that is at the moment still in a purely experimental phase.
Benefits of Solar Shingles
- Attractive style
- Fully integrated shingle roof
- Lower electric bill
- Free electricity
- Pollution-free power
- Increased home value
- Protects the environment
- Exceptionally durable
- Great investment
- Significant state cash rebates available
- Federal tax incentives available
Solar Shingles Costs and Financing
To be honest, right at this moment solar shingles might still seem expensive to some, but as any new technology develops its products become cheaper with time. However it does look as though the cost will be considerably lower than installinga comparable set of conventional solar panels. In one recent example, the entire cost of a solar shingle installation on a home was about $16,000, with a $12,000 tax rebate. This brought the entire cost to only $4000. Not only is that considerably lower than the usual cost involved in installing a home solar power system, but one has to keep in mind that the cost of tiling or shingling a roof is covered at the same time. The solar shingles are, afterall, shingles as well as solar panels.
Clean energy cash incentives and tax rebates are available at a federal level, and most states also have a clean energy or sustainable energy source rebate program. This combined, with energy savings does make solar shingles affordable, and will in most cases pay for itself over time.
Tags: electricity, energy, energy savings, environment, home solar power, Installation, photovoltaic, photovoltaics, solar, solar cell, solar cells, solar panel, solar panels, Solar Power, solar power system, Solar Powered Roof, solar roof, Solar Shingles, sustainable, Sustainable Energy
