Roofs That Make Electric Power
The Energy Harvesting Journal Reports:
A transparent thin film barrier used to protect flat panel TVs from moisture could become the basis for flexible solar panels that would be installed on roofs like shingles. The flexible rooftop solar panels – called building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPVs – could replace today’s boxy solar panels that are made with rigid glass or silicon and mounted on thick metal frames. The flexible solar shingles would be less expensive to install than current panels and made to last 25 years.
‘There’s a lot of wasted space on rooftops that could actually be used to generate power,’ said Mark Gross, a senior scientist at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. ‘Flexible solar panels could easily become integrated into the architecture of commercial buildings and homes. Solar panels have had limited success because they’ve been difficult and expensive to install.’
Photo by Pam Owen, RLEP.org