Dow & Global Solar Continue Push For Distributed Power Generation Around Roof Shingle Solar Cells
February 23 2009 / by Garry Golden
Category: Energy Year: 2011 Rating: 6 Hot
The future where buildings integrate energy generation systems like 'thin film' solar rooftops might be closer than you think.
Instead of designing expensive, bulky and ugly glass based solar panels, solar start ups are pushing down costs of plastic-substrate based 'thin film' solar cells that resemble today's roof shingles. The field also includes 'Big Chemistry' players like Dow and DuPont who hope to drop the costs of advanced solar materials.
PV Tech is reporting on the continued push by Dow Chemical to expand mainstream construction use power-generating roof shingles by 2011. Dow has already committed more than $3 billion towards polysilicon production that will help lower the global costs of solar cells.
One of Dow's key partnerships is with CIGS solar producer Global Solar (Image). The two companies agreed in 2008 to join the US Department of Energy Solar America Initiative (SAI) project to develop building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) that makes solar energy cost competitive with 'grid' electricity by 2015.
Image Credit Global Solar
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Comment Thread (1 Response)
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Any roof that is not green or does not have solar panels is a waste of space and a missed opportunity.
Posted by: AdamEdwards March 09, 2009
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