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A New Type of Solar Shingle

By: John Kuzniar

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New technologies may give homeowners who are interested in reducing their carbon footprints a fool proof way of replacing their roof, utilizing solar power, and reducing the heating bills all in one fell swoop

This brand new technology arrives innocently in the shape of asphalt shingles that contain miniature solar cells built into their design. The sleek shingle shape helps the technology to blend in perfectly with the design and other exterior materials that comprise the home. This means that you can avoid the unsightly solar panels that many are used to seeing on the many solar based houses currently being produced.

As for the design, the typical shingles are one foot wide by 86 inches, but there is no reason why they can't be produced in hundreds of other sizes once the manufacturing process is tweaked and improved upon. And, from the standpoint of installation, they are positioned in such a manner that they blend in almost perfectly with the current surrounding roof shingles.

As a homeowner, you can take advantage of this new technology to save money in at 3 different ways. One, in some areas, the township or city will offer tax credits to homeowners wanting to invest in solar roofing. This helps the homeowner defray the upfront purchase and installation costs of the new technology. Two, homeowners will usually see their electric bills decreasing as more of their electrical energy comes from their roof solar shingles instead of the utility company. And, third, under the right circumstances where the roof will be exposed to a great deal of sunlight, the shingles can generate so much electrical power that the home actually has an excess of power which the homeowner can sell to the local utility company.

Lending institutions are getting into the act as well. Because of the emphasis being placed on all sorts of green projects these days, some lending institutions will give you lower interest rates on a home improvement loan which you are using for a solar energy project.

Those used to seeing the normal solar panel roofing may be surprised at just how flexible these new shingles are. They are made so well that they are hard to tell from the real shingles.

If these new style solar shingles catch on, you will most likely see a lot more of them appearing not just on residential homes, but on commercial buildings as well. And, Although you may believe that these kinds of shingles are only practical in warmer weather areas such as California, Arizona, and similar states - more and more of these shingles are beginning to appear on both homes and businesses in the Northeastern states. This is because solar power cells have become so much more efficient than the ones you used to see on many of the older buildings. They can generate electrical power from much less sunlight. So even in some of the colder areas of the country, in the middle of winter, these types of solar shingles are generating 75% or more of the house's energy needs.

The innovative design of these photovoltaic shingles will blend into the architecture of your home so well that no one will even know that you are using alternative energy. They are simply, a great way to take advantage of solar power.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

John Kuzniar is a freelance writer who writes articles relating to alternative energy usages. For articles on new solar technologies such as solar panel heating pads and solar panel electricity please visit our site.

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