There are now several types of roofing and facade materials that have photovoltaics built right in. This means that your roof can keep the rain out when it's rainy and generate electricity when the sun shines. Consider solar electric roofing when you are planning to install a new roof or build a new house. And don't forget, that in New York, you can do NET METERING , selling back extra solar power to the utility.
About metal roofing: Order 16 inch wide Galvalume TM metal roofing (many colors available) with no beads or texture. We will laminate PV to roof pans before the roofer puts them on. (This can be done on-site). PV comes in 9' or 18' lengths (64 or 128 W). Wires run in ridge cap. This type of roofing is easy to install and lasts for decades.
About cost: The PV "panels" (actually flexible sheets) are similar in cost to other PV. Whole house PV systems typically cost between $20,000 and $50,000. Recommended system size depends upon your electrical load.About your roof: Put on PV roofing only if there is no shade on your roof between 9 AM and 4 PM. Optimal roof orientation is facing south (if you are north of the equator). Off-south orientation leads to between 1% and 15% loss in yearly energy collection with 15% being an East or West facing roof. When doing re-roofing, tear off old roofing first (to reduce stress on building structure and meet codes).
If you live in a hurricane prone area, make sure your roofer knows how to attach roofing properly to withstand higher winds.
We work with your roofer and electrician. If you are far away from us, we can provide a system design for your local roofer and electrician for $500.
UniSolar TM shingles. These look just like asphalt shingles. To minimize interconnects, they now come in 4'x8' sheets. These sheets cannot be cut, so you need a roof with lots of space where there is nothing sticking up out of it (vents, skylights, chimneys). The PV shingles are nailed onto the plywood sheathing of the roof and interconnections are made under the plywood. Regular asphalt shingles of matching color are used to fill in around the edges. The DC electricity from the shingles is routed to a battery bank or inverter. Specs
|
|