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Solar Shingles Versus Thin Film Solar

By Ben Mester

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 26Jun2011
Word count: 545
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One of the best things about the new wave of solar panels hitting the market is the ease of installation that many of the new solar systems have. With the advance of thin film solar, solar panels are now becoming very lightweight, able to be installed on rooftops without heavy mounting. This means that virtually anyone can buy and install their own solar system on their homes with no fear that the system will be too much for the roof to handle. One of the most exciting new technologies to come out in the field of solar are solar shingles. Solar shingles are just what they sound like, roof shingles that generate solar electricity. Solar shingles don't function as both shingle and solar panel however, meaning that you already need to have shingles installed on your rooftop. Solar shingles go on top of the shingles already installed, and blend in with them, giving your rooftop a very natural look. Each of these solar shingles is connected together, so that together, the system generates quite a bit of energy. Though solar shingles are still in more of an experimental phase, the idea is sound, and you can expect that you'll see a variety of models hitting the shelves in the coming years.

Another exciting new technology in the field of solar is thin film solar panels. These solar panels are made with a state of the art manufacturing process that allows them to be both ultra thin and ultra lightweight. Thin film solar, also known as flexible solar has been available for the past few years. Because of that, there are a wide variety of models of various sizes and power outputs. Some of the new thin film panels are rated for over 125 watts for less than $500. That's pretty impressive considering how easy the installation is. In the past, a full home solar installation often cost around $15,000 for the panels and the installation. With thin film solar, the materials needed to produce them and the time it takes are considerably less than the materials and time needed to produce traditional crystalline cells. When you combine this fact with the fact that thin film solar panels can be installed yourself, the overall price is very reasonable.

So the question remains: for a homeowner who wants to install their own solar array, who doesn't really have technical skills or installation experience, what's the best way to go, thin film panels or solar shingles? From a purely aesthetic standpoint, solar shingles are almost invisible to the eye. If you're looking for solar panels that are both efficient and well hidden, then solar shingles are the way to go. The only current downfall with solar shingles is that their fairly new, meaning they're still a bit expensive and there aren't nearly as many models available as there are with thin film solar panels. So for the price and ease of installation, thin film solar panels are the way to go. In the future, things will probably change as solar shingle technology continues to advance. But for now, when taking all of the different factors into account, thin film solar is probably the best way to go for most homeowners.

Solar shingles are one of the newest things to hit the market in the world of solar panels. You can't afford not to check out this technology. Another amazing advancement in the world of thin film solar are portable solar panels for personal use.

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