How would you like to have a roof which pulls double duty? The roof of your home can do much
more than keep the rain and snow out of your house. It can also provide electrical energy for
your home by supporting solar roof panels or solar shingle.
Solar technology has advanced producing lighter weight, more efficient solar cells which make
solar roof panels and solar shingles a more feasible choice. The solar cells in the panels or
shingles convert the sun light which shines on your roof into solar power which can then be
put to use providing electricity for your home.
These solar roof panels and shingles are designed to take the place of regular shingles on
your home, providing a waterproof covering for your home and generating electricity at the
same time.
Solar roof panels are the easiest to install. These units come in either four foot by eight
foot or four foot by four foot sections. Some of these are designed to be installed right
over the existing roof, eliminating the need to remove the old roof first. Some manufacturers
have simplified the installation process by designing the panels with a "plug and play" system.
The panel to panel electrical connections for these systems are tool free, needing only to be
connected to each other with handy plugs.
Newer solar technology has produced solar cells which can produce up to twenty percent efficiency, a vast
improvement of the seven to ten percent produced by the older solar cells. This improvement
has improved the economies of solar power and makes the investment of a solar roof a more
viable choice than previous systems.
Using new technology, your home's roof can provide not only protection from the elements, it
can be a valuable source of electricity. Make use of the sunlight falling on the roof which now
goes to waste by using it to power all those electrical gadgets so necessary to modern life.
