Harvesting solar power has become… cool! Technology has come so far that there is now a flexible, roll-on shingle to compliment solar paint cells . Since the 1970’s, homeowners switching to solar power had to make do with ugly, rack-mounted panels on their roofs. Finally technology has caught up with aesthetics and consumer demand.
The shingles are installed over new or existing roof sheathing, then an electrician or trained roofer has to wire the units together and tie them into your home’s electrical system. Although one shingle only generates enough power to run a fan, an entire roof’s worth of shingles can turbocharge an entire home.
Going solar doesn't mean cutting ties to your local supply grid. Most BIPV systems work in concert with existing power lines, which kick back into service after sundown and on rainy days, when the shingles don't produce much juice. And if you generate more power when the sun is shining than you actually need (not uncommon in places like California and Arizona), at least 39 states let you sell unused watts back to the local utility for a credit, thus making your electric meter do something really remarkable: spin backward.
(thisoldhouse)
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