By M. Power |
1/8/2010
The Dow chemical company has just publicized photos of its new Powerhouse Solar Shingle. Integrated PV products have been around for decades, of course, but Dow’s entry into the market may help push such applications into the mainstream. Problems with early products included a tendency to delaminate, along with an unfortunate “codependency.” In other words, if one shingle failed, the whole system might go offline.
Newer products such as Powerhouse, however, can take advantage of the mistakes of the past. The success of this new product—and others like it, will hinge on balancing cost, ease of installation and durability. But isn’t that always the case?