Dow Solar Shingles Hit the Market

[Jason]

Dow Solar, a division of The Dow Chemical Company, released its POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle to the market last Thursday in Colorado. This release in Colorado is part of a partnership with D.R. Horton Inc, the largest homebuilder in the U.S., which announced its commitment to offer Dow's solar shingles as a standard feature on fifty new homes in the Spring Mesa Community in Colorado, and to offer each of the remaining homes in the community a three-kilowatt solar shingle roof. Dow is planning to expand to twelve other states over 2012 with homebuilders throughout the nation.

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[russ]

Quote from the Dow site, 'As a homeowner, you’ll see immediate savings as soon as the POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles are installed.
They’ll help reduce the costs of running household appliances. Plus, excess capacity flows to the grid, which, by law, must be purchased by your utility provider.'

I think the PR agency that made up the web site has no idea of what they are talking about.

We will see in a few years if Dow has managed to get rid of all the bugs that have finished their forerunners.

In the meantime, it is impossible to recommend that anyone jump on this bandwagon.

[Sunking]

Plus, excess capacity flows to the grid, which, by law, must be purchased by your utility provider.'

That part is not accurate. It only applies if your state has NET METERING LAWS.

[Naptown]

That part is not accurate. It only applies if your state has NET METERING LAWS.

CO does have net metering laws. I am assuming the release was intended only for Co residents.
I am also pretty sure I saw a display for Certainteed solar shingles at SPI.

[russ]

Be interesting to see the product. I expect all connections are from the backside?

It would almost take an uninsulated attic where you could have drops from the individual shingles to access?

[superduperenergydude]

solar shingles look just as ugly as solar panels IMHO.
what a waste of resources

[cebury]

That part is not accurate. It only applies if your state has NET METERING LAWS.

And they actually do comply with the law.

From what little I know of SB920 that was signed into law (finally) October 2009 and gave CPUC until Jan 2011 to set reimbursement rate, and they weren't even close until June 2011 but still wiggled out of it (something about defining preconditions & certification for metering & tracking). As of yet nobody has received a thing in CA, AFAIK. I guess the sails were deflated when they started saying $.03/kwh with max of $125/year. But what do I know...