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Renewable Energy News

MONDAY 21 SEPTEMBER, 2009 |

The Solar Roof Tile .. That Looks Like One

by Energy Matters

Solar roof tiles are nothing new; but most just look like small solar panels, not blending in well with the surrounding roof structure in terms of design.

The Solé Power Tile is an electricity-generating "barrel-style tile" that can be installed alongside traditional clay tile roofing produced by by US Tile, the largest manufacturer of premium sustainable roofing in the United States.

It's the first curved solar tile to be introduced to the U.S. market.

Light-weight and of polymer construction, the tiles can generate 500 watts per 100 square-feet. Solé Power Tiles are easy to handle and employ "plug and play" quick-connect technology. The tiles are guaranteed to produce electricity at a rate that reaches at least 80 percent of the tile's generating capacity for 20 years, and are expected to continue to produce well beyond the warranty period.

The makers of the tile, SRS Energy, envision around 20-25 percent of the average roof would feature the Solé Power Tile, with the remainder utilizing authentic clay roof tiles.

SRS Energy says it takes less time than conventional solar panels to generate the amount of energy required to produce them and their embodied energy is recouped during a small amount of the tile's life span. Unlike many other thin-film solutions, the technology within the tile is cadmium free and not toxic. The Solé Power Tile system also incorporates triple-junction amorphous solar cells produced by UNI-SOLAR, a leader in thin-film photovoltaics.