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Installing solar panels on your roof is not only eco-friendly, it's also economical and smart. But they sure make your house look ugly, with those slabs of black plates killing any curb appeal. Until now.
The Solé Power Tile not only draws energy from the sun like regular solar panels, it's been fashioned to look like regular clay tiles. That means you get the same energy benefits with none of the eyesore - great news for many homeowners.
Designed to look like the same dark blue clay roof tiles that's so popular in many US homes, the Solé should integrate seamlessly with many similarly-colored roofs. That means an easier time for approval if you live with an unfriendly neighborhood association and no depreciation in your home's value by virtue of ugly slabs lining your structure.
Created by SRS Energy, the Solé Power Tile features flexible solar panels produced by United Solar Ovonic. Each of these is embedded inside the high-performance polymer tiles, which are lightweight, unbreakable and fully-recyclable. They claim it performs even better than run-of-the-mill solar panels when put through high-heat and dynamic-lighting conditions.
The tiles all work independently, allowing the system to function even when one unit breaks down unexpectedly. In the meantime, the only caveat is that the system's performance cannot be monitored 100% locally, with the system still dependent on SRS Energy for support (they track it remotely).
It's now available in select markets on the West Coast, with nationwide expansion planned within the next two years. More colors are also in the pipeline, so you won't be restricted to the dark blue shade that's currently on stock.
[SRS Energy ]
3 Comments
You are mistaken. It is not the Solé Power Tile that makes your Solar Roof look good. It is the image-editing software that makes the PICTURES look good.
You are the latest victim of the massive, blatant marketing fraud perpetrated by SRS Energy.
There is nothing eco-friendly, economical or smart about these tiles. They are made of plastic (which is made from oil), they are prohibitively expensive (double, if not triple, the cost of regular solar panels systems), and they underperform, degrade, heat up the roof, and have an atrocious dark blue color in the real world (but, yes, on the digitally altered pictures, they look great!). And have you wondered who is going to replace the failing tiles, when SRS Energy is out of business within a year or two?
There can’t be other colors – the horrendous dark blue color comes from the photovoltaic material – it cannot be altered!
The details about the fraud (including the fake pictures and the patently false performance claims) can be found here:
http://ecdfan.blogspot.com/2009/06/marketing-of-solar-tile.html
How can a fake thing be cool?