Dow Chemical to produce thermoplastic solar roof shingles (production and sales by 2011)

[Bozita]

Source: Saginaw News

Dow Chemical to produce thermoplastic solar roof shingles
by Paul Wyche | The Saginaw News
Sunday February 15, 2009, 8:52 AM

MIDLAND -- Solar shingles is not a new disease, but Dow Chemical Co. hopes they spread like gangrene.

During the past year, engineers, scientists and others at Dow Solar Solutions -- a $50 million investment -- have worked at a photovoltaic facility, a retrofitted former research and development building in the company's sprawling 1,900-acre complex here.

Their goal is to produce thermoplastic solar roof shingles for sale throughout North America. With President Barack Obama's insistence on renewable energy and conservation, the time is ripe for such an enterprise, said Robert J. Cleereman, senior director of solar development for Dow.

Using thin film photovoltaic technology, Dow intergrates solar cells with shingles. By 2011, officials expect to begin selling the product with its partners -- home builders Lennar Corp. of Miami, Pulte Homes Inc. of Bloomfield Hills and Jefferson City, Mo.-based Prost Builders Inc., and Global Solar Energy, a maker of flexible materials.

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/business/mid-michigan/index.ssf/2009/02/dow_chemical_to_produce_thermo.html#more

[CLANG]

1. Sounds cool, but are they hail resistant?

[drm604]

5. The article says that they've tested to see how they react to hail. n/t

[glinda]

2. I hope their process doesn't make toxic by-products that go into water or air

other than that....COOOOOOOOOL!

[Maestro]

3. Looks promising.

If it is anywhere in reach for the average consumer I will invest in it. I already get my energy from a 100% solar and wind energy company, Green Mountain Energy.

[kristopher]

4. As standard as indoor plumbing...

"...The "Solar America Initiative" team has conducted numeorus tests in preparing the shingles for market.

"We've thrown everything you can imagine at them from (simulated) hail to fire to see how they react," Cleereman said.
Dow Chemical Co. will make solar panels like these in Midland.
"One day, a person would no more think about buying a house without solar shingles than they would buy a house without plumbing. That is our hope, at least."

At the center of the project is a $2.5 million injecting and molding machine nicknamed "The Beast" that converts solar cells into finished shingles."

Yep.

[dkofos]

6. Always ready to suck up govt. money, dow will have what is already

available from 3 US companies by 2011.
I'm not impressed.

These companies already have them available.

Solar Components Corporation
http://www.solar-components.com/

Atlantis Energy Systems
http://www.atlantisenergy.org/

OK Solar
http://www.oksolar.com/

[Gregorian]

7. As a roofer/engineer I was thinking of how to do this back in 1990.

This is amazing! They have to be designed to installed by apes. It's the connections that were probably the biggest design hurdle. And they are more than likely only used in the field, and not valleys. They can't be cut. And they'll get dirty and beat to hell in use. But this is fantastic.

[mucifer]

8. Dow has come a long way since "agent orange".

[TripleKatPad]

9. I hope this is a success

DowTown is where I grew up. Love to see my home city hit a homerun for a change.

[Dappleganger]

10. Wonder how they'll hold up in hurricanes?

If this turns out to be a good thing, they should install them on every school, university and public building in areas where they get a lot of sun.

[NBachers]

11. Just imagine where we'd be if Reagan hadn't torpedoed Carter's

renewable energy policies.

[bluesmail]

12. Neither am I Impressed. DOW? Chemicals? Price fixers? Oh, sorry

that would be Archer Midlands who got caught fixing prices. Sorry DOW.