Adding solar panels to your home is a great idea for many reasons. You save on your electric bill, help the environment and get a break on your taxes. That said, solar panels aren’t known for their attractiveness. In fact, some cities are actually making a move to hiding solar panels. So how can you do this? Check out some of the ideas below.
What they are doing in France
The International Centre for Design in Saint-Etienne, France has taken glass and metals to camouflage solar panels. Turning these materials into triangles allows you to add, “additional detailing creating zones of light and shade.”
Solar Shingles
Fast Company has found a company that creates shingles for your roof with an added benefit—the shingles are also solar panels. According to the article the shingles, “use thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide technology to make them cheap and light, and they're designed to be intermingled with traditional asphalt roof tiles on a roof. That makes for easy installation, and lower visibility to street-level thieves.”
Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV)
The name might be complicated, but their use is anything but. BIPV, “adds photovoltaic technology to normal building materials, such as roof files and sun shades.” Another great benefit of these panels is that you can add them to windows as well. A great option if you have a skylight in your bathroom—giving yourself a double benefit for the light coming in on your double bathroom vanity.
Go Solar Cell-less
Research has just uncovered a shocking revelation in the world of solar energy. Researchers have, “found a way to make an “optical battery. This could lead to a new kind of solar cell without semiconductors and without absorption to produce charge separation. In solar cells, the light goes into a material, gets absorbed and creates heat. Here, we expect to have a very low heat load. Instead of the light being absorbed, energy is stored in the magnetic moment. Intense magnetization can be induced by intense light and then it is ultimately capable of providing a capacitive power source.”
Adding solar panels to your home is a big decision. There are numerous factors you need to take into account. Now, you have even more options when it comes to aesthetics of your solar panels.
The International Centre for Design in Saint-Etienne, France has taken glass and metals to camouflage solar panels. Turning these materials into triangles allows you to add, “additional detailing creating zones of light and shade.”
Solar Shingles
Fast Company has found a company that creates shingles for your roof with an added benefit—the shingles are also solar panels. According to the article the shingles, “use thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide technology to make them cheap and light, and they're designed to be intermingled with traditional asphalt roof tiles on a roof. That makes for easy installation, and lower visibility to street-level thieves.”
Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV)
The name might be complicated, but their use is anything but. BIPV, “adds photovoltaic technology to normal building materials, such as roof files and sun shades.” Another great benefit of these panels is that you can add them to windows as well. A great option if you have a skylight in your bathroom—giving yourself a double benefit for the light coming in on your double bathroom vanity.
Go Solar Cell-less
Research has just uncovered a shocking revelation in the world of solar energy. Researchers have, “found a way to make an “optical battery. This could lead to a new kind of solar cell without semiconductors and without absorption to produce charge separation. In solar cells, the light goes into a material, gets absorbed and creates heat. Here, we expect to have a very low heat load. Instead of the light being absorbed, energy is stored in the magnetic moment. Intense magnetization can be induced by intense light and then it is ultimately capable of providing a capacitive power source.”
Adding solar panels to your home is a big decision. There are numerous factors you need to take into account. Now, you have even more options when it comes to aesthetics of your solar panels.
Miguel Salcido is an avid blogger, father of 2 and a recent proud home owner. He loves studying home design and decor and has his eyes on purchasing some walk in bathtubs for his home.
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