In June this year, there were some advances that took place in the Solar Roofing space. Pre-painted Colorbond steel-sheet roofing, combined with very thin-film solar panels have now been successfully tested & launched on a home in Sydney. This particular technology has been launched by ARENA- Australian renewable energy agency, which is an independent Australian Government authority.
Innovation in Roofing
In 2012, Bluescope had embarked on a multi-million dollar R&D program and all those plans have reached fruition. The product that the company was working on, reached a major milestone. Old corrugated steel roofing on a house in Glebe had been entirely-replaced with the 1st integrated photovoltaic thermal system in Australia.
This particular BIPV-T or building-integrated PV-thermal system has been employed for production of electricity & thermal energy and a very innovative thermal-duct system warms & cools air to supplement the air conditioning in that home. Though this is definitely a new innovation in this space, harnessing solar power to bring in clean energy into living and work spaces is not a new concept.
New Technology
Solar power is a clean & efficient method of powering your home and cutting your monthly energy bills. But over the years, the one main deterrent for people to adopt solar power willingly was the ungainly solar panels. These marred the look of a home as they had to be installed on rooftops in order to catch the maximum amount of sunlight. These panels were massive and they also ended up covering the complete rooftop. But now, all of that is changing. New technology has now made it possible to have solar power systems on the roof, which are practically invisible.
Solar Shingles
Solar Power has gone high-tech and now it is available in the form of shingles, which blend very easily with the structure of the roof. Now building integrated photovoltaics are able to combine solar power and conventional roofing materials like asphalt, metal, slate and fibre-cement. The solar shingles have a layer of laminated semiconductor on them. This layer is made of specialized crystalline silicone. When the sun hits these shingles, they generate electricity.
The shingles essentially have a transparent layer in them that effectively converts sunlight into solar-energy. When you have Solar Roofing Systems, you can be assured of climate-control in your attic as well as across your house. It is also important to install a good solar roof vent in the attic, to prevent the things from getting damaged by the heat.
Useful For All
A solar roof can be useful even for homeowners who do not have an attic. It is very easy to control the temperature in a home when you have solar roofing systems. The house remains cooler and your electricity bills are also much lower. You will find that your air-conditioning bills are significantly reduced when you have solar systems installed on your roof. It is also important to note that these systems do not need any electrical energy to function. The sun’s rays power them and what’s more- solar roofing is a green and sustainable roofing solution.
About Greenhouse Gas Emissions
These roofs help in controlling greenhouse gas emissions and the energy they produce is pollution-free. The sun has unlimited energy and when you have a solar roofing system you are essentially harnessing that unlimited power and can have uninterrupted power in your home or commercial establishment right through the year. With so much of Research & Development taking place in the building and construction field, the kind of roofing systems that will be launched in the future will be even more beneficial in terms of energy efficiency.
Solar + Green Roofs
Today a number of solar power experts are also installing PV modules on green roofs. This is making them more effective in temperature control and in dust control. Even as companies like Bluescope work towards bringing to market more energy-efficient roofing products that have reduced packaging & transport, improved building energy-efficiency & low-cost & easy installation, our planet will be able to breathe a little easier. For more information about how solar roofing systems work and what kind of solutions you should opt for, contact RO Steel Roofing on (02) 9660 5937.
Thanks for reading,
RO Steel Roofing
(02) 9660 5937
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