Power House (March 21, 2012)

Our gabled roof faces south, and my dream is to harness the sunshine that hits it all day long and propel our antique home into the 21st century. Standard solar panels are out of the question for a historic preservation, but I’ve found two more-refined products that might do the job if the state approves and we can figure out a way to afford them. 

SunSlates are shingle-sized BIPV solar panels that resemble ceramic roof tiles or metal roofing. Our original roof was probably made of oak or white cedar shingles, according to Historic New England, but the state isn’t expecting us to literally replicate the house’s original appearance; they’d rather see a new asphalt roof on it than the worn one that caps it now, so I’m hoping they’d be open to a good-looking innovative material. Technicians from Atlantis Energy’s Boston office are visiting us in the next few weeks to assess the site, show us SunSlate samples, and give us an estimate.

SolarSlate in Bristol, England, has patented solar panels that mimic slate, though they’re actually glass. I saw some in situ last fall, while I was in the U.K. on business, and they’re convincing and handsome. They’re also unaccredited for sale in the U.S. and exorbitantly expensive ($40,000 for our project—more than our entire restoration budget). Their scientist is working with a major U.S. power company, but it’s unlikely they’ll hit the market by this summer, when we’ll need to repair our roof.

I visited the Foundation Center last night, to see if we’d be eligible for any grant money to help green our project. If the solar option doesn’t work out, we’ll get a nice consolation prize: cedar shingles, my favorite roofing material in terms of appearance.