Back in 2007, Dow Chemical
Other firms active in BIPV include Suntech Power
Dow may aim to change that. The company projects $5 billion in revenue by 2015, and $10 billion to $11 billion by 2020. That's just for the Powerhouse shingle, ostensibly the first of more BIPV products to come. This is much more ambitious than DuPont's
The key source of Dow's enthusiasm appears to be its claim that the shingle will be 30%-40% cheaper than current BIPV solutions, and 10%-15% below the per-watt installed cost of conventional rooftop panels. Of course, with the solar industry in such a fluid state, that latter comparison could shift dramatically, depending on relative technology advances, not to mention panel supply and demand imbalances.
We'll have to see how the trial installations go in 2010 before getting too excited -- or worried, for those investing in competitors like ECD -- about these new solar shingles.
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