MIDLAND, Mich. — The Dow Chemical Co. has announced a major expansion in availability of its POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle, which protects a home like a standard shingle but includes embedded solar cells to provide solar power.

Dow has been piloting the POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle in Colorado, northern California, and central Texas, and is now implementing an expansion to bring its solar roofing system to homeowners in Connecticut, D.C., Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York.

“We’re expanding availability in strategically chosen markets where there is strong interest, where electricity costs are high, and where the market is already supporting solar through legislation and incentives,” said Mauro Gregorio, president, Dow Energy Solutions. “These markets have motivated homeowners who are interested in finding ways to bring down their energy costs. In this case, we’re providing a novel solution using an untapped part of the home — a roof — for energy innovation.”

“While our authorized dealers are reinventing rooftops on existing homes with POWERHOUSE upgrades, it’s equally exciting to see the growth within our homebuilder partners,” said Jane Palmieri, vice president, Dow Solar. “With the residential homebuilding market starting to pick up, and savvy homebuyers seeking smarter homes that cost less to own, it’s rewarding to work with homebuilders who are choosing POWERHOUSE as the ‘what next’ in smart home innovation.”

As additional quantities of product become available from the company’s new production facility in Midland, Mich., Dow said additional market roll outs across the U.S. will continue. “We are targeting expansion in response to markets where homeowners are eager for access to our product,” said Palmieri.

The solar roofing system is supplied as a turnkey package that includes the inverter to convert dc to useable ac electricity, the utility interconnection so that credit is obtained for the electricity generated, and a web-based monitoring system that provides real-time system performance.

For more information, visit www.dowpowerhouse.com.

Publication date: 1/14/2013