[GBlist] Rooftop Integrated PV <PR>

["Bion D. Howard" <bdhoward@ix.netcom.com>]

AstroPower Unveils Rooftop-Integrated PV
------------------------------------------------------
Newark, Delaware - November 14, 2002 [Via SolarAccess.com] 

AstroPower has introduced a new line of residential solar electric power systems featuring solar power arrays that fully integrate into a home's roof. According to the company, the benefits of the new systems include faster installation time, reduced installation cost and enhanced aesthetics when compared with traditional rooftop-mounted solar power systems. 

AstroPower's new products will be offered initially to homebuilders as part of the company's SunChoice program. The key component of AstroPower's new systems is a solar power array that aligns with existing roof shingles to create a seamless roof appearance. Unlike traditional solar panels that are "standoff-mounted" above the roofline, AstroPower's new solar power arrays directly replace conventional roof tiles. 

Not only does this approach simplify installation and reduce installation cost, it also enables the resultant solar power array to blend into the finished roof on a continuous plane. The new line of roof-integrated solar electric power systems will initially be marketed to AstroPower's existing roster of homebuilder partners, including Shea Homes, Pardee Homes, Premier Homes, Centex Standard Pacific of San Diego Clarum Homes, and US Home, a division of Lennar Corporation. 

AstroPower worked with Premier Homes during the development stages of the rooftop-integrated product, fitting several homes as test sites in the Sacramento, California area. 

SunChoice Solar Electric Home Power Systems with rooftop-integrated modules include everything a homebuilder needs to share the benefits of solar electric power with its homebuyers, including plug-and-play wiring and power electronics. The systems feature all necessary components for ease of installation and operation, including a power meter so homeowners can easily monitor system performance. 

"Builders are choosing solar electric power because it differentiates them in the market, is right for the environment, and delivers real value to their homebuyers," said Howard Wenger, Vice President, North American Business. "Homeowners save money from the moment they move in and turn on the lights. And they are excited to be making their own power." 

"AstroPower is continuing to make solar electric power a mainstream product in the United States through homebuilder partnerships, as well as our retail partner The Home Depot and a robust independent dealer network," said Allen Barnett, President and CEO of AstroPower. "This new consumer-friendly product will drive the technology further into the market -- more rapidly, and with improved aesthetics. The feedback we have received already from builders and homeowners is quite positive."

#  #   #

Disclaimer:  I own stock in AstroPower Corp.
- Bion Howard




-  
||             Contact:  Bion D. Howard, President
=(O) =    Building Environmental Science & Technology
||      P. O.  Box 1107  ~  Edgewater, MD 21037 USA
Phone:  410.867.8000   Fax: 301-889-0889
<http://www.energybuilder.com>
Attachments scanned with McAfee antivirus
______________________________________________________________________ This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com ______________________________________________________________________