2008 Minnesota Solar Tour

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Solar shingles are commonly used as roofing material and to generate electricity. With architectural flair, the owners of Intelligent Nutrients arranged their solar shingles to make a shade awning. The modest 1.1 kW system offsets the cost of running the restaurant's kitchen appliances.

Solar electric systems made with flexible silicon sheeting produce less electricity per square foot than older "single-crystal" silicon panels. But they cost less and can be configured to fit practically any roof shape. Solar shingles also require less energy to produce in high volume than single-crystal panels do.

System Components