Quote from 'How Stuff Works' website:
On a bright, sunny day, the sun shines approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet's surface, and if we could collect all of that energy we could easily power our homes and offices for free.
End quote.
This is wonderful news, except for the fact that sticking an energy harvesting solar panel (or two) on your roof is not an aesthetically pleasing prospect. In fact, they look a bit mingin' to be honest.
Fortunately, the new "Rustic Roof" system will hide your ecologically sound carbuncle, while adding to the quaintness of your quintessential English village and helping you to avoid rows with your local planners and/or neighbours.
Highly scientific, and based on my mum's patented "The sun can still burn you through a thin T-Shirt" technology, the Rustic Roof is a stretched and coloured thin gauze, which covers you roof, and your solar panels, in the shape of... well, a more beautiful roof.
The more flamboyant solar panellist might use the ‘English Thatch’ or ‘Japanese Pagoda’. For the more reserved, there’s the classic ‘Blue Slate’, ‘Mediterranean Terracotta’, and our best selling range is still the ‘Council Estate Concrete Camouflage’.
Clearly I'm no scientist, but the crux of this idea is the choice of correct gauze material - it needs to be thick enough to disguise the solar panels, yet still allow enough energy through to allow the system to be efficient.
Although there would be a reduction in energy harvested from the sun, I'm sure more people would take up solar panels if they didn't have to look at them.-- Fishrat, Apr 27 2005 Solar roof tiles http://www.solarcen...sp?sectno=4&subno=3A variety of styles [half, Apr 27 2005] 'Denim' solar panels to clothe future buildings http://www.newscien...rticle.ns?id=dn3380"Buildings of the future could be "clothed" in a flexible, power-generating material that looks like denim. The Canadian company developing the material says it can be draped over just about any shape - greatly expanding the number of places where solar power can be generated." [half, Apr 27 2005] if these panes are warm, the birds might enjoy sitting on it, rather than sliding off the original design.-- po, Apr 27 2005 I'd buy it if it would hold up under a foot of snow.-- FarmerJohn, Apr 27 2005 There are solar cells built in the form of roofing tiles. (link) Not quite aesthetic perfection, but better than the the standard style of panel.-- half, Apr 27 2005 FJ - not only would it's rigid chassis (over which the gauze is stretched tightly) be tough and durable enough to handle substantial weight, but you've just inspired the 'foot of snow alpine cottage' Rustic Roof, which would be especially eyecatching during summer months.-- Fishrat, Apr 27 2005 Scottish? Och, noooo laddie! Actually, I shouldn't imagine solar panels are hugely effective in a Caledonian climate.-- Fishrat, Apr 28 2005 why not just make your solar panel wafers in tube shape--the size of a reed--and mix them in with the regular rushes on the roof for a kind of Shakespearean rustic-Jetsons look...sort of silicon nanotubes only not-nano.-- cloudface, Apr 28 2005 random, halfbakery