CAN'T DO A SOLAR ROOF? HOW ABOUT A SOLAR STRUCTURE?

by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News
So, you want to power-up green with solar electric panels, but you don't have a place to put them. There's no large sunbaked surface on your roof or the sun facingside is shaded by trees.

You're stumped.

How about getting creative? Why not build a dual-purpose structure that can both shelter something while generating solar power too?
A partnership of Silicon Energy, a solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer, and CrystaLite, a skylight and sunroom manufacturer, has been formed to offer pre-engineered, integrated-solar electric structures, including patio and carport coverings, electric car charging ports, and picnic shelters. With solar structures at homes or small businesses, new possibilities for solar power generation will open up.
Here are some product plans from the Silicon Energy/ CrystaLite partnership:
A solar charging shelter for both of your Chevy Volts.
(Or how about one Volt and a boat?)

Or for your one Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, or Fiat 500e. 

(Or maybe just the boat.)

Or add a solar sunshade or two over your deck.

Or build a solar picnic shelter.

A solar workshop...

Or a solar pergula in your garden.

"A paradigm shift is needed in how we look at PV,” commented Silicon Energy President Gary Shaver. “We need to think beyond the roof and fields and integrate PV even more into our local communities, bringing the beauty and benefits of distributed generation of PV into our built environment. The partnership between Silicon Energy and CrystaLite will provide the tools to do this with pre-engineered PV structure packages that combine beauty and functionality."