They're great. Roll out like regular roofing material, and more efficient than standard solar panels. Oh, and they are competitive with regular solar panels as well.

Standard panels are the most efficient PV collectors at this time. They are also the lowest priced.

Solar roofing is new, is not as efficient, has no long term track record, is inherently less reliable and more expensive to maintain.

It is however prettier and more acceptable to HOAs.

It makes solar blend in. I wonder how efficient this type of installation is - I didn't see a mention of it in the article. (Unless I read it too fast.)

I am very pro solar and have a large solar plant. However, puff pieces like this are infuriating.

Solar roofing (it is incorrect to call it shingles) are a cosmetically more correct PV collectors and nothing more. They are less efficient than current discreet panels, have no long term track record as roofing, and are inherently less reliable.

Some of the issues may resolve over time, but they are far from a great leap forward unless you are a member of an HOA board.

Awhile back I saw a show that featured this stuff that was like a solar 'film'. I was intrigued by the idea because it looked like something that would go perfectly on a tin roof and we have a big ole barn with a lot of tin roof. Do you have any opinion on something like that?

It may allow PV collection in places right now that are really not suited for panels.

The solar products marketplace is moving forward and that is an excellent thing. However, it still has a lot of hucksters out there, and that really pisses me off. Solar roofing has its place, and hopefully there will be good products out there that are well understood. It may at some point pass panels in terms of price/performance, which would be great.

People/companies buying into solar need to have accurate information to make decisions with. When they get it, they still tend to go solar, but with far fewer disappointments.