Scientists have been busy designing a roof that uses not just solar power, but wind and rain power as well, to generate energy. There is a total of five different green technologies used within the design of the eco-roof: solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine, rainwater harvesting/utilization, as well as roof sky lighting. The combination of these technologies is what makes this roof so great and there is no doubt that it will be popular when it comes to market.
The roof itself is a V-shape and houses each of the technologies in a very well thought out the way. The solar panels are positioned on the upper V-shape roof as well as the gable roof to ensure a sufficient amount of daylight is collected for generating electricity. The wind turbines used are vertical and have a rotating axis that is parallel to the ridge of the roof. These turbines are connected to electric generators on the roof, and the energy is produced by wind power is then stored in batteries for use at a later date.
Another cool feature of the roof is that part of it is transparent. This is to increase the level of illumination within the home by allowing extra daylight in, thus allowing you to save money and energy on artificial lighting. The rainwater harvester system works by collecting rainwater from the upper V-shape roof and using one of its water storage tanks to clean the solar PV panels and to cool the roof down and the other to be used for everyday uses such as gardening or washing the car.
Statistics suggest that this roof has the ability to generate as much as 21205 kWh per year, which would reduce CO2 emissions by over 17750kg in the same length of time. And concerning monetary amounts, the financial return is looking very lucrative indeed. In 20 years, the cost of this system would be around $51,900 with an expected return of around $123,500, so look out the world, a new wave of roofs are looking to come our way.
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