According to MLive, Dow Chemical Company is cutting back on its solar tile line, known as Solar Factory 2.0. The company will sell its last system on July 28, with shipping on August 10, less than five years after the product launched.
The demise of the business reflects the difficulty of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which involves incorporating solar modules into building materials. This type of system replicates the purpose of rooftop solar installations – but is less efficient, making it harder to sell in the long term.
Even the marketing department can’t articulate why it’s better than traditional rooftop PV. The product’s website claims that the plant has “revolutionized the way the world looks at roofs” because “it no longer just sits on your house, but is turned into energy to power your life.
The problem is, solar roof panels are much less efficient than solar modules. Despite its environmental appeal, it has to be acknowledged that rooftop or distributed solar PV performs better.
This shutdown was also affected by internal changes at Dow. Dow is preparing to restructure its merger with giant DuPont, which includes cutting 2,500 employees worldwide. A Dow spokesperson told MLive: “Most positions in Dow’s solar business will be affected by the restructuring.”
