This is really nice to see an innovation on something "old but new again" like a roof. Roofs are not exactly the industry/product space we see a lot of innovation in lately. The typical asphalt/cedar/steel/terracotta roofs we know of today have mostly been serving the needs of homeowners reasonably well for a very long time.
Tying to beat those materials out on functionality, cost, reliability, and longevity is a tall order, to be sure. Mixing in the ability to grab the sun's energy and use it to power your home and mechanicals and devices is a compelling option. But because electricity is electricity is electricity (To most people) the economics of this are going to be absolutely key.
Whereas the iPhone really did bring significant usability innovations to people's lives, as in the ability to do new and useful things that were previously harder or more annoying in the past, this type of roof doesn't necessarily provide more functionality. Though the heated roof certainly could be useful in cold climates. But again, I think that the economics are going to be very critical to seeing wider adoption for this.
Tying to beat those materials out on functionality, cost, reliability, and longevity is a tall order, to be sure. Mixing in the ability to grab the sun's energy and use it to power your home and mechanicals and devices is a compelling option. But because electricity is electricity is electricity (To most people) the economics of this are going to be absolutely key.
Whereas the iPhone really did bring significant usability innovations to people's lives, as in the ability to do new and useful things that were previously harder or more annoying in the past, this type of roof doesn't necessarily provide more functionality. Though the heated roof certainly could be useful in cold climates. But again, I think that the economics are going to be very critical to seeing wider adoption for this.