Dow: Solar shingles could generate $5 billion by 2015.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)(Dow Chemical Co. )(Brief article)

Dow Chemical says its Dow Solar Solutions business will introduce a line of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS)-based solar shingles by mid-2010. The "Powerhouse" shingles have the potential to yield revenues of $5 billion in 2015 and $10 billion-$11 billion by 2020, says Jane Palmieri, managing director at Dow Solar Solutions.

Dow says the shingles' design enables them to be installed simultaneously with conventional roofing shingles and without special skills, significantly lowering the installation costs of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). CIGS-based photovoltaic cells are less brittle than other materials such as polysilicon, making Dow's shingles as …