Hot thin roofs A new solar energy product, thin enough to be
built into shingles, may finally make the technology
competitive. (FORTUNE Small Business) Palo Alto -- With energy
prices soaring, affordable solar power would be welcomed by any
entrepreneur looking to trim the electric bill. Trouble is,
power generated by the most widely available technology - panels
covered with photovoltaic (PV) systems, which translate sunlight
into AC current - still costs two to three times more than
electricity generated from coal and other fossil fuels. That may
be about to change. Several startups, including HelioVolt in
Austin, Miasolé in Santa Clara, Calif., and Nanosolar in Palo
Alto, are working on a new technology called flexible thin film
that's on the brink of making solar more competitive. Nanosolar
has just begun to ship its thin-film solar systems to a German
utility. Made from pliant sheets of foil, the solar panels can
be molded onto roof shingles, which are at once more attractive
than clunky, heavy glass pan