A Seminole woman is the first homeowner in Pinellas County to have a new Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingle roof installed

According to a Dow spokesman, Karen Elfallah's system was installed last week, making her the first.

"I’m the second person in Florida," Elfallah said . "I’ve been waiting for this for three years." 

Dow officially announced Florida an open market in March. A contractor with Daylight Concepts said Dow authorized the Tampa company to begin installing Solar Shingles last month. Elfallah's the first home Daylight Concepts has installed Solar Shingles on.

"We believe it’s the future and we’re excited," said foreman Ashley Strickland.

Elfallah said she likes the streamlined look of the solar shingles versus a traditional rack mounted solar panel.

"The big difference is it’s not an actual solar panel that sits on top of my shingles. This is actually a roof tile that’s nailed in like a normal asphalt shingle," she said. "So it’s very streamlined. it's wind resistant up to 150 mph.”

The solar shingles turn energy from the sun into electricity and is expected to cut Elfallah's utility bill by two thirds. Strickland said 500 square feet of Elfallah's roof are covered in solar shingles that are supposed to generate 4,800-kilowatts per hour when complete.

Elfallah is a member of the Sierra Club and said she remodeled her home to be energy efficient.

"There is no logic to why you would not be using what you can get for free to actually make this world a cleaner place," she said. "Technology can actually help save this planet, and that is something we all have to be quite serious about."  

Strickland said 19 other homeowners already have signed up to get the solar shingles installed. A Bradenton homeowner was the first in Florida to get the new technology.

"We launched our availability in Tampa for a limited area and are expanding to meet demand," said Dow spokesman Josh Wimble. "As more homeowners sign up, we are identifying and authorizing ideal contractors to install our product in the area."