The roof of the future is here now! Forget about regular shingles. Heck, forget about solar panels! Dow Chemical is coming out with a new type of roofing – solar shingles. The new solar powered roofing converts sunlight into electricity AND looks just like the standard asphalt that tops the many houses we see today.

Unlike panels, which take 22 to 30 hours to install, solar shingles can be installed within 10 hours. Jane Palmieri, a Dow executive, stated that the shingle utilizes a low-budget, thin-filmed "photovoltaic" cell mechanism for acquiring solar power.

Another great advantage? Roofing contractors need not specialize in solar shingles to be able to install.

The Powerhouse Solar Shingles, as they will be called, will be available for purchase in limited quantities in 2010. Dow expects to have a "full roll-out" in 2011.

Read More: Dow Says Out With Solar Panels, In With Solar Shingles (Discover Magazine)