Defying Convention For those who love the old-fashioned, traditional British look of Aga ranges, but are not comfortable with a gas appliance that stays on constantly, Aga now offers a break from convention. The cooker manufacturer has taken its classic design and transformed it with modern operation. Instead of using always-on radiant heat to cook with the range hotplates and ovens, the new dual-fuel Six-Four series range sports six gas burners and four independently controlled electric ovens. Two semi-rapid burners, two ultra-rapid burners (one a wok burner), and two rapid burners are individually controlled, and each delivers a different level of BTUs.
Each of the four ovens provides a different cooking function. Continuous Clean linings help keep the oven interiors clean, says the maker. The Six-Four series range is available for use with natural gas or liquid propane gas. Fourteen colors are available for the enameled cast iron exterior. 800.633.9200. www.aga-ranges.com.
A solar panel that blends into a home’s roof almost completely and does not alter the roof’s profile is now available from Uni-Solar. The SmartRoof solar shingle system uses thin-film photovoltaic technology to generate 50 percent to 90 percent of a home’s electrical needs, depending on the installation. The shingles are lightweight, flexible, and install on a home’s roof in either peel-and-stick or nail-down methods. Roof penetrations are minimal.
Sun Roof SmartRoof solar shingles can be seamlessly integrated into a home’s roof for a limited solar application, or can serve as the primary roofing material itself when installed directly over a fire-resistant roofing substrate. The shingles are UL listed as a prepared roofing cover and are wind-tunnel tested to withstand 150-mph winds and provide a water-tight roof.
Uni-Solar says its technology has been proven through decades of use in extreme conditions, including on satellites, ocean buoys, and military applications. Each shingle is made up of a thin-film amorphous silicon photovoltaic panel laminated to a stainless steel substrate and protected by a durable coating. No back ventilation is required. The shingles have won the Popular Science Grand Award “Best of What’s New” and Discover magazine’s “Technological Innovation Award.” SmartRoof shingles come with a 20-year power warranty and a five-year system warranty. 800.843.3892. www.smartroof.com.
