Since Bill and Theresa Thomas agreed to let SRS Energy of Philadelphia use the roof of their Bermuda Dunes home for a trial run of the company's new solar tiles, their electric bills have dramatically decreased.

The installation of the 1.5-kilowatt system in June turned the Thomases' home into one of the first test sites in the nation for the new tiles, which are curved like regular Spanish clay tiles, but dark blue and loaded with cutting-edge solar technology.

And once the couple started seeing lower electric bills, Theresa Thomas said, they were inspired to become even more energy-efficient.

The result: The Thomases' summer electric bills nosedived from $800 a month to around $440, Theresa Thomas said.

“Having the system makes us really conscious of using energy,” she said. “As a family, we talk more about electricity. We're taking it so seriously now. We've been changing all our light bulbs. It's been a great experience.”

The Bermuda Dunes test site is one of several where SRS is testing the tile's performance under different weather conditions, said Abby Feinstein, the company's director of marketing.

So far, the results have been positive, she said.

“We prevail over conventional (solar) technology in very high heat, like the desert, in soiled environments,” where the panels may get dirty easily, Feinstein said. “We'll be setting up tests in the Connecticut area, a relatively cooler climate but with less sun.”

The key difference between the tiles and solar panels is what Feinstein calls “triple junction technology.” Basically, the tiles have a triple stack of silicon layers versus a single layer in panels. The type of silicon used is also more flexible and picks up more light, she said.

The company has yet to publish test results, she said, but plans are under way for the tiles to hit the market in February.

“It's a disruptive technology the newest, latest and greatest,” said Vincent Battaglia of Renova Energy in Palm Desert, which hopes to be one of the companies in the Coachella Valley offering the tiles.

Solar technology that can be integrated into buildings — as opposed to panels attached to existing roofs — is where the industry is heading, Battaglia said. But right now, the tradeoff for consumers will be between the aesthetics of the tiles versus the better cost and capacity of panels, he said.

One hundred square feet of roof space will hold a 500-watt installation of tiles, costing about $10 to $12 per watt and producing about 860 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, Feinstein said.

Depending on the panels, Battaglia and other installers say, the same 100 square feet could hold a conventional solar installation of 1,350 to 3,000 watts, with costs from $6 to $8 per watt, producing 1,700 kilowatt hours to more than 5,000 kilowatt hours per year.

Panels can also be set into tile roofs so they are less visible, said Scott Gordon, vice president of residential sales for HelioPower, a solar company based in Temecula.

“We call it strip and go,” Gordon said. “You take the clay (tiles) off and put the racks (for panels) there. If you pick a nice black frame, it ends up looking like a big, black skylight.”

Feinstein isn't worried.

“It's not our intention to compete with panels,” she said. “This is a premium product.”

The Thomases, who own a roofing company, Roof Tile Specialty, think the tiles will find plenty of customers in the Coachella Valley's upscale communities, where tile roofs abound.

“I think the higher-end market is there,” Theresa Thomas said. “Some people have no problem paying that little extra.”

As soon as they get a go-ahead from SRS, the Thomases are ready to put more tiles on their roof and become even more energy-efficient, Theresa Thomas said.

“If (lower bills) is what a little can do, imagine what a lot can do,” she said. “It makes electricity exciting.”

K Kaufmann can be reached at k.kaufmann@thedesertsun.com or (760) 778-4622.