The History Of Solar Shingles
DOW Chemical
The solar shingle concept was created by DOW Chemical Company, who first unveiled it in 2009. The company rolled out its Powerhouse Solar Shingle in 2011, and predicted at the time of announcement that it could see up to $10 billion in revenue by 2020.
The shingles were designed to blend in with a typical asphalt roof. They were heavily touted, due to their being an aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional solar panels. Another added benefit of the shingles were the ease in which they could be installed, as there was no need for locating rafters and anchor points to bolt into, like with solar panels.
Using Copper Indium Gallium Slenide solar cells, the shingles worked the same as most standard panels, pulling in the rays of the sun and converting it to electricity, before transferring it to an inverter box, from which it enters the home.
In 2009, when TIME Magazine declared DOWs solar shingle one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2009, it was estimated that the solar shingle would sell for 10% to 15% less than traditional solar panels.
Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case, as solar shingles ranged in price from $4 to $12 per-Watt, while traditional solar panels in 2015 were only $3.50 per-Watt . Federal, state and local incentives helped to , sometimes by almost half, but the product was failing to catch on as predicted. Before its downfall, Powerhouse had only been installed on 1,000 homes.
Enter Tesla
Efficiency And Energy Production
Solar panel technology has matured significantly in the past decade or so, and panels these days can have efficiencies of over 22 or 23 percent in some cases. Solar shingles sacrifice efficiency and energy production for their sleek aesthetics, and most shingle brands have efficiencies more in the range of 14 to 18 percent. If you have a large enough roof, this wont actually be a problem for you, but if your roof is small and you use a lot of electricity, solar shingles may not provide enough solar energy for you.
Solar Shingles Cost Compared To A Conventional Roof Replacement Cost
The cost of a solar roof is going to seem a bit high compared to a traditional roof replacement or a conventional solar installation, but it’s important to keep in mind that a solar roof installation includes the value of both a roofing material and a solar panel system.
When you install a Tesla solar roof, you install both active and inactive shingles. The active shingles convert sunlight into energy for your home, while the inactive shingles just act as regular shingles.
Based on Teslas estimates, the solar shingles come to $1.80 per watt. This is lower than the average cost of traditional solar panels, which is around $3.00 per watt.
The cost of the inactive shingles depends on the complexity of your roof, so it will cost between $13.30 and $18.54 per square foot of inactive Tesla shingles. This is higher than the average for traditional asphalt shingles, which is somewhere between $3.50 to $5.50.
Based on these quotes, a traditional roof replacement would cost around $9,350 for a 1,700 square foot roof and a conventional 10 kW solar system would be $30,000, before incentives. That brings you a grand total of $39,350. The entire Tesla solar roof for the same home, assuming it has a simple roof complexity, would come out to around $40,610, not including roof tear off costs.
Thats not too much higher than a conventional roof replacement and solar panel system, but thats assuming the lowest price Tesla will give you for roofing materials.
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Top Brands For Solar Roof Tiles In Australia
While solar tiles are still an emerging renewable energy generation product within the industry, there are a few retailers who offer these solar solutions. Some solar tile brands include:
Monier claims to have launched the first integrated solar roofing system in Australia, with its product InlineSOLAR which is recess-mounted within the roofline. These tiles, however, are a custom fit design and can only be used in conjunction with other tiles from the Monier range.
Tractile is another prominent Australian-owned company that offers solar tiles. It uses an interlocking design, which has the added benefit of thermal solar, meaning that these tiles can also create solar hot water to be used in the home. Tractile roof tiles are also claimed to be non-corrosive, hail-proof and rated to withstand extreme winds and cold, wet climates. Tractiles solar tiles though will also need to be used alongside other Tractile non-solar tiles.
As for Tesla, its solar tiles have only recently become available to Australians and on a reservation basis only. Teslas solar tiles look to follow a similar design to those mentioned above, in that they are only interlock able with other non-solar tiles from Tesla. According to the Tesla Solar Australia website though, its solar tiles are more than three times stronger than standard roofing tiles and can withstand harsh weather conditions.
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According to Wood Mackenzie, customer acquisition costs usually make up 23% of the total cost of a residential solar system, so saving here could be key.
GAF Energy also touts the fact that it assembles and partially manufactures its shingles at its facility in San Jose, California. While the company imports its PV cells from Thailand, it believes that having some domestic manufacturing is advantageous.
“What that allows us to do is take improvements in our product from the lab and get them to instantiate in the product very, very quickly,” DeBono says. Alternately, teams would have to fly overseas to execute changes. “And what you see is changes to your product take quarters and years, literally, whereas here it takes hours and days.”
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Best Solar Panel Shingles
Solar power is the way of the future. The technology is constantly changing and improving, creating new ways and opportunities for us to choose clean renewable energy every day. One of the biggest innovations to come out in the last decade is the solar roof. Solar roofs are made up of solar panel shingles, turning your entire roof into a solar array without affecting the aesthetics of your home. Although they may not look exactly like traditional shingles, they definitely look better than traditional solar panels. And to some, solar shingles may even look better than traditional shingles.
Because solar shingles are so new, there has been a lot of controversy about them. Like all solar products, it has taken time for this invention to reach its potential, but over the last couple of years we have seen a drastic improvement in this technology. We may not be seeing a vast number of solar roofs for a few more years since manufacturers are limited. Even so, these could be a huge game-changer in the solar scene so we wanted to take a look at the options that are available and discuss whether or not a solar roof may be right for you.
At Are Solar Shingles And How Do They Work
Solar shingles are basically solar cells that convert the suns radiation into usable electricity, but also, they work as the roofing material for your home. These roofing solar cells are commonly shaped into shingles or tiles which are seamlessly arranged to provide structural support for the house roof and other types of buildings.
Using solar shingles allows you to have a roof that achieves two functions: generate clean energy and give your home, office or any other of your buildings, an aesthetic look.
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Solar Roof Tiles Continue To Make Slow Steady Progress
- Solar shingles, or solar roof tiles, are made from slim photovoltaic sheets that either overlay or replace the existing shingles on a roof. They absorb sunlight as well as convert it into electricity.
Most of shingles will certainly create anywhere in between 13 and also 63 watts of power and also are beat by panels in regards to efficiency though.
Solar shingles, or solar roof tiles, are constructed from slim photovoltaic sheets that either overlay or replace the existing shingles on a roof. They absorb sunlight as well as convert it right into electricity.
Most of shingles will certainly create anywhere in between 13 and 63 watts of power and also are outperformed by panels in regards to performance though.
Like regular roof shingles, solar shingles additionally shield the house from the climate and also other components. They enable home owners to conserve money on regular monthly expenses as well as ultimately recover their initial financial investments.
They have to do with the exact same size as traditional roof shingles, with the ordinary size being about 12 inches large by 86 inches long, as well as evaluating regarding 13 extra pounds per square foot. The thin tiles are less than an inch in thickness. It takes about 350 tiles to complete a typical solar roof installment.
According to Visaka, ATUM offers individuals with the adhering to benefits:
How Much Cost Does Solar Roof Tiles Require
Provider to provide the cost of solar tiles varies, but an expected amount is $5,000 per kilowatt. While making a comparison, the residential solar panel system costs around $3,000 per kilowatt, whereas large commercial and industrial projects can reach the cost of upto $1,000 per kilowatt. In terms of cost, solar shingles have no comparison with solar panels in larger projects. However, they can prove to be very much cost-effective in the residential sector, especially when a roof upgrade and a solar power system are being considered.
When making a big decision between solar panels and solar shingles, personal preferences play a vital role. Since solar roof costs double the price of normal PV modules, their payback period is also double. However, the service life of both of the products is over 25 years. Long-term savings can be expected in both cases, but the solar shingles need more time to reach positive cash flow.
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Best Solar Shingle Brands
The solar shingle industry is still in its fledgling stages, so there are not many options for consumers to explore. Most companies offering solar shingles today use one of two brands that have established themselves as leaders in the solar industry.
If youre interested in seeing if a normal solar panel system is a good fit for your home, explore our list of best solar power companies and discover what installer fits your needs.
How Are Solar Shingles And Solar Panels Different
1. Cost
Solar panels are generally significantly less expensive than solar shingles. Thats because there are fewer solar shingle brands to go around and theyre generally more expensive to install . Read more about one popular solar shingle brand in our analysis of Teslas Solar Roof vs. traditional solar panels.
2. Efficiency
Solar shingles use the same technology as solar panels, but theyre less efficient because theres less airflow under them, meaning they arent able to cool as easily as panels with traditional racking equipment. This problem may be offset by the size of your roof: the larger the roof, the more sunlight solar shingles can capture, and the less efficiency becomes an issue.
3. Flexibility
Solar shingles are designed to replace or overlay standard asphalt shingles. Solar panels, on the other hand, can be affixed to any type of roof, metal to rubber.
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Should You Install Ergosun Solar Tiles On Your Roof
Ergosuns solar tiles are a great way to power your home with renewable energy and are one of the few alternatives to Teslas solar roof. They offer a different style that may be better suited to the design of your home. And Ergosuns higher efficiency and power production per square inch are a huge plus.
Because Ergosun is such a new and small company, it is a bit of a risk if you choose to install their product. Plus, its hard to say exactly how they compare to Teslas solar roof in real-world applications. You could also say that about Tesla though because theres no official count of how many have been built, and they dont explicitly state their solar roof efficiency and wattage on their website.
So, while Ergosuns prices are higher and their warranty could be better, they do let you know all of their specifications right off the bat. At the very least, its worth it to get a quote from Ergosun if youre in their service area, especially if you want a concrete or tile roof.
Working with an installer is the best way to ensure you get the best solar system installed on your roof – for your specific needs.
Find out how much you can this year save by switching to solar
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What We Dont Like About Luma Solar
The trouble with Luma Solar is that the company is very choosy about who it works with. Luma readily admits on its website that it wont work with every homeowner, which may be why there are reports of potential customers trying to contact Luma and never hearing back.
This also means theres no pricing information available for Luma Solar. It stands to reason that this kind of integrated solar roofing system would vary enormously in price depending on the size, type, and shape of a roof, and any awkward angles and obstructions.
Luma offers little information on the limits on its lifetime warranty, and the 5-year product warranty is very short, even for the solar industry. For such an expensive, luxury product, I would expect a far more generous warranty. After all, Tesla offers a 25-year product warranty for its solar shingles!
Luma shingles have an operating temperature range of -40 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit . This is around the same as CertainTeeds operating range.
Every Luma shingle weighs 19.8 lbs., which is quite light for a solar shingle. They can withstand mechanical forces of 2,400 Pa for static wind loading and 5,400 for static load snow loading.
What We Like About Decotech
The main benefits of a DecoTech installation are a low-profile look and higher efficiency than solar shingles. This is because DecoTech uses standard silicon solar panels with 17% efficiency. Solar shingles from SunTegra and CertainTeed range from just 13.9% to 15.9% efficiency, largely because the way shingles are mounted makes it harder to keep them cool and efficient.
The roof and solar are all covered under one warranty, with an option to upgrade to a lifetime warranty. The warranty also guarantees that your panels power output wont decrease by more than 0.7% annually after their first year. This is standard for the solar industry, but not for solar shingles.
The two systems are both installed by the same GAF-certified roofers, which means youll get an experienced roofing crew and plenty of support if anything goes awry. There are also some advantages to the type of installation in that the roofing crew will already be on-site and can assemble much of the solar array on the ground. This reduces the need to negotiate with separate solar and roofing companies and helps save the roofers time assembling modules on the roof.
All in all, DecoTech is a good choice if: youre replacing your roof or building a new home and want to go solar youre keen on solar panels rather than solar shingles, and you really want a low-profile look.
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Power Your House With Hidden Pv Solar Panels
When conventional solar panels were first being placed on residential rooftops, the world imagined a quick solution for the ongoing energy crisis. But there was a problem: those big flat panels did not match the architectural style of the houses they had to be placed on. Few people wanted to upset the aesthetics of their roofing just to save a bit on their energy bill in the long-term. A solar roof tile on the other hand simply looks like a roof, and is highly efficient.
How Many Solar Shingles Do You Need
To learn how many solar shingles are needed to power a house, youll use a formula with key factors like the size of your house and your typical energy usage. Since you can integrate solar shingles into your existing roof, the amount of solar shingles youll need depends on how large your roof is and how much youd like to save on your electricity bill: the more shingles, the more energy output.
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How Does Solar Energy Work
The suns rays have been converted into usable solar energy for centuries. In the modern day, the most common way to use the sun is by installing solar panels or solar tiles as high up as possible, with direct exposure to the sun, and through technology it converts and generates clean electricity which then powers our homes and businesses.
Fundamental to this process are solar cells. When sunlight hits these cells they convert the suns energy into usable electricity. There are two kinds of solar cells monocrystalline and polycrystalline.
The main difference between these two kinds of solar cells is that monocrystalline are made up of single silicon crystals whereas polycrystalline consists of a number of crystals which have been melted and fused together.
