Harnessing the power of Solar is good not only for the environment but also for your pocket. While solar roof panels are what come to your mind at first, solar roofing is not just limited to solar panels.

Solar Shingle or a solar roof tile is another option that homeowners can use to add value to their properties.

What are Solar Roof Tiles?

Solar Roof Tiles or solar shingles are shingles made of photovoltaic sheets that either overlay on the existing shingles or replace them altogether.

By following this particular method of solar roofing, property owners can save a lot on the roofing costs.

Their working methodology is quite simple. What they do is they absorb sunlight and then convert it into electricity.

By relying on this mode of energy, in contrast to the electricity, property owners can save a big chunk of money on monthly electricity bills and can also recoup their initial investments.

Similar to the regular roof shingles, solar roof tiles also protect you from the weather and other climatic conditions. Not only these shingles are energy-efficient but they also offer a more aesthetic appeal to the property, as a whole.

Solar shingles Vs solar roof panels

Both solar shingles and the solar roof panels work in the same way, they both absorb the solar energy and then convert that energy to thermal or electrical energy.

However, there are a few significant differences that you must know while determining your property’s solar energy needs. The differences in following factors are given below:

1.) Size

Solar shingles or solar roofing tiles are almost the same size as traditional roofing shingles, with the average size of a tile about 12 inches wide and 86 inches long and weighs about 13 pounds per square foot. The thinner tiles are about less than an inch in thickness.

For finishing a typical solar roof installation, you would need about 350 tiles.

2.) Materials

The flexibility and thin size of the solar shingles are attributed to the materials such as copper indium gallium selenide. This particular semiconductor is an ideal material as using it means a higher conversion efficiency rate, which on average is 10 to 12 percent.

Monocrystalline silicon which is used to fabricate computer chips is also used in some solar shingles. While these are a bit higher on the price side, they compensate for that with a higher efficiency rate of about 15 to 20 percent.

3.) Output

Since the primary goal of solar roofing is to lower the energy costs, it indeed is a major consideration with solar installations.

Solar Shingles produce anywhere between 13 and 63 watts of power. A typical home roof installation can lower your bills by 40 to 70 percent.

4.) Appearance

Since solar shingles can easily blend into other roofing materials, these have a high preference than the large solar panels attached to the roof. Generally speaking, solar shingles provide a sleeker aesthetic look as compared to the bulky solar panels.

5.) Service Life

When it comes to service life, both, solar panels and solar shingles have long life spans, typically of more than 20 years. The lifespan, however, also depends on the manufacturer and the installation. Both of their warranties also vary.

6.) Efficiency

Solar panels outshine the solar shingles when it comes to efficiency. While solar panels have the advantage of being adjustable, shingles tend to stay in the same place as they were installed first.

Types of Solar Roof Tiles

A Solar Roof Tile can be either made of monocrystalline solar cells or thin-film photovoltaic cells.

Solar cells which are thin-film are budget-friendly and second generation cells which are easy to manufacture and require less materials for production.

Also, these cells generate less wastage as compared to other roofing material shingles. They also do not contain any toxic components. Apart from being thin in size, these solar cells are more flexible and lightweight.

Truth be told, thin-film solar cells are less efficient and usually have lesser power capacity than the monocrystalline solar cells.

Since, they have a higher theoretical efficiency than the monocrystalline silicon cells, they should improve in efficiency in the near future.

While the lifespan of thin-film Photovoltaic cell is relatively shorter, they provide for a faster payback time due to their lower prices and low installation costs.

As a solar cell type, manufacturers also offer shingles that come in various styles namely Textured, Smooth, Slate or Tuscan style.

Advantages of Solar Roof Tiles

Solar Roof Tiles have multiple advantages to offer. Below listed are some of the main benefits of solar roof tiles:

1.) Aesthetically pleasing design- An aesthetically pleasing design is probably the most significant advantage of this technology.

Bulky and huge solar panels disrupt the style of your house and therefore keeps intact the beauty of the roof. To facilitate different types of roofing styles, there are varied kinds of tiles available.

2.) Clean and Free Energy- As is the case with solar panels, solar roof tiles are an eco-friendly alternative for your power needs. Owners of these enjoy the same government initiatives as solar panels do.

3.) Energy Efficient- One of the biggest advantages why people go for solar roofing tiles is the energy efficiency. The energy efficiency factor can help reduce a big chunk of your electricity bills.

Where the solar panels produce about 110 Watts per metre square, the solar tiles produce something around 70 Watts per metre square.

4.) Fire Resistant- Both solar shingles and solar roof tiles have the Class A fire rating which is the highest class specification for fire resistance.

5.) Impact Resistant- Made of a strong material glass, solar roofs are highly resistant against impacts. The solar tiles reach the class 4 impact resistance, which is the highest impact rating against impacts.

A common opinion amongst homeowners is that the solar tiles are 3 times stronger than other roofing materials.

6.) Wind Resistant- The solar roof tiles are highly resistant against the force of the wind. They can hold wind speeds up to 130 miles per hour. For places that experience high winds regularly, solar tiling is the perfect option.

7.) High Life Expectancy- Generally speaking, the lifespan of solar tiles is about 25-40 years. Since this is the beginning of this technology, only time will tell how well and how long will they hold in future.

8.) Infrangible- Most of the traditional roofing materials can break if walked on. That is, however, not the case with solar roof tiles. They can hold up better than other materials when pressure is put on them.

9.) Varied Shapes and Sizes- Solar tiles come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and colours. Because of the availability of different shapes, the appearance of solar tiles can resemble with other roofing materials such as clay tiles, slate tiles, etc.

10.) Versatile- Solar Roofing Tiles are highly versatile as they can be used for both commercial and residential purposes. However, residential properties find the major usage of these tiles.

11.) Innovative Technology- Solar shingles or tiles is the most cutting edge technology in the roofing industry. Avant-garde technology in the roofing industry, it is reaching new levels of innovation every single day.

12.) Mobile Monitoring- A number of solar roofing companies including Tesla provides the option of mobile monitoring. With this, you can link your solar roof systems to your mobile, enabling you to make roofing changes from anytime, anywhere.

This also allows property owners to monitor and track their roofing as well as energy savings.

13.) High Durability- Solar Roof Tiles have a high durability and can last for decades. Even in adverse weather conditions such as hurricane or strong winds, solar tiles would hold steady as a rock.

Costs of Solar Roof Tiles

According to a report by solar reviews, Solar Roof Tiles, generally cost somewhere between $14 and $19 per square foot. You must also factor in the installation costs separately.

This does not include the costlier options such as Tesla and some others. Solar installations may not seem like a sensible option at first, but over the time, it practically pays for itself.

Conclusion

Given that the cost of solar roof tiles is comparatively greater than those of the traditional roofing materials as well as the solar panels, you need to ask whether it is worth it.

The myriad range of features and benefits that solar shingles come with, it would make complete sense to get one of these. With the great aesthetics, improved stability and durability, solar tiles are the thing to go for.

For the technology innovators and energy aficionados, this is the way to go. If you desire to help the world lead a better way of living, this is your chance. You should, in this case, get in touch with a solar roofing company or a solar roofing contractor.

If you can afford to shell out some dollars, and do not mind the potential wait lists, we would definitely recommend solar roof tiles to you. In a nutshell, we would say that in a world already in dire need of energy, it would make sense to make use of such clean energy initiatives.