Timberline Solar by GAF Energy is our favorite solar shingle in , topping our list for its great efficiency and warranties. The race for first place is close. They didn't make the top spot, but we still found Tesla Solar Roof and CertainTeed Solar to be solid options as well. Luma Solar scored lower than the rest, but we thought its ridiculously high wind rating at least warranted a mention.
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Why choose a solar shingle over traditional solar panels? Solar panels can look bulky and detract from the beautiful aesthetic of your home. Solar shingles, on the other hand, integrate into your roof to create a more discreet solar system. Their lightweight and sleekness is also part of the reason companies are working on bringing solar roofs to electric vehicles.
We've spent countless hours digging through solar shingle specs and speaking with industry experts to get a better understanding of how a solar roof works and what really matters for homeowners who might be interested in this type of solar setup. CNET created a scoring methodology (more on this below) based on our findings to pick out which solar shingles stand out among the pack. The market for this type of solar solution is small, but it's still important to compare your options.
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Here are our picks for the best solar shingles.
Solar shingles are essentially tiny solar panels designed to mimic traditional shingles and roofing materials. Some solar shingles can be installed with an existing roof, while others might require an entire roof replacement.
"A solar roof is where you have the [photovoltaic] system integrated into the roof design," Bianca Howard, director of the Building Energy Research Lab at Columbia University, told CNET. "So you've got the solar shingles, which are acting as the PV system, in terms of generating electricity, and also as a functional building material. So it's got a dual purpose."
Similar to normal rooftop solar panels, solar shingles absorb sunlight and use it to generate electricity to power your home. They tend to have lower efficiency and performance ratings than solar panels.
The main draw with solar shingles is aesthetics. Not everyone wants giant solar panels on their roof. Solar shingles are designed to blend in, which is why you might choose them over solar panels even with the decreased energy efficiency and performance ratings.
"By incorporating them into the roof, people won't immediately know that you've got PV on there, which is good from a design aesthetic," Howard said.
Solar shingles are also made to be weather resistant, offering protection from high winds and water leaks. Most solar shingle manufacturers include some type of limited wind or weatherization warranty in your purchase.
There may only be a handful of solar roof manufacturers, but there are still a few things to pay extra attention to when looking at solar shingle products. If you have the luxury of having multiple solar roof options in your area, compare your options carefully.
Most manufacturers offer a limited warranty package that comes in three parts: a product warranty, a wind/weatherization warranty and a power output/performance warranty. In terms of coverage length, the industry is all over the place. Some manufacturers offer great warranties, others not so much. Howard suggested what this means for your overall roof maintenance over time. Here are the warranty types you need to know.
Product warranty: This guarantees that your solar roof will be free from manufacturer defects in design and/or material. The best limited product warranty we've seen for solar roofs is 25 years.
Wind or weatherization warranty: Some solar shingle manufacturers also offer a wind warranty (sometimes referred to as a weatherization warranty). This warranty will typically cover your roof from any wind-related damage for at least 10 years. In some cases, this warranty will also cover water damage caused by leaks. The longest weatherization warranty we've seen is 25 years. However, most manufacturers will only cover wind damage for 10-15 years.
Power output or performance warranty: Every solar shingle manufacturer we've seen offers a power output (or performance) warranty. Just like normal solar panels, your solar shingles will see their production and efficiency drop as the years go by. A power output warranty is the manufacturer's guarantee that your solar roof won't drop below a specific production percentage within a certain amount of time. For example, Tesla Solar has a 25-year power output warranty. The company guarantees your solar roof's production won't drop below 95% of its original level five years after the initial installation. And after five years, your solar roof's production won't decrease by more than 0.5% per year for the next 20 years.
Every brand of solar shingle should come with a wind rating. Just like normal roof shingles, solar shingles can only withstand wind speeds up to a certain amount. A solar shingle's wind rating tells you how high a wind speed your solar roof can withstand.
Solar shingles are designed to be weather resistant, with most solar shingles being able to withstand winds of at least 110 mph. We found the most common solar shingle wind rating to be about 130 mph. When deciding what solar solution is best for your home, ask yourself if you need that level of protection for where you're living, said Howard.
If you live somewhere that is prone to extreme weather patterns, then a solar roof with a higher wind rating is likely a higher priority for you.
Just like traditional solar panels, each solar shingle has a maximum efficiency rating. This is the amount of sunlight that a solar shingle (and panel) is turning into electricity. The efficiency rating usually reflects the product's performance during the best conditions possible. The higher the efficiency rating, the more electricity your roof will generate. The average solar shingle efficiency rating is around 19 to 20%. It is lower than some of the most efficient solar panels on the market.
Keep in mind that since solar shingles are installed as part of your roof, they can't be angled like solar panels, which can be adjusted for optimal sun exposure.
"You can't put them on a particular axis, so you might not get maximum efficiency," Howard said. "From what I've seen, the solar shingle efficiency is less than a typical solar panel. So from a performance point of view, you're not getting more in terms of PV output and the amount of renewable energy you're able to generate."
Every solar shingle comes with a wattage rating, which is the amount of power it can output under ideal conditions. Your solar roof's wattage plays an important role in how much power you'll be capable of generating. But what you'll really want to look for is a shingle's wattage per square foot. This measures how much power you have within a given amount of space.
The higher a solar shingle's wattage per square foot, the less space it will take up on your roof. Depending on the cost of the specific shingle brand, this might save money because you'll be installing fewer solar shingles to meet your energy needs.
"What you'd want to know is the equivalent amount per square foot that you can get," said Howard. "Because if you have a higher wattage per square foot, then that's a better shingle in terms of power output."
Which are better, solar shingles or solar panels? It's honestly up to you and your personal preferences. Solar shingles are a niche technology with very limited availability. So it's tricky to compare them directly against traditional rooftop solar panels. Both have similarities, but they are still two different types of PV systems. Think of solar shingles as an alternative way to install solar on your roof.
"Solar shingles, as another option for building integrated photovoltaics, is a good thing," said Howard. "It's a personal choice about your values of design versus performance. I wouldn't want to put them against each other and say that one is better than the other, in a holistic sense."
There are certain situations where solar panels might make more sense for you than solar shingles, and vice versa. If you need to replace your roof before installing solar, prefer a more subtle approach to solar and there's a solar roof installer in your area, then solar shingles might be a good choice. Solar shingles might be more likely to be accepted by your homeowners association too. Some states have laws in place that prevent HOAs from banning solar panels.
If you don't mind the look of solar panels on your roof and you're not replacing your roof anyway, traditional rooftop solar panels might be a better fit. Just keep in mind that solar is a personal choice, and the battle between solar panels and solar shingles really just comes down to personal preference and budget.
Pros:
Cons:
Solar shingles are a niche product and are not nearly as widely installed (or available) as regular solar panels. This makes finding reliable pricing data tricky. If you purchase solar shingles, you're also likely paying for an entire roof replacement.
Pricing data for most solar shingle manufacturers is unavailable, but we can use Tesla Solar Roof estimates from Tesla's online estimator to at least get an idea of how much a Tesla Solar Roof would cost. The general consensus is that a solar roof costs more than just installing solar panels. We found this to at least be true for the Tesla Solar Roof. It's probably not your best option if you're looking for cheap solar.
Tesla estimated a cost of $168,400 for a 12.5kW solar roof system and a Tesla Powerwall battery for a home in Dallas. The Tesla estimated cost of a regular 12kW solar panel system and a Powerwall at the same location is $26,966.
Pricing for the Tesla Solar Roof is an estimate based on your address, average electric bill and the square footage of your roof. Tesla also requires the purchase of at least one of its batteries, the Tesla Powerwall, per solar roof. A Tesla Powerwall will cost you an additional $9,500 or more.
These prices should be taken with a grain of salt. Just like with solar panels, everyone's solar roof estimates are going to vary depending on your energy needs, location and other factors. The best way to get an accurate price estimate for any solar shingle or panel system is to talk to an installer in your area. If you have multiple installers in your area, make sure to compare prices.
CNET has not performed any form of hands-on testing with these products. Solar shingles are part of a complex PV system that is integrated into the roof of a house or structure. This makes hands-on testing difficult. Instead, we took the most common solar shingle brands on the market and made comparisons between them to find the best option. It's also important to note the limited availability of solar roof products, making choices for this list limited as well. Here's how we scored the best solar shingles.
First, we determined what categories we would use to evaluate each solar shingle. Each category was given a weight reflecting how important we felt it was to the average consumer. After examining data provided by manufacturers and speaking with subject matter experts (who did not influence the choices that were made for this list), these were the categories we chose to evaluate each solar shingle brand on.
We looked at five of the most popular solar shingle providers on the market, collected the data for each category and compared the numbers. Each category (for every solar shingle) was given a tier-style rating to evaluate which aspects of each solar shingle were above average (among our list), just average or below average.
The overall cost for a solar shingle installation ranges between $25,000 to $60,000 for the average U.S. home, which comes out to around $15 to $35 per square foot.
But unlike regular shingles, shingles with solar cells — a type of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technology — are priced per watt, not per square foot. The cost of a solar shingle ranges between $3.50 and $8.00 per watt, depending on the brand. Compared to the average cost of solar panels — $3.33 per watt in the U.S. — solar shingles are significantly more expensive for a system with a similar output.
Most solar companies don’t advertise pricing online, but market research shows the total cost of a solar shingle installation is typically 15%-25% higher compared to a traditional solar panel system installation. The national average solar panel installation costs roughly $30,000, which puts the national average solar shingle installation at around $36,000.
Of course, there are some outliers. For example, a Tesla Solar Roof may cost as much as $70,000 or more for full roof installation, while the budget-friendly SunTegra solar shingles may run closer to $20,000 for the entire roof.
While solar roof shingles cost substantially more than asphalt shingles, you’ll be producing your own electricity, therefore lowering your electric bills (or, in some cases, completely offsetting) by producing your own clean energy.
“A solar roof is a great and obvious way to reduce energy use and has the added benefit of being environmentally friendly,” said David Snyder, CEO of Nova Home Buyers, LLC.
If you go solar, you’ll also be eligible for solar financial incentives and rebates, like the 30% federal tax credit and net metering credits. Keep in mind that these are also available for solar panels, although the typical credit amount will be higher for solar shingles than it will for panels due to the cost difference.
You can expect an average credit value of around $8,991 (30% of the typical system cost of $29,970) for solar panels, while the credit should be closer to $10,789, with an average solar shingle installation cost of $35,964 before the credit.
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This site receives compensation from the companies featured in this listing, which may impact where and how products appear. This listing doesn’t feature all companies, products, or offers that may be available.
Best for Leasing 4/5 Broad lineup of solar panelsNear-national coverageRelatively low pricing & flexible payment methods Get Free Quote Best Solar Financing 4.5/5 Great warranty coverageExperts on local policiesConcierge Service Get Free Quote Solar Veteran 4/5 Outstanding customer serviceOffers products from leading manufacturersGreat warranty coverage Get Free QuoteBIPV solar shingles are priced per watt. So, to calculate the cost of your solar shingle roof, you’ll need to know how much solar power you need to power your house.
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The only way to know the exact cost of your solar roof is to get a professional estimate, but you can get a rough estimate yourself by walking through the follow the following steps:
The average U.S. home needs a solar system that produces 9,000 watts (or 9 kilowatts) to completely offset their utility bills. With the cost of solar shingles ranging between $3.50 and $8.00 per watt, a 9,000-watt solar shingle installation would range from $31,500 to $72,000.
The table below includes a quick look at average solar roof costs by state. These numbers assume you use the average amount of electricity for your area, see the typical solar irradiance for your state, and pay the average cost in your state for solar roof shingles.
State Average Solar Roof Cost Alabama $51,336 Alaska $22,536 Arizona $41,538 Arkansas $41,844 California $23,976 Colorado $31,680 Connecticut $31,410 Delaware $34,844 Florida $41,952 Georgia $43,428 Hawaii $22,374 Idaho $39,120 Illinois $30,960 Indiana $41,724 Iowa $39,636 Kansas $34,560 Kentucky $40,392 Louisiana $50,850 Maine $26,208 Maryland $40,440 Massachusetts $29,016 Michigan $30,408 Minnesota $34,560 Mississippi $45,126 Missouri $39,312 Montana $34,776 Nebraska $44,730 Nevada $36,480 New Hampshire $29,406 New Jersey $28,308 New Mexico $28,980 New York $27,456 North Carolina $40,446 North Dakota $41,448 Ohio $34,452 Oklahoma $44,088 Oregon $37,392 Pennsylvania $33,252 Rhode Island $26,496 South Carolina $43,164 South Dakota $39,186 Tennessee $46,224 Texas $43,884 Utah $30,240 Vermont $25,848 Virginia $44,220 Washington $20,520 West Virginia $44,352 Wisconsin $27,888 Wyoming $35,532But don’t let those numbers scare you. Remember, your solar shingles don’t need to power your entire home.
Having a roof that produces any amount of clean energy can still significantly reduce your energy bills and your carbon footprint, making it much more impressive than a regular roof made of asphalt.
Solar panel shingles are primarily priced based on watt, so that will have the biggest impact on the total installation cost of your solar roof. However, there are a few other considerations to discuss.
Solar shingles are often made from the same semiconductor material as most thin-film solar panels, which is copper indium gallium selenide. This material typically has 12-14% efficiency.
Most standard residential solar panels are instead made of monocrystalline silicon, which has an efficiency closer to 20%. While there are some monocrystalline solar shingles, expect to shell out a lot more money for them.
Some brands also offer different variations of solar shingles that may be priced differently, including solar tiles and solar glass roofs.
Certain solar brands will cost more than others. For example, a Tesla Solar Roof may cost you $70,000, but you’ll be paying for the sleekest, highest-efficiency solar tiles in the market. If you’re more concerned about budget, you may want to opt for a brand like SunTegra.
Not all solar companies offer BIPV, but here are a few that do:
Since the majority of your total will go toward the materials, the manufacturer you choose will play a massive role in your pricing. You’ll see material costs for the following including in your quote:
Each solar installer will have varying labor costs, typically priced per hour. That also means the longer it takes the roofers to complete your solar roof installation, the more you’ll be paying for labor. The labor generally includes the following services:
Labor costs often vary by location, even for the same national installer.
Pro tip: Solar shingles are a new technology that not all roofing contractors have ample experience installing. Inexperienced contractors will take far more time to complete a solar shingles installation, therefore driving up labor costs. Try to find a contractor that has experience installing solar shingles if you want to keep labor costs low.
While solar roofs are still relatively new, roofing professionals have told EcoWatch that they’re catching on to the benefits.
“I am very excited about the possibility of solar roofs,” said Marty Ford, Shingle Master and President of Bullet Proof Roof Systems. “[Solar roofs] can help to lower your energy bills and even make your home self-sufficient. I think this is a technology that has a lot of potentials, and I anticipate entering the field in the near future.”
Unless you’re building a new home, your solar roof installer will need to remove your existing roof, which will add to your installation cost. There’s no standard removal cost, as it will vary depending on the company, the type of roofing material and the difficulty of the removal.
Most roofers will have additional fees for roof disposal.
Obviously bigger roofs will require more material and longer labor times, therefore costing more than smaller roofs.
Roofers won’t just take size, but also the complexity of your roof into consideration when factoring costs. If your roof is exceptionally steep, tiered or if it has a lot of obstructions (chimneys, skylights, ventilation systems etc), expect additional installation fees.
Here’s a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of installing solar roof shingles:
Pros of Installing Solar Shingles Cons of Installing Solar ShinglesGenerally speaking, it’s still going to be much more financially beneficial to install solar panels than it will to opt for solar roof shingles. A typical solar array will cost around 20% less than installing solar roof shingles.
However, there are a few key considerations to make. First, many people choose solar shingles if they don’t like the look of solar panels. Shingles are much sleeker and more modern, so the added investment might make sense for you if you prioritize aesthetics.
Solar shingles also have less of a chance of leading to roof leaks, so it’s possible you could end up paying less over time for solar roof shingles if a poor panel installation leads to expensive water damage in your home.
Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself if solar shingles are right for you. Just remember that they’re more expensive than installing solar panels, so they’re likely only worth it if you value the appearance of your solar array over minimizing the cost.
Solar shingles are still a relatively new technology, but almost all solar shingle roof installers offer at least a 25-year warranty, so it’s safe to assume solar roof shingles will last at least 25 years.
For example, Tesla Solar offers a 25-year warranty for its solar roof that protects against design defects and weather damage, as well as a module warranty that guarantees power output of at least 95% for the first five years and a decline by no more than .05% for the following 20 years.1
Despite the 25-year warranty, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has boasted that the solar roof will last 30 years.2
CertainTeed offers a 25-year warranty that covers installation workmanship and product, but only a 12-year warranty for the inverters and 10-year coverage for weather damage.
It’s worth mentioning that solar roof shingles aren’t going to last as long as most other roof materials, so while they provide savings on your electric bills throughout their lifetime and are likely worthwhile in the long run, you’ll also have to replace them more often.
Roof Material Average Roof Lifespan Asphalt Shingles 10 to 30 years Clay 50 to 100 years Metal 50 to 100 years Slate 50 to 100 years Solar Shingles 15 to 30 years Wood 15 to 20 yearsInstalling solar shingles will not only reduce your electric bills but also your carbon footprint. Helping the environment is one of the top reported reasons why homeowners get solar panels.
The average U.S. household produces a whopping 7.5 tons of CO2 equivalents per year.3 So switching to a clean energy alternative, like solar roof shingles, can significantly reduce your household’s reliance on electricity from natural gas, coal or a nuclear power plant.
Unfortunately, not all homes can accommodate solar shingles. If you’re looking for another eco-friendly roofing material, consider switching to a metal roof. When comparing metal and asphalt shingles, metal is much more energy-efficient and can save you up to 30% on cooling costs.
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This site receives compensation from the companies featured in this listing, which may impact where and how products appear. This listing doesn’t feature all companies, products, or offers that may be available.
Best for Leasing 4/5 Broad lineup of solar panelsNear-national coverageRelatively low pricing & flexible payment methods Get Free Quote Best Solar Financing 4.5/5 Great warranty coverageExperts on local policiesConcierge Service Get Free Quote Solar Veteran 4/5 Outstanding customer serviceOffers products from leading manufacturersGreat warranty coverage Get Free QuoteSolar roof shingles are one of the most expensive roofing materials but yield the highest return on investment (ROI). Fortunately, there are also some solar financial incentives available to homeowners who install solar shingles.
Multiple statistics prove solar panels increase home value, and most of those studies and surveys were conducted with traditional, bulky solar panels in mind — the ones that are far less attractive compared to solar shingles.
That means you can expect a bigger ROI for installing solar roof shingles over solar panels.
According to Remodeling Costs, BIPV solar shingles produce an ROI between 50% and 80%, depending on style and type of installation.4 For a $30,000 solar roof installation, you’d be looking at a home value increase of between $15,000 and $24,000. Or if you opted for a high-end $70,000 Tesla Solar roof, your home increase would be closer to $35,000 to $56,000.
Because solar roof shingles involve complex PV equipment, you typically can’t call your neighborhood company for roof repair quotes as you normally would. However, there are exceptions, like if the damaged panels are non-solar or if you need emergency roofing repair after hours.
The good news is that, as discussed, most solar shingle roof installers offer a 25-year warranty that covers repair and maintenance issues, so you shouldn’t have many costs for maintaining and repairing your solar roof.
Be sure to speak with your solar roofing installer about what is and isn’t covered under the warranty before installation.
There’s very little cost data available for cleaning solar roof shingles, as they’re still a relatively new roofing option. But to get an idea, the average household pays between $300 and $600 for solar panel system cleaning.
It’s typically recommended to clean solar panels once a year, although it could be more or less depending on where you’re located and what type of elements you’re facing. The most common way to clean a solar roof is with water, although new technology is changing the process of solar panel cleaning to become waterless.
Rain and snow also act as natural cleaners for solar panels, as water helps to keep them free of dirt and debris obstructions. However, the smoothness of the glass may also lead to a lot of debris in your gutters, so you may want to couple your solar roof installation with durable gutter guards.
The cost of installing solar panels has dropped significantly, but solar roof shingles and tiles are still relatively new and, therefore, more expensive compared to standard panels.
However, if you’re a good candidate for solar panels and a solar installation company tells you that you’ll need a new roof, it might be worth opting for solar roof shingles instead of paying for a roof replacement and a solar panel installation.
Remember that going solar is an investment that will lead to energy savings over time. Not to mention solar roof shingles look much more attractive compared to solar panels, so they’ll save you on energy costs and increased home value. If you still aren’t sold on shingles but do want to have solar with your new roof, installing both at the same time is the best way to go.
Switching to solar also makes you eligible for several financial incentives that can help lower the cost of your solar shingle installation.
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