When homeowners consider the type of solar roofing they want on their home, they have a choice of solar panels on top of the roof shingles or solar shingles integrated with asphalt shingles. There are a lot of manufacturers offering both kinds of solar roof applications. Solar power is good for not only for the earth but the electricity budget of the homeowner. Since not all solar applications are of the same quality and cost varies widely, a good solar selection guide is important.
Choosing The Solar Roofing Supplier and Installer
It used to be that if a homeowner wanted solar power on their roof, it had to be bulky solar panels installed over the existing roofing. However, the aesthetics of this left a lot to be desired and many homeowners did not like how this looked on their homes. Solar power manufacturers listened to homeowners and developed solar power roof shingles that let the roof look attractive while doing their job. They have been designed to look like and install like a regular roof.
So the homeowner can decide that the new roof that is needed anyway can do double duty as a solar power generator while being quiet and looking attractive. When deciding between companies that offer solar roofing, check with some of the online solar roof selection guides. It is helpful to have the choices narrowed down and the roofing options compared in charts using the same parameters, comparing the same features.
Why Choose A Solar Roof?
Choosing to pay the extra money to replace a worn-out roof with a solar roofing solution is money well spent because the same roof that protects the home will now be producing clean energy and reducing the energy bill for the home.
Homeowners with newer roofs might choose to have solar panel systems rather than solar shingles. Both systems have benefits for generating solar power for the home.
Let's compare solar panel systems and solar shingles:
Solar shingles work much like solar panels by absorbing the sun's rays and converting that light to thermal energy or electrical energy. The difference is that the shingles are the same size as regular asphalt roofing shingles put into a long section of about 12 inches in width by 86 inches in length. They are thin tiles of about one inch in thickness and weigh 13 pounds per square foot. Solar shingles are made of special semiconductor materials for efficiency in energy conversion. They blend right into the regular roofing materials they will be used with.
Solar panels are photovoltaics that come in various sizes and are placed on top of a roof in groups to collect the sun's rays and change them into electric power. The existing roof must be strong enough to hold the panels and the roofing must be in good shape. The panels come in 60-cell size, 72-cell size, or 96-cell size. The 72-cell panel is 3.25 feet wide and 6.42 feet long. The panels are attached to a house roof with a metal framework in groups determined by the house's electrical needs.
The right solar company will help the homeowner choose the best solar roof option. The best company depends on the state availability and the home's electricity needs. The best-rated solar company means nothing if it does not have service in the location a home is located in. A homeowner can check out solar companies and brands with online rating services and then check which companies have locations and installers near them. An example would be people in Arvada, CO can choose RoofTec Solar with their GAF Timberline solar shingles and get a good result.
