What Are Solar Shingles?

 

In this day and age, there are two things that are pretty high up on many people’s priority list, saving money and saving the environment. These two are often on opposite ends of the spectrum.

However, thanks to technological developments, your home can save you money and help save the environment with the help of solar shingles.

Solar shingles are a brand new innovative technology that harnesses the sun’s energy to provide your home with electricity while at the same time serving as an excellent roofing material.

At Hostetler Roofing, we pride ourselves on being a leader in the solar roofing industry. If you’re thinking about installing a solar roofing system but don’t know where to start and what all the terminology means, then carry on reading as we break down what precisely solar shingles and solar roofing are and how they can benefit you and your home.

What Are Solar Shingles?

For as long as human beings have been around, we’ve been looking for energy sources to power our lifestyles. We have tapped into the earth’s oil reserves, wind energy, and nuclear energy. Thus, it would make sense for us to look to one of our solar system’s most significant energy sources.

Solar energy is one of the cleanest forms of energy available to us. And in places like Arkansas that see a lot of sun year round, it would make sense for homeowners to want to introduce solar energy into their homes.

For many years, people have used solar panels to power their homes. However, these panels are pretty bulky and only cover a part of your roofing system.

People wanted to find a way to reduce the size of the solar panel because it often clashed with the architectural style and curb appeal of homes while harnessing enough energy to power their homes.

And today, the solar shingle does just that. The solar shingle roof is an integrated photovoltaic system. This means that the roof’s shingles generate electricity directly from the sun.

Solar shingles and solar panels are made from similar materials, but the solar shingle can be installed on your roof just like ordinary roofing materials.

Types of Solar Shingles

When installing your solar shingled roof, it’s essential for you to make use of a roofing company that’s trained and certified to install solar shingle roofing systems. There are two types of solar shingles available to you, the silicon solar shingle and the CIGS solar shingles.

Silicon Solar Shingles

The silicon solar shingles are similar to the solar panel as they both have a rigid frame, and they can be integrated alongside your existing roof shingles. The shingles have a waterproof layer to protect your shingles from things like rain and moisture and a photosensitive layer that allows the shingle to harness the sun’s energy.

CIGS Solar Shingles

The CIGS solar shingles are a new development in solar technology. Made from copper-idium-gallium-selenide (CIGS), these shingles are lighter and more flexible than silicon solar shingles. The CIGS solar shingles can be installed along with your existing roofing materials.

Many roofing brands are jumping on the bandwagon and producing their own solar roofing shingles. Dow and Certainteed have launched their solar roof shingles and are currently the leading solar shingle roofing brand in the US. However, automobile manufacturer Tesla has recently entered the roofing industry with their Tesla Solar Roof.

Advantages of Solar Shingles

Solar shingle roofing is a fantastic way to generate clean energy in your home. With enough shingles installed, you would be able to power your entire home with solar energy. A solar roofing system will reduce your energy bills and carbon footprint. The government also offers a $2000 tax deduction for homeowners with a solar roofing system.

Disadvantages of Solar Shingles

Rooftops are often not built to capture the most sunlight or solar energy possible. The positioning of your home and the size of your rooftop will determine how many solar shingles should be installed on your roof and thus how much energy you’d be able to generate. If your home is situated at an angle that shades it from the sun, you might not be able to reap the benefits of a solar roofing system.

For more information about installing solar shingles on your rooftop, give Hostetler Roofing a call today!