Solar Roof Tiles

Solar roof tiles are a breakthrough that opens brand new horizons for homeowners and businesses, who want to equip their houses/buildings with a source of green energy. Solar shingles are integrated directly into the roof, instead of sitting on top of it, like traditional solar panels.

Solar roof tiles are powerful and attractive (flat with an indiscernible dark blue color). Since shingles can cover larger surfaces, they allow harnessing more of the Sun’s energy, in comparison to regular solar panels. This "building integrated photovoltaic" easily blends with your home's style and architecture. Solar tiles are unobtrusive, lightweight, durable, and low-maintenance devices. You can find solar tiles with up to a 25 year warranty, and a whooping 40-year life expectancy.

Click Here for the Best Guide to Solar Panel Construction

Can you install solar roof tiles on your own?
Well, applying shingles is very easy but also very labor-intensive (you will need to put in one solar roof shingle after another). Installing shingles usually takes a few days (or less if you want to only cover a section of your roof, and not the entire roof). In certain aspects, installing shingles is easier than mounting large and heavy solar panels. Solar shingles require little maintenance once installed and connected.

The real difficulty can be wiring each shingle together beneath the roof. Next, you will need to install a special ventilation system on your roof, in order to increase the longevity of the shingles and to avoid losing the manufacturer’s warranty. Furthermore, you will most likely need to apply for a permit to connect your system to the electric grid. Therefore, it is advised to only attempt solar shingle installation on your own, if you have electrical skills.

If you cannot install a solar roofing system yourself, there are numerous professional installers ready to do all the work for you (this will obviously be more expensive). In either case, solar roofing can help you to dramatically reduce your electric bills, including eliminating them completely. Not only do solar roof tiles perfectly capture the energy of the Sun, but they also help to improve the value and the appeal of your home, which may be appreciated by potential buyers if you decide to sell your house. Furthermore, solar powered systems can be a great home improvement for those who are retiring and help them to avoid having to pay the ever-increasing electric bills.

There are numerous financial incentives offered by governments to those who install and start using renewable energy. The incentives include: cash rebates, grants, accelerated depreciation, Renewable Energy Credits and tax credits (up to 30%). The larger your system is, the more you can expect to get in rebates (thousands of dollars are paid to those who install medium-size renewable energy systems).

Solar roof tiles are meant not just for homes, but also for cars. There are plug-in hybrids and purely electric vehicles on the horizon, and solar tiles will be used to charge such cars with free energy.

Solar-powered systems harness clean energy without harming our health, unlike regular energy sources (coal, gas, oil), which cause pollution resulting in possible negative health impacts.

Want to know the secrets of building your own solar system?

Then I strongly recommend that you check out the guide from Earth4Energy.

It's the best step-by-step guide that will show you exactly how to build and install your own solar panel system. Click here to learn more

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