Here Comes the Sun

Across the country, the installation of residential solar units has exploded during the past decade. Yet, while solar panels are now common, residential solar shingles aren’t ordinary sights. That’s partially because relatively few companies make or install them, and production has yet to scale up, according to EnergySage, a federally supported solar marketplace. Solar shingles do offer at least one distinct possible advantage over panels, says Philip Haddix of the District of Columbia’s Sustainable Energy Utility. The concerned aesthete may prefer a more visually streamlined, subtle solar shingle look than the typical solar panel offers. "It comes down to individual taste—who can say whether anybody’s right or wrong around aesthetics," says Haddix, noting that solar shingles may help someone living under a homeowner’s association wriggle around facade restrictions. 

However, they might not be as efficient. EnergySage reports efficiency ratings several percentage points higher for traditional photovoltaic cells than for solar shingles. Nevertheless, numerous home-specific factors—like shadiness and roof design—will influence whether solar shingles are right for your electricity needs. If you’re just trying to reduce some of your home’s own power demand, you might not need to cover your entire roof with solar shingles to hit that goal. "If you have a roof of sufficient size to offset whatever target you have for electricity consumption with solar and you can achieve that through solar shingles, it doesn’t really matter, because you’re still meeting your production goal," Haddix says.

Harness the power of the sun!

Top illustration by Scott Wilson.

Photos: Courtesy of respective companies; Jamie Chung with styling by JJ Chan and assisting by Will Kelly (Solatube Rooftop Fire Glazing for Residential).