What are
Solar Tiles?

Solar tiles are a brilliant idea for a new home but can be considered as a replacement for roof shingles if and when they come of age. The idea is to shape solar panels like roof tiles. Not only the photovoltaic tiles are shaped like shingles, they also fit the standards used for laying tiles.

The following are the mechanical features you need to look into when you consider solar shingles:

• Can the tiles be integrated and blend seamlessly into any Flat or S-Tile roof?
• Resilience to wind, rain, hail and storms

The following are the electrical related features you need to look into:

• How much power in watts per square foot can the tile supply?
• What is the cost per one watt capacity?
• What is the warranty time?

The following are advantages of photovoltaic tiles, regardless of the manufacturer

• Ease of installation: Fitted to standard wooden battens using traditional roofing practice.
• No specialist skills: Designed to be installed by a roofing contractor

• As fast to fit as traditional tiles, all the electrical wiring is inside the house (the inverter can be fit into the attic, short wires between the tiles and the inverter)
• Like solar panels, photovoltaic shingles have no moving parts, therefore they are extremely reliable and they feature long live
• An extra bonus, since they are flash mounted with the ordinary tiles, the shading from upper roof tiles is reduced

click here for the residential solar power page