Homeowners who want to install an energy-efficient roof previously had only two choices: solar shingles or solar panels.
But with the development of solar technology, they now have a third option – shingled solar panels, a combination of solar shingles and solar panels.
The shingled solar panel produces more power, and looks good on practically any roof. But are these shingled solar modules worth it?
Since they aren’t available through most retail outlets yet at the time of this writing, we can assume that the price for installing a shingled solar panel system will be somewhere between the cost of solar shingles and solar panels, since it is a hybrid of the two.
It will probably cost somewhere between $33,500 and $39,000 to install the shingled solar strips on a 1,500-square-foot roof, with materials cost plus shipping making up about $11,000 of that number.
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What Are Shingled Solar Panels?
If you want to take advantage of solar power, you have a few options for your roof: standard solar panels, paving or tiling technology (solar shingles,) half-cut designs, and shingled modules, also called shingled solar panels.
Shingle solar panels shouldn’t be confused with solar shingles.
At first glance, these two types of solar roofing solutions work similarly and have the same goal. Both solar shingles and shingled solar modules generate electricity for your home by harnessing the sun’s rays.
Solar shingles are standard roofing shingles that are manufactured using glass with photovoltaic cells, unlike regular shingles, which are usually made from clay, slate, metal, or asphalt.
While solar shingles look like regular shingles, shingle solar panels take the form of strips that are overlaid to create electrical connections.
Imagine a solar panel and then divide it horizontally into five or six strips, and you’ll get a shingled solar panel. That’s why it can be said that shingle solar panels are a combination of solar shingles and solar panels.
In comparison to a full solar panel, the technology of shingled solar modules allows them to be connected in various ways, forming different configurations.
While solar panels usually have parallel configurations, shingled solar strips are wired in a series of strings.
Did you know? Regular solar panels are connected using copper busbars, otherwise known as ribbons. While the ribbons strengthen the electrical connection, they reduce the panels’ exposure to sunlight. Shingled solar cells are connected using electrically conductive adhesive. Since they don’t need ribbons, they can produce a greater amount of energy output.
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Shingled Solar Panel Cost
Shingled solar modules use cutting-edge technology that’s still generally new in the world of roofing. That’s why you can’t find many shingled solar panel products on the market today, as many roofing retailers haven’t started selling them yet.
It might be challenging to determine how much the entire shingled solar panel installation project will cost without a number of products to compare. Considering how quickly shingled solar modules are growing in popularity, we expect that to change very soon.
What we do know so far is that installing a shingled solar panel system is more affordable than solar shingles.
For comparison purposes, let’s first see how much it would cost to install solar shingles and solar panels.
| Solar Materials | Average Cost for a 1,500-Square-Foot Roof |
|---|---|
| Shingled Solar Panels | $11,000 |
| Solar Panels | $18,500 |
| Solar shingles | $53,200 |
Since solar shingles are installed like regular shingles, they are a structural part of your roof.
In terms of pricing, the entire solar shingles installation project could cost from $60,000 to $75,000.
To be more precise, installing solar shingles is priced at $19 to $23 per square foot.
Installing standard solar panels is less expensive than solar shingles. This project would normally cost $7,000 to $30,000 for the entire installation.
The reason installing solar panels is more affordable than solar shingles is that you don’t need to use as many solar panels to cover your roof because panels are much larger than shingles.
Since the average US home has approximately 1,500 square feet of roof, you would need 15 to 18 solar panels measuring 10 square feet each.
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Shingled Solar Panels Cost Breakdown
While we couldn’t find any contractors willing to share their cost to install shingled solar strips, an online retailer prices their shingled modules at $69 for a 10 x 10-foot shingled solar panel, plus shipping from overseas.
This means you could need as many as 150 shingled solar modules if you need to cover the entire 1,500-square-foot roof to generate enough electricity for the household’s needs.
The shingle solar panels alone would then cost $10,500, plus shipping to the U.S., which is approximately $650, so $11,000 without installation.
The cost of installing shingled solar panel systems on your roof depends on several factors.
The size of your roof is the most important one. Other cost-determining factors include the pitch or slope of your roof, the type of shingled solar cells you want, your home’s location, and the energy needs of your household.
The reason your home’s geographical location is important is that the longer your house is exposed to the sun every day, the more sunlight it will be able to convert to electricity. That’s why homes closer to the equator will have lower energy bills than homes that are located further away from the equator.
When it comes to the U.S., some states are just better candidates for solar power. This includes California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia.
States that don’t see a lot of sunshine are North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Minnesota, and Kentucky.
To figure out how many shingled solar panels you need, the first step is to determine your household’s daily average energy use.
Another factor that can influence the total cost of the installation is the cost of labor. The cost of installing shingled solar strips varies from state to state.
Solar energy roofing used to be considered a premium product when it first came on the market. But as it’s becoming more popular, prices for solar panels and shingles are decreasing, making solar energy more accessible to homeowners. This also means that local labor costs have been reduced in the last couple of years.
How Shingled Technology Works
Shingle solar panels are made from crystalline silicon solar cells, which are semiconducting, light-absorbing materials. To understand how they work, we need to explain how regular solar panels are made.
Conventional solar panels are made using a defined number of solar cells, otherwise known as photovoltaic cells.
The cells are the most important part of the panels, since their job is to convert sunlight into electricity.
A solar panel can have 32 to 96 cells, which are usually organized into different shapes, the most common ones being square and rectangular shapes.
The space between each cell is held by a ribbon, or a copper busbar.
Now, let’s talk about shingled solar modules. They are made from solar panels that are essentially cut into five or six strips using laser technology.
What makes shingled solar modules different from solar panels is that they don’t require ribbons, and they don’t need to be soldered together.
Instead, the strips are shingled against each other and connected using an electrically conductive adhesive, which allows them to be configurated in different ways.
Shingle solar panels can also overlap each other inside framed modules.
Did you know? As opposed to solar shingles, which are a structural part of the roof, shingled solar strips use existing structural support of the roof. They are attached to your roof just like regular solar panels, so they’re technically not a part of your roof.
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Shingled Solar Panel Review
With shingled solar panels being a new technological advancement, they aren’t as readily available as solar panels and solar shingles. But here are some companies that are pioneering the shingled module market right now:
Solaria
This solar roofing company positions fifth-cut cells into horizontal strips, finding the perfect balance between reasonable pricing for the manufacturing process and maximizing efficiency and performance.
Solaria’s shingled solar modules offer excellent power output, lowering system costs and are ideal for limited roof space.
Solaria’s cells use substrings, which are interconnected in a parallel configuration. This allows for enhanced shade performance and increased power density.
These panels produce up to 20% more power than regular solar panels.
Solaria’s all-black design gives the roof a sleek appearance.
Seraphim
Seraphim is a Chinese solar power manufacturer that has also gotten into the shingled module industry.
Seraphim’s newest shingled solar strips can generate solar power of up to 440 watts.
These shingle solar panels utilize one-sixth-cut cells that are separated into three sections of vertical strings.
Seraphim also produces half-cut cell technology, which increases the maximum power output to 445 watts. This series reduces losses caused by ribbon resistance, which increases the overall efficiency of the panels by more than 5%.
Jinko Solar
Jinko Solar manufactures overlapping solar cells called “Tiling Ribbons.”
They’re similar to shingle solar panels, except that they use special circular ribbons to eliminate the cell gap and increase efficiency.
This type of solar technology also utilizes nine busbars, which are designed to decrease the loss of power in the gaps.
Even though these panels are overlapping, Jinko shingled solar panel systems are only 0.13 mm thick, making them virtually flat.
Jinko shingled solar strips are durable and crack-proof, and they deliver excellent energy output to your roof.
Shingled vs Half-Cut
Half-cut designs refer to half-cell solar panels.
Although half-cut and shingled panels are made from the same materials, their designs are different.
As opposed to shingle solar panels, which are cut into five or six strips, half-cut panels are cut in half, so the cells never touch each other.
Half-cut shingles are slightly more expensive than regular shingle solar cells.
Doing this improves the cell’s durability, performance, and improved shading response. Half-cut solar cells are therefore more reliable and have higher energy output ratings than traditional solar panels.
Pro Tip: Half-cut solar panels are a good option for roofs with a limited amount of space. They’re also suitable for roofs that may be constantly in the shade of a tree or tall structure.
Thanks to their cutting-edge design, half-cut solar panels allow for reduced power loss. This happens because half-cut solar panels are made with twice as many substrings, which leads to better resistance to shading, reduced hot spots, and better temperature regulation in general.
Typical shingled solar modules are more durable than half-cut solar panels, especially in cold weather. External forces, like heavy snow, wind, and rain, are much less likely to damage shingled panels than half-cut panels.
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What Are The Advantages Of Shingled Solar Panels?
Here are some of the most important advantages of shingle solar panels.
More Energy Output
Conventional solar panels require three to six busbars to connect the solar cells. The more busbars or ribbons a solar panel has, the less the panel will be exposed to the sun, thus minimizing the total output of the cells. That’s one of the reasons shingled solar strips were invented – to reduce the need for ribbons and to eliminate the gaps between solar cells.
In other words, shingled solar modules generate higher power per square foot.
The way the cells are wired together allows shingled solar panel system to collect solar power even when the roof isn’t exposed to direct sunlight.
Flexibility
One of the main reasons more and more homeowners want to buy shingle solar panels is because of their flexibility.
Shingled solar panels’ variable sizes let you place them in different configurations to fit the odd corners and angles on your roof.
You would need to buy fewer shingled solar modules than solar shingles.
To cover a standard-sized roof, you would need around 350 solar shingles. But if you were to install shingled solar modules, you wouldn’t need half as many. This could cut down on installation costs.
What also makes shingled solar strips a good roofing solution is that you can remove them from your roof if you want to move. This wouldn’t be possible for solar shingles, which are permanently installed on your roof.
Reduced Energy Bills
Just like other solar roofing solutions, shingled solar panel systems will save you money in the long run.
Did you know? By installing shingled solar strips on your roof, you’ll be able to decrease your monthly energy bills by 40% to 70%.
How much money a shingled solar panel system can save you depends on a few factors, including local electricity rates, the angle of your roof, and the number of hours during which your house is exposed to direct sunlight.
Better Shade Tolerance
Since regular solar panels are connected with ribbons, a portion of their surface is covered, which is why they can’t absorb sunlight as well as shingle solar panels.
Once installed, shingled modules don’t use ribbons, so they’re fully exposed to the sunlight.
This also means that these shingled solar cells work better in shade than traditional solar panels.
Shingled solar strips can produce more energy, all the while reducing the loss caused by shading.
Low Maintenance Requirements
Another advantage of installing shingled solar modules is that they have low maintenance requirements.
You will only need to clean them every season to make sure there are no leaves, dirt, debris, or anything else that might block them from the sun. You should clear shingle solar panels more regularly during heavy snowfalls.
Solar shingles are more difficult to maintain than shingle solar panels. Since they’re a structural part of your roof, if one of the solar shingles breaks down, you’ll need to replace it as soon as possible.
Aesthetically Pleasing Look
Since the modules are connected using an adhesive, there are no gaps between the solar panels, which gives them a sleeker look. Not to mention that the extra surface area allows the shingled solar cells to collect even more solar power.
Most shingled solar panel models look more or less similar, and they usually have a streamlined, black design.
If you were to install black shingled solar modules on your roof, it might not even be noticeable until you take a better look. The simple and clean appearance may be important to potential house buyers.
Are Shingled Solar Panels Any Good?
Installing shingle solar panels might be an expensive home improvement project, but it will surely pay off in the long run.
By installing shingled modules, you’ll be able to save money on your monthly utility bills. You’ll also likely get an excellent return on your investment.
If you’re planning to sell your home in the future, installing a shingle solar panel system is a good idea.
Pro Tip: People who want to buy new homes are willing to pay a premium of up to $15,000 if the house has solar roofing features.
Shingled solar strips are more reliable and effective than both solar panels and solar shingles. They offer a higher power output per square foot, increased shade tolerance, improved mechanical performance, and a better visual effect.
Energy-Efficient Roofing Solutions
Shingled solar panels are the newest solar roofing product, combining the benefits and functionality of solar shingles and traditional solar panels.
Since these shingled solar modules are still relatively new on the market, it might take some time for them to achieve a greater presence.
If you’re looking to save money on energy bills, this home improvement project could be the one for you.
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For over 20 years Leo has run a successful roofing business in New England, specializing in metal roofing, as well as cool flat roofing technologies. Having replaced and installed hundreds of roofs in New England, Leo has first hand experience with pretty much every residential roofing material and roofing manufacturer available in the US.
