What are solar shingles?
If you’ve never heard of solar shingles, you’re not alone. According to an October 2023 study of more than 1,100 homeowners across the U.S. conducted by Modernize, 38 percent of people are not familiar with them, even though they’re over a decade old.
“Also known as solar roofs, solar tiles, or solar roof tiles, solar shingles are tile-shaped panels permanently installed on your home’s roof,” Mallory Micetich, home expert at home improvement site Angi, says. “The panels are much smaller than conventional solar panels, but they operate in a similar way, with building-integrated photovoltaic systems, an inverter and a circuit that allows the solar energy to be absorbed and flow through the wires into your home.”
Each shingle produces anywhere from 13 to 100 watts of energy, depending on the brand. The average size of a solar shingle or tile is about 12 inches wide by 86 inches long. It takes about 350 solar tiles for a standard-size roof. Tiles weigh about 13 pounds per square foot, so most roofs can handle them without additional reinforcement.
The first solar shingles were developed by DOW Chemical Company, rolling out in 2011. But the concept began to get serious traction in 2016, when Tesla purchased manufacturer Solar City and began offering what it deemed the Tesla Solar Roof.
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