BIPV Solar Tiles

Best Roofing Materials for Solar Panel Integration: Costs & Examples

Selecting the right roofing material is essential for the long-term success and efficiency of a solar installation. The roofing system must be durable enough to support solar panels over their 25–30 year lifespan while withstanding the unique environmental challenges of your location.

A standing seam metal roof with integrated PV solar panels

This guide explores the best materials for solar integration, including traditional and innovative options like solar shingles. We’ll break down the features, costs, and examples to help you make an informed decision.

How Roofing Materials Impact Solar Panel Installation

When integrating solar panels with a roof, durability, load-bearing capacity, and compatibility with solar mounting systems are key considerations. Solar panels often outlast conventional roofing materials, making it vital to select a roof with a lifespan that matches or exceeds the panels’.

Key Factors to Consider:

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Rooftop Solar Panel System Cost per Watt: 5kW-7kW, 6kW-8kW

This is a good time to install a photovoltaic solar power system on your property. Residential rooftop PV solar panels cost per watt installed has been dropping and newer technology is enabling a far greater efficiency – that’s more solar energy converted into electricity for home usage – for less money.

A new asphalt shingle roof outfitted with PV solar panels

Your options for buying, leasing, Purchasing Power Agreements (PPA, see below) are expanding, and many homeowners are getting solar panels installed on their rooftops for zero down.

In this guide:

  1. Cost per Watt
  2. Total System Cost
  3. Cost Factors
  4. Rooftop Installation Considerations
  5. PV Solar Panels
  6. Buying, Leasing, and PPA Options
  7. BiPV Solar Tiles
  8. Thin-Film Solar Laminates
  9. PACE Solar Finance Program
  10. Solar System Payback Period

Cost per Watt

The national average residential solar cost per watt installed is $3.10 for a typical 5kW (approximately $15,500) to 7kW (approximately $21,700) PV solar panels system when installed by local installers, before the 26% solar investment tax credits from the federal government.

Did you know? The 26% solar tax credits have recently been extended by congress through the end of 2022. Notably, solar ITC apply to the full amount paid for the installation of a new solar panels system.

Depending on the state you live in, your quoted cost per watt can range from $2.78 to $3.40, on average, when installed by a (small) local solar panel installer, before the 30% federal tax rebate.

How Solar Pricing Has Decreased Over Time In 2008, the cost of a solar power installation was $8.82 per watt.

Average System Cost for residential PV Solar Panels installed by Local Installers:

Small Home Average Home Large Home
Home Size 1 – 2 bedrooms 3 – 4 bedrooms 5 bedrooms
System Size 5 – 7kW 7 – 8.5kW 9 – 10kW
System Cost $15,300 to $21,420 $21,420 to $26,010 $27,540 to $30,600
After Tax Credits $11,322 to $15,850 $15,850 to $19,247 $20,380 to $22,644

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BIPV Solar Shingles Cost: SunTegra, CertainTeed Appolo, Tesla Solar Roof

Your options for building integrated photovoltaic solar roofs have expanded with Suntegra, CertainTeed Appolo, and Luma Solar tiles to compete with other PV solar products currently being installed.

Certainteed Apollo-2 solar shingles roof

This guide covers the currently available and newly emerging BiPV / roof integrated PV (RiPV) solar shingle options, their costs, availability in specific markets within the US, and pros and cons of each option.

Cost

The table below includes the cost info and availability details for the top four leading RiPV competitors:

Product Cost per sq.ft. Cost per watt* 2,750 sq.ft. roof
CertainTeed Apollo II Shingle $17.25 – $22.00 $6.40 – $8.00 $47,230 – $60,500
CertainTeed Apollo II Tile $20.88 – $27.37 $7.65 – $10.00 $57,420 – $75,281
Dow PowerHouse II) (Discontinued due to bankruptcy) $15.00 – $20.00 Est. $6.15 $41,250 – $55,000
SunTegra Shingle $15.52 – $17.4 $5.70 – $6.40 $42,694 – $47,850
SunTegra Tile $16.80 – $21.30 $6.16 – $7.81 $46,200 – $58,575
Tesla Solar Tile $32.00 – $42.00 $11.77-$15.40 $88,000 – $115,500

Note: the above figures are baseline costs (estimated). The actual costs can in some cases be up to 25% higher, depending on the particulars of the jobs including more complex roofs and/or in areas with high cost of living, and in major coastal cities.

All costs include what is known as BOS, or balance of system, costs. These include the connectors, wiring and electrical inverter required for the installation. They do not factor storage battery costs ($7,500 – $12,500 for most systems).

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