Solar Power Roof Tile

If you live somewhere that gets a lot of sun most of the year, you should seriously consider having solar power roof tiles installed on your house. California is leading the way, with more buildings mandated to have solar roofs. Putting them on your existing home is also a great way to end up saving a lot of money and helping to save the planet as well.

Solar power roof tiles won't spoil the look of a classic roof.

Wherever you live, you’ve probably seen solar panels. They are devised of silicon and other materials and are attached to a building’s roof. From there, they absorb the sun’s rays and convert them into power for the building. Modern panels are incredibly efficient. All of a building’s heat, air conditioning and electrical needs can be covered by the panels, with no reliance on the fossil fuel-based power grid whatsoever. A couple who live in the California desert dropped their summer electric bill from $300 a month to $3, simply by installing solar panels.

There are two problems with individual solar panels. One is that they are obviously attached to the house and can spoil the aesthetic lines. They look futuristic, which may not work well on an adobe house in New Mexico, for example. Many people shrink from buying them, even if they are avid environmentalists, just for this reason. One likes one’s home to look attractive.

The more unfortunate problem with solar panels is that they have recently become the target of thieves. As an increasing number of people are installing solar panels, a black market has cropped up and thieves have become expert in quickly and quietly dislodging the panels and selling them for a tidy sum. Efforts are underway to make them harder to remove and easier to trace, but it’s still a headache one wants to avoid.

Solar power roof tiles, on the other hand, are designed to blend with the roof, making them more attractive, harder to spot and very difficult to remove. They work in the exact same way, pulling power from the sun to power your home and keep you off the local grid.

Solar power roof tiles are continually evolving to become more versatile and attractive, so that they are not just on the roof, they also become a seamless part of the roof. Most panels are deep blue in color and blend well with the average brown, gray or slate of most roofs. Anyone who has been unimpressed with the grid-like look of the standard panels (although these too are constantly evolving) will be delighted to see that the solar tiles look very like standard roof tiles. The only thing that might be noticed is a glint of them in the sun.

Not only can you get tiles that look like shingles, increasingly, you can get tiles that are wavy to work on a Spanish-style roof. The industry is working hard to keep you from having any excuse not to invest in this eco-friendly step to save power and cash.

Of course, one very reasonable excuse is that the cost of the purchase and installation can be very steep. In a shaky economy, it’s hard to justify such an expenditure, even knowing that the result will be a utility bill of nearly nothing forever after. Some states will offer hefty tax rebates or other incentives that offset the initial charges. You may also contact the head of your local municipality and inquire as to further assistance or incentive plans. As more local governments get serious about saving power, more help will be available to get the individual homeowner off the grid. Don’t be shy – get active!

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