Everything To Know About Solar Roof Tiles | Are They Worth it?

Introduction to Solar Tiles

Solar tiles. Spirit Energy first installed them back in 2015, and they seem like the dream way to go solar. You can turn your roof into a mini power station, reduce your electricity bills, gain independence from the grid, cut your carbon footprint, and achieve a great return on investment that often beats the stock market without the compromise in appearance that often comes with conventional solar panels. But what's the catch? Maybe solar tiles don't pay for themselves as quickly as solar panels do. Maybe they don't generate as much. Maybe you can't get as much power from a solar tile as you can from a solar panel. Maybe they're incredibly expensive and therefore not worth it. Well, let's find out. In this video, we're going to go through everything you need to know about solar tiles and compare them directly to solar panels.

So, what are solar tiles and how do they work? Well, to start with, solar tiles tend to come in two formats. You have products like this one, which are effectively large, skinny solar panels that are designed to interlock and cascade down a roof, much like normal roof tiles. They're quite large, meaning they're efficient, and you don't need too many of them to cover a roof, but they still sit on the roof like normal roof tiles do, and they look great. Then you have solar tiles that go one step further and really try to camouflage themselves as actual roof tiles. We're going to look at one of these products later on in the video in detail. They're effectively much smaller and a bit less efficient, meaning you'll need a large surface area of these small tiles to achieve the same rating that you could achieve with the larger tiles. The plus side is that they're smaller, so they look more like real tiles, and they're a bit more versatile, meaning you can potentially squeeze more onto complicated roof faces where the larger solar tiles and solar panels just won't fit. I'm going to go into more detail on three different individual solar tile products that Spirit Energy offers later in this video. So stay tuned to learn about those. And of course, if you're looking at getting solar for your home, do check out the rest of our YouTube to learn about all things solar and battery.

So next question, how do solar tiles actually work? Is a solar tile system as simple as a solar panel system? Well, solar tiles work in much the same way as standard panels. Each tile contains photovoltaic cells that use sunlight to excite electrons in a semiconductor, creating electricity. The main difference is in their appearance. Standard solar panels are designed to maximize electricity generation, while solar tiles trade some of that efficiency for a more discreet look. They're shaped and colored to resemble regular roof tiles, allowing them to blend in and become almost invisible from ground level. Solar tile systems are designed to blend seamlessly alongside non-solar tiles. So only the sun-facing sections of a roof need to contain solar components. The rest of the roof is just going to be made up of standard roof tiles. Solar tiles string together in the same way that solar panels do. On the back, you have two MC4 connectors, and the tiles then connect together in series in a string, which leads back to a central inverter. Just like with solar panels, you don't need any specific type of solar inverter to connect solar tiles to. You can just use the same inverter that you would use for a solar panel system. And like solar panels, the tiles can be AC or DC coupled, meaning you can connect them into a standalone inverter like this Solace inverter, or you can connect them to a hybrid inverter like the one in Tesla Power Wall 3. Now, something to note is that you can't really use micro inverters or optimizers with solar tile systems. While it is technically possible, it's a real challenge and you're going to need a lot of micro inverters, which is going to add to the cost. So, in most cases, you really want to stick to a string inverter. Most solar tile systems fix straight to the batters of the roof, much like standard roof tiles. The actual mounting system does vary from system to system. However, in most cases, you have two brackets, one at each end of the tile that are then fixed into the batters of the roof. Some tile systems, particularly the ones with larger modules like this one, also have a bracket at the bottom to help mitigate against wind uplift and fix it to the roof.

Understanding Solar Tile Systems

So, how do you actually design a solar tile system? And how does the mindset that you have change to the mindset that you have if you're designing a solar panel system? Well, when you're designing solar tiles, you actually approach the challenge in much the same way as to how you'd approach the challenge of designing a solar panel system. For solar panels, we'd almost always recommend maxing out the roofs that you're putting panels on. Don't put scaffolding up on a nice big roof and then only cover half of it with panels. You may as well cover the whole thing. The reason for this is that the scaffolding and the labor is the most expensive part of the install. The panels themselves are not expensive, so you may as well cover the whole roof with them and generate as much electricity as possible. There's a big economy of scale to maximizing the roof. And for the most part, the more panels you can fit, the better your payback period and rate of return is going to be with solar tiles is very similar. While the tiles do cost more than solar panels, there is still an economy of scale to installing more of them. And the more you have, the more cheap electricity you're going to be able to generate from your roof. If you're re- roofing or building a new home, you need to get a roof covering either way. And if you don't get solar panels or solar tiles, then the alternative is to just get normal roof tiles fitted, which won't carry an investment return and won't generate any electricity. So, if you've got the budget for a solar panel or a solar tile system, you may as well go all the way and max out the viable roof space.

Now, if you're interested in a quote for either solar tiles or solar panels, do get in touch with Spirit Energy and either myself or my colleagues will give you a bespoke technical quotation that is tailored to your needs and maximizes the return that you're getting from your solar and battery system. Do check out the case study video series that we made which runs through an entire Spirit Energy installation from the point of inquiry to the design survey and installation to see what you get when you request a quote with us and to see the work that we put in to optimizing the return that our clients get from their solar and battery systems.

So, when is it sensible to consider a solar tile system? Well, the most obvious time to look at solar tiles is if you're re- roofing or building a new home. In this situation, you need to pay for some sort of roof tile or roof covering. So, you may as well install solar tiles and get a tangible return on investment from the roof at the same time. Now, because you need to get some sort of roof covering regardless of whether you go with solar tiles or not, it's fair to say that you can offset some of the cost of the solar tile system against what you'd already be spending on tiles or slates, making the investment more practical. Obviously, in this case, conventional inroof solar panel systems like those from GSSE and Vidian do also make a lot of sense and will probably be considerably cheaper than solar tiles. So, you're only really going to go for the solar tile solution if it's able to generate more or if aesthetics are a big issue. Solar tiles can also make sense for homes with complicated roof layouts. If you've got multiple roof faces, awkward angles, or limited space, then conventional panels can sometimes look messy or leave unused areas of roof space. The size of solar panels can also make them impractical for tight spaces. Solar tiles, on the other hand, can be laid across the whole roof surface, creating a consistent finish and enabling you to generate electricity from the areas of roof that you couldn't reach with a standard solar panel. And then there are cases where appearance and planning permission are critical, such as in conservation areas or on listed buildings like this one. Traditional solar panels can get rejected in these situations because of their visual impact. Solar tiles being designed to blend in with the roof are sometimes the only option that allows you to benefit from solar power while keeping the property's appearance in line with local requirements.

Exploring Solar Tile Product Offerings

So, you've decided you want to install solar tiles, but what are your options? Well, let's take a look at some different product offerings and talk about the nuances and benefits of each. I'm going to go into detail on three different solar tile systems that Spirit Energy offers. There are others available and take a look at our website for an up-to-date guide on the solar tile systems that we recommend.

Solar Tile (Company) Product

The first product I want to talk about is the one that I've been carrying around all video from a company called Solar Tile. Solar Tile supplies these larger almost sort of mini solar panels that are long and thin and cascade down the roof. As you can see on screen now, they do two models, a 95W all black module and then an 80W red module. So, you have a choice depending on which roof covering you're looking to go for. The module measures 1.48 48 m by 42 cm. The top 10 cm is where the tile above it overlaps and then the actual PV generating area is the 32 cm below it. This section is the visible area that will be exposed to the sun and this is the area with the solar cells. The 95 W all black solar tile outputs 193 watts per meter squared. The red solar tile outputs 160 watts per meter squared. By comparison, modern solar panels like the ICO Neostar 3 are currently outputting between 240 and 250 watts per meter squared. The Vidian inroof system, which is really the fair comparison to this product, and the panel that I'll be comparing all the tiles to later on in the video, outputs around 227 watts per meter squared. However, it also requires flashing around the edge, which brings the output per meter squared down to around 192 W, so pretty on par with solar tile. At the time of making this video, the solar tile system is only compatible with concrete tiles. It does not work with rosemary tiles or slate tile systems. So, if you're re- roofing and looking to get the solar tile system fitted, it's worth running through the various options you have with regards to what roof tiles will actually work with the solar tile system. Solar tile fixes to the roof with a bracket at either end of the module and then an additional wind fastener bracket further down the tile to secure it to the roof. Solar tiles can't be installed right up to the edge of the roof. You need to have at least one or two standard roof tiles between the solar tile and the edge of the roof. That's the same with the other solar tile systems I'm going to discuss as well. This system is currently not compatible with any sort of micro inverter or optimizer. So, you're going to need to use a string inverter if you want to take advantage of this. Now, this does limit the options you have when it comes to shade mitigation. The best shade mitigation feature that you have if you go for this product is the bypass diode that's built into each solar tile. As you know, if you have a string of solar panels or solar tiles, if one panel becomes shaded and starts outputting, say 50% of what the other modules are outputting, the fact that they're wired in series means that the other units will also start outputting 50% less. Bypass diodes help to mitigate against this by causing the current to bypass the solar tile when the tile is shaded. So if one of these solar tiles becomes shaded, the bypass diode will kick in and the current will flow around the solar tile instead of through it, so it doesn't drag down the output from the rest of the string of solar tiles. A 4 kW solar tile system will come in around the £9,000 mark. For an 8 kW system, you're looking at around £16,000. That's for full installation and commissioning with an inverter and scaffolding included. The 4 kW system will require around 21 square meters of roof space and the 8 kW will need about 42 m. The solar tile product comes with a 10-year product warranty and a performance warranty guaranteeing that the output power will not be less than 90% after 10 years and 85% after 25 years.

Solactric by Newok

Next on the list is a solar tile product called Solactric, which is supplied by UK roofing company Newok. It's similar to the product we just discussed in that it's also quite a long solar tile. These tiles, however, are only 66 watts per unit and they measure 120 cm by 40 cm. They output about 179 watts per meter squared. One key point with this system is that while solar tiles solar tile only works with concrete tiles, Newlock's solactric tile only works with Newlock's own roof tiles and roof tile mounting system. Now Newlock do offer a range of roof tiles including a few different types of slate tile and ceramic tile. So you're not short of options, but it's important to note that these solar tiles can't be used with any odd tile. Part of the reason for this is that Newlock make their own roofing structure. So instead of a standard felt and batn roof, Newok sells its own roofing system with its own type of batterns and vertical channels which hold the roof tiles and solar tiles in place. This isn't a concern for those getting a new roof, but it's important to note that if you want this solar tile system, you need to go for the full New York roof. Spirit Energy can help facilitate that and assist with any design work. So, do get in touch with us if you're interested in this. Pricing wise, the new lock system does come in about 10% more expensive per kilowatt peak than the solar tile system when fully installed. That's partly because the tiles are lower output. So, you need more tiles to achieve the same size system, which adds to the cost. You're looking at around £10,000 for a 4 kW Newlock tile system. For an 8 kW system, you're looking at roughly £17,500. Again, I'll compare all this to solar panels in the next section of this video. The New Lock system shouldn't really be used with micro inverters, so you're going to need a string inverter like Power 3 or Solace. As with Solar Tile, each new lock tile has a bypass diode in it, meaning that if there's any shading, the rest of the solar tiles in the string aren't affected. The New Lock Selectric Tile comes with a 10-year product warranty and a performance warranty guaranteeing that the output power will not be less than 90% after 12 years and 80% after 25 years.

Ergosun Solar Tiles

Finally, let's look at a completely different type of solar tile. This resembles an actual roof tile and the product is called Ergos Sun. They manufacture 17.5 W all black solar tiles. They also offer terra cotta tiles which are a bit less efficient. These tiles are essentially standard roof tiles that have had solar cells bonded onto them. The base is just a regular concrete or clay tile roof manufactured in huge volumes for normal roofing. During production, a small hole is drilled into the tile for the electrical connectors and then a thin solar laminate is bonded directly onto the surface of the tile. Each tile becomes its own small solar module with male and female MC4 connectors on the back. So they simply connect together in series across the whole roof. When installed, they overlap just like any other roof tile, maintaining full weather proofing while doubling up as part of the roof structure and part of the solar system. This system has been designed to match the world's most common concrete roof tile. of flat concrete is designed so that the solar tiles are well and truly camouflaged against other tiles on the roof. This system is a bit less efficient and outputs 175 W per square meter. You'll need 45 m to achieve an 8 kW system. That's 457 Erggo Sun solar tiles. As with the other systems, these tiles need to be connected up to a string inverter. You can't use micro inverters or optimizers. These tiles do also have a bypass diode in. So if one tile is shaded, the whole string of tiles is not knocked out. Now, this system is expensive. You're looking in the ballpark of £24,000 for an 8 kW system. That includes full installation and a scaffolding estimate. The product comes with a 10-year product warranty and a performance warranty guaranteeing that the output power will not be less than 90% after 12 years and 80% after 25 years.

Solar Tiles vs. Solar Panels: A Comparison

So the big one, we've established that solar panel technology is more developed and more efficient and cost effective than solar tile technology is at the moment. But how big is that gap? How much efficiency are you sacrificing by going for solar tiles over solar panels? And what's the difference in investment return and payback period for the different systems? Let's take four different 8 kW systems. the three solar tile systems we've just looked at and then the Vidian inroof system. Now, Vidian would be considered a high quality premium in roof solar system and check out our video guide on Vidian to learn more about it. So, firstly, how many panels and solar tiles are you going to need with three different systems to achieve 8 kW? Well, the Vidian solar panels are 445 watts, so you're going to need 18 of them to hit the 8 kW figure. By comparison, you're going to need 84 of the 95 W solar tiles or 121 of the 66W Newlocks and then 457 of the Erggo Sun. Now, the 18 Vidian solar panels, including flashings around the edge, are going to take up 42.3 m of your roof space. The 84 solar tiles are going to take up 41.3 m. The 121 Newlock selectrics are going to take up 44.5 m of roof space and the 457 Erggo Suns are going to take up 45.7 m.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do solar tiles differ from traditional solar panels in appearance?

A: Standard solar panels are designed to maximize electricity generation, while solar tiles trade some of that efficiency for a more discreet look. They're shaped and colored to resemble regular roof tiles, allowing them to blend in and become almost invisible from ground level.

Q: What type of inverter is recommended for solar tile systems?

A: In most cases, it is recommended to stick to a string inverter. While technically possible, using micro-inverters or optimizers with solar tile systems is a real challenge, requires many units, and adds significantly to the cost.

Q: When is it most sensible to consider installing a solar tile system?

A: The most obvious time to consider solar tiles is if you are re-roofing or building a new home, as you already need to pay for a roof covering. They also make sense for homes with complicated roof layouts, awkward angles, or limited space where conventional panels might look messy or be impractical. Additionally, they are ideal for conservation areas or listed buildings where appearance and planning permission are critical, as their discreet design helps meet local requirements.