Solar Roof vs. Traditional Rooftop Solar Panels
With rooftop solar panels, you have a roof and then a solar array mounted on top of it. With a solar roof, the roofing itself does the generating. One isn't better than the other across the board. Which suits you depends on whether you need a new roof, what you want the house to look like, and how complicated the roof is.
Request a Project AssessmentThe comparison
| Solar roof | Rooftop solar panels | |
|---|---|---|
| What's on the roof | One system: roofing with solar built in | Two systems: a roof, and panels mounted above it |
| When it makes sense | When you're building or replacing the roof | Any time the roof you have is in good shape |
| How it looks | Solar sits flat in the roof surface | Panels sit above the roof surface |
| Who installs it | Roofing and electrical trades working together | A solar installer |
| Product choice | Limited to the system you pick | Many panel brands and mounting systems |
| If the roof needs work later | Roof and solar are maintained as one | Panels may need to come off and go back on |
| What to compare the price with | A new roof plus a solar array | A solar array |
If you already have a good roof
Then panels are probably your answer, and we'd tell you that on a call. Taking off a sound roof to put on a solar roof rarely adds up.
If the roof is being replaced, or hasn't been built
This is where a solar roof belongs in the conversation. You're buying a roof either way. The question is whether you'd like that roof to do the generating, or whether you'd like a conventional roof with panels on it. Get both priced for your actual roof and look at finished examples of each.
Best for
- New homes and buildings
- Full roof replacements
- People who don't want panels sitting above the roofline
May not be best for
- A roof with years of life left
- Someone who wants a specific panel brand
- A heavily shaded or very cut-up roof
Questions we get asked
Which one makes more power?
It depends on the products and on your roof: how much area is generating, which way it faces, how much shade it gets. Compare designs for your roof, not the two ideas in general.
Is a solar roof more expensive?
Compare it with what it replaces, which is a new roof and a solar array together. A quotation for your project is the only reliable number, so ask us for one.
Can I see what it looks like?
Yes. Our projects page shows finished SolRoof installations in Europe.