Costs for solar tiles

Solar roof tiles are a new, though an obvious development in the field of solar energy production. These are, as the name suggests, roof tiles equipped with solar collectors. Currently, their costs are extremely high, though they convey some advantages. For example, if you need a new roof covering in any case, it will be better for you to choose these roof tiles instead of normal tiles. They are also much lighter than solar panels and are not sensitive to gusts of wind and storms. In addition, solar roof tiles have the appearance of normal roof tiles, while solar panels may look out of place.

The yields

Unfortunately, the yields of solar roof tiles are currently still lower than that of solar panels. They require 25 percent more roof surface to achieve the same yield. This has to do with the curvature of the solar roof tiles and the poor ventilation around them. If the solar roof tiles become too hot, they will tend to produce less yield. The installation costs are also higher because it takes more time. The old roof tiles must first be removed before the sliding roof tiles can be installed. The technology is still under development, so this will certainly improve in the future.

The costs

The cost for solar roof tiles is still much higher today than that of solar panels. This can fluctuate between 30 and 60 percent. Therefore, this option is currently only profitable if you have already planned to replace your roof tiles. The following table shows the cost of these solar roof tiles compared to standard solar panels and their efficiency. This is an average price for a 10 square meter roof, and prices include VAT and installation.

Have your worn roof tiles replaced: The cheapest option is to have your old roof tiles replaced by solar tiles instead of new roof tiles. You wanted a new roof anyway, so you can offset these costs. This way it can be much more profitable since you can start generating energy as soon as the roof is finished.

You already have solar panels: it is also much cheaper if you combine your current solar panels with solar roof tiles. In this case, you will already have the installation, including the inverter, so all you need to do is lay and connect the sunroof tiles. This makes a considerable difference in the total price.

A completely self-supporting roof: If you are convinced of the usefulness of solar tiles, you can have your current roofing completely removed and replace it with solar tiles. If you want to be able to generate 3500 Wp (which means that a 2-person household has full power), you will need to spend about $14550 for it. If you want to achieve the same with solar panels, this will cost you $7450.

The advantages and disadvantages of solar tiles

It may be that you are wondering if it would not be wiser and more economical to have solar tiles installed on your roof. Here you will find a practical overview of all the advantages and disadvantages of solar roof tiles so that you can establish your own opinion.

Advantages

Solar roof tiles look just like ordinary roof tiles and therefore will not significantly change the appearance of your house.

If you are already planning on having your current roof tiles replaced, it is much more profitable to have solar tiles installed at the same time.

Solar tiles are light and do not put a lot of stress on your roof.

Solar tiles are not sensitive to storms or gusts of wind.

The installation of solar tiles can be seamlessly combined with the installation of roof insulation. In this way, the energy you generate can be used more economically.

Disadvantages

Solar roof tiles are super expensive to buy and have a lower yield than solar panels.

The payback period of solar roof tiles is therefore twice as long as that of solar panels.

With solar tiles, you need a larger surface to achieve the same yield as with solar panels.

Request a quote

Since a large part of the total price consists of labor costs, you can significantly save by requesting a quote. You can do this quickly and easily via our free comparison tool. Within a short time, you will receive several nonbinding offers. You can then use these to thoughtfully plan for your new solar modules. In this way, you can save up to 30 percent of the total costs.