Key points:
- Solar roof tiles are an aesthetically pleasing alternative to solar panels but are typically more expensive and less efficient.
- Whether solar panels or solar roof tiles are better boils down to your budget and personal preferences.
- Either solar option can help you reduce your electricity bill.
Rooftop solar panels aren’t a great fit for every property; some roofs can’t support their bulky design, or are positioned in a way that means they can’t be used. But there is an alternative solution that many people don’t know about: solar roof tiles.
Sleek and compact, solar roof tiles are an aesthetically pleasing alternative to conventional solar panels. But, what are solar roof tiles and how do they work? In this Canstar Blue guide, we reveal the benefits of solar roof tiles.
On this page:
- What are solar roof tiles?
- How do solar roof tiles work?
- What are the advantages of solar roof tiles?
- Are there any disadvantages to solar roof tiles?
- Top brands of solar roof tiles in Australia
- How do I reduce the cost of solar roof tiles in Australia?
- Solar tiles vs solar panels: Which should you install?
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What are solar roof tiles?
Solar roof tiles are just like smaller, compact solar panels. However, rather than being positioned and bolted onto an existing roof like a regular solar panel, solar roof tiles are incorporated into the design of the roof itself, thanks to their tile-like design. This allows them to blend seamlessly into a home’s existing roofline.
Because solar roof tiles become part of the roof’s structure, they are referred to in the construction industry as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
How do solar roof tiles work?
Solar roof tiles work in the same way as conventional photovoltaic (PV) panels, in that they capture sunlight and convert it into electricity with the help of a solar inverter.
However, because solar roof tiles are also part of the roofing structure, they serve the dual purpose of protecting your home from the elements, just like conventional roofing tiles or slates.
What are the advantages of solar roof tiles?
There are a few notable advantages to using solar roof tiles. These include:
Can be used in hard-to-reach places
If you’re unable to install solar panels on your property due to the design or positioning of your roof, you may be able to use solar roof tiles instead.
Limited damage to an existing roof
As the tiles are part of the roofing, you don’t need to worry about drilling holes or mounting bulky equipment (e.g. clamps, railings) on top of your roof.
Offer more weather resistance
Conventional solar panels can put extra stress on a roof during storms and strong winds. Conversely, solar roof tiles are:
- More weather-resistant and less susceptible to storms, cyclones and hail conditions.
- More weight-resistant, allowing people to walk on top of them.
Visually appealing
Solar roof tiles are a lot more aesthetically pleasing than mounted panels, and seamlessly blend in with the architecture of the house.
Compare solar plans and prices
Some energy plans are marketed towards customers with solar panels and offer a higher feed-in tariff (FiT) than standard plans. Below, we have listed a handful of these deals available in New South Wales, Victoria, south-east Queensland and South Australia.
Keep in mind that a higher FiT may only benefit customers who export leftover power back into the grid, in exchange for a credit on their bills.
Here are some of the cheapest solar-specific deals from the retailers on our database. These costs are based on the Ausgrid network in Sydney but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. We show one product per retailer, listed in order of lowest price first. Annual price estimates assume general energy usage of 3900kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Price estimates exclude solar feed-in tariff credits. These are products from referral partners†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.
Here are some of the cheapest solar-specific deals from the retailers on our database. These costs are based on the Citipower network in Melbourne but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. We show one product per retailer, listed in order of lowest price first. Annual price estimates assume general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Price estimates exclude solar feed-in tariff credits. These are products from referral partners†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.
Here are some of the cheapest solar-specific deals from the retailers on our database. These costs are based on the Energex network in Brisbane but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. We show one product per retailer, listed in order of lowest price first. Annual price estimates assume general energy usage of 4600kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Price estimates exclude solar feed-in tariff credits. These are products from referral partners†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.
Here are some of the cheapest solar-specific deals from the retailers on our database. These costs are based on SA Power network in Adelaide but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. We show one product per retailer, listed in order of lowest price first. Annual price estimates assume general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Price estimates exclude solar feed-in tariff credits. These are products from referral partners†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.
Are there any disadvantages to solar roof tiles?
While there are some obvious benefits to using solar roof tiles over mounted panels, there are also a few notable drawbacks. The main things to consider are:
Initial cost
As a more recent innovation, solar roof tiles are significantly more expensive than regular solar panels to install. Generally, most solar roof tiles use mono-crystalline solar cells — the most efficient and expensive of the solar cell technologies.
In addition, the solar tiles currently on the market in Australia are only available as part of custom whole-roof solutions. This means that they can’t be selectively retrofitted to an existing non-brand roof, and are best installed as part of a completely new roofing system.
Here’s a quick rundown of the approximate cost differences between solar panels and solar roof tiles:
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Factors to consider |
Solar Roof Tile |
Solar Panels |
|
| Installation fee (for 4kW solar system) | $6,000-$15,700 | $4,920 | |
| Price per Watt (W) | $3 – $8 | $0.90 | |
| Average payback time (depending on state or territory) | 20+ years | 2-6 years | |
| The time taken to pay or surpass the upfront costs of solar installation. | |||
Sources: Ecoflow website, Evergreen electrical website, Gosolarquotes website
Having said that, like other emergent technologies, solar roof tile prices in Australia may fall as demand and supply scale up over time.
More complicated installation process
As solar roof tiles are part of a roof’s structure, they need to be installed by specialised building contractors employing skilled roofers and licensed electricians.
This process could possibly take 5-14 days versus 1-3 days for standard solar panels.
Repairs and maintenance
Solar roof tiles are still a relatively new product. This means there are fewer companies in the market offering repair and maintenance services.
However, there are two ways customers can practice to ensure their solar roof tiles are performing optimally:
- Frequent cleaning: Ensure that your solar roof tiles are free from debris such as tree branches and bird droppings.
- Trim surrounding foliage: Trim large trees that could minimise sunlight exposure to your solar roof tiles.
Efficiency depends on the surface area
The number of tiles added to a roof and their positioning has a big influence on their efficiency. While a solar panel mount can be re-adjusted to its best angle for improved performance, once solar tiles have been placed, it’s a complicated and costly job to remove and re-lay them.
Less efficient than solar panels
Generally, solar roof tiles convert 10-20% of sunlight into energy, which is 5-15% less than standard solar panels.
One key reason for this is that solar panels are traditionally installed onto rails, allowing cool air to dissipate waste heat — this has the bonus effect of shading your roof and cooling your home.
Solar roof tiles lack this integral feature, resulting in higher cell temperatures and a loss in energy generation by a few percentage points. Trapped waste heat seeping into your home could also increase your overall energy consumption.
Top solar roof tile brands in Australia
As solar roof tiles are still an emerging product, there are only a handful of brands in the market. These include:
Bristile Roofing and Volt solar tiles
Bristile Roofing and Volt are two separate companies that combine to deliver advanced solar tile roofing solutions. Australian company Volt currently manufactures two high-tech solar tile models, both catering to four different solar system sizes: 6kW, 8kW, 12kW and 15kW. However, they are only compatible with select tile products from Bristile Roofing’s range.
Nulok solar tiles
Nulok is a roofing company that offers one solar tile product. Because the company’s solar tiles are part of the wider Nulok roofing system, they can only be incorporated into new, or existing, Nulok slate or tile roofs.
Tractile solar tiles
Tractile is another roofing company that only offers solar tiles as part of its entire roofing system. Tractile’s range of solar tiles also comes with the option of an integrated solar hot water system, which boosts the amount of electricity the tiles can produce by up to 12%.
Tesla solar tiles
While solar tiles were previously offered by big-name brand Tesla on a reservation-only basis, it appears these products are currently not available in the Australian market.
Monier solar tiles
While solar tiles were previously offered by roofing specialist Monier, it appears these products have been withdrawn.
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How do I reduce the cost of solar roof tiles in Australia?
Customers interested in solar roof tiles may benefit from solar rebates in Australia.
The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) is a nationwide program offering varied subsidies through small-scale technology certificates (STCs) for installing renewable energy systems such as solar systems.
To be eligible, households and businesses must:
- Have their system installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia-accredited installer.
- Make sure their preferred solar roof tile is named on the list of Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved modules.
As of February, Volt is the only solar roof tile brand on the list, with eight models named. However, their approvals are set to expire on March 31, meaning they will no longer be STC-eligible due to an upcoming standards change.
We recommend keeping an eye out for changes to the CEC list in case more solar roof tile brands are approved in the near future.
Solar tiles vs solar panels: Which should you install?
The choice between solar roof tiles or panels ultimately depends on your property and your budget. For homeowners moving into an existing property, it may be more financially viable to install a conventional solar panel system instead of an entirely new roof featuring solar tiles.
But if you are in the process of building a new home, it may be worthwhile considering a solar tile set-up over a panel system, especially if you plan to stay at the property for a long period. Certainly, aesthetically, solar roof tiles deliver a more streamlined roofline than bulky panels.
Regardless of your choice, both solar options can benefit you in the following ways:
- Solar can increase their future property value, alongside other energy-efficient features.
- A solar feed-in tariff helps customers save on their energy bills.
- When paired with a solar battery, customers can reduce their energy spend by:
- Disconnecting from the power grid.
- Storing energy during off-peak periods for use during peak periods with a controlled load or time-of-use tariff.
However, if you are keen to install solar on your rooftop, be sure to check out our ratings report below. This guide shows you which solar installation companies Aussies rate the best for customer service, set-up costs, overall satisfaction and more.
Original reporting by Kelseigh Wrigley
Image Source: DifferR/Shutterstock.com
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