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Dec 10 2022
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The Best Roof Materials for Solar Panels – 5 Common Materials

By Solar Panels for Home, Solar Panel Installation Process No Comments

One of the first questions you’ll be asked in the process of going solar is, “What is your roof made of?”

Solar can be installed on just about any roof type. However, there are certain materials on which solar panels can’t — or shouldn’t — be installed. So that begs the question, what’s the best roof material for solar panels?

In this article, we’ll review five different materials to see which one makes the best roof for solar panels.

Best roof materials for solar

Composite shingles

This is the most common, and perhaps best, roof material on which to install solar panels. Because composite shingles are so common, this roof type offers the widest range of options for equipment and installers. This reduces the need for specialized solar equipment and labor, and reduce your overall project costs.

Pictured on the far left in the feature image above, composite shingles — aka asphalt shingles — are made from a fiberglass or cellulose mat. Asphalt and other minerals are then added to the shingle to produce the final product.

Composite shingles are often the most affordable roofing type and come in many colors. Most come with a standard 30-year warranty, although they should only be expected to last 15-25, depending on conditions and care.

If your composite roof is older than 15 years or starting to show major signs of wear, solar installers will likely recommend re-shingling before installing solar panels. Even so, composite shingles are often considered the best material on which to install solar panels.

Related Reading: How To Choose Solar Panels for Your Home

Tile

Tile roofing is another very common roof type in the Western US that can be found in almost any neighborhood. Tiles, themselves, can be made of different materials, and that is why it is important to accurately determine what materials your tiles are made out of before proceeding.

Roof tile materials include:

  • Clay
  • Ceramic
  • Metal
  • Synthetic cedar
  • Slate
  • Concrete

The material type can impact the cost of your solar project. For example, installing solar panels on clay tiles may be more expensive than installing on concrete tiles.

When a solar panel array is installed on a tile roof, they will need to be attached to brackets that will lift the panels above the roof. The distance that the panels must be raised will be dependent on the material itself, and the cost is also affected based on what material the tiles are.

Most installers, especially in warmer climates, are familiar with and comfortable working on tile roofs. However, it may be harder to find an installer to work on a tile roof in the northern parts of the US where they are less common.

Here’s how a solar system looks on a tile roof:


Metal Standing Seam

Metal roofing with standing seams is one of the best roof material for the installation of solar panels. The standing seams on these roofs make the attachment of the panel array incredibly easy, and with easier installation comes a cheaper cost.

You also do not have to drill any holes into your roof with this roof type. Some of the other benefits of metal roofing are that, by itself, it is already more eco-friendly. They are often made out of recycled materials and are durable enough to last for over 30 years.

Metal roofs with standing seams can allow you to install both thin film and standard PV panels. These roof types also reflect a significant amount of sunlight where it is not being absorbed by the solar panel, which leads to a cooling effect that can increase the efficiency of your system.

Metal Roofing and Solar

 

Tar and Gravel

For homes that have a flat roof, it is very likely that they will be of the tar and gravel roof type (second from the right in the feature image). Tar and gravel roofs are made out of layers of sheets that are attached with hot tar and roofing felt. There are some other mineral coatings added, as well. Because these are flat rooftops, they may require additional brackets that can be tilted at the 30-degree angle.

This is very simple to do, but it will be more expensive than installing on a tilted roof or with a different material. Nevertheless, tar and gravel is still a very viable roof material for the installation of solar panels.

Wood

The last roof type that you will see commonly throughout neighborhoods are wooden roofs. Wooden roof types can include shingles at an angle or may be completely flat, so the specifics will be dependent on the way the roof is structured.

In any case, a wooden roof is not viable for solar panels because of fire safety concerns. Therefore, wood is not the best material for solar panels.

The best materials for solar panels

Rooftop solar equipment and installers have come a long way in recent years and most roof materials are suitable for solar panels.

With that said, the best roof material is anything that will keep your solar panels secure for their 25-warrantied life or longer. While there may be minor advantages for one material over another, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. The important thing is to get a system installed so you can start saving money and generating clean energy.

 

 

All Things Roof FAQ’s

What is an ideal roof for solar panels?

In most cases a composite asphalt shingle roof, facing south with enough space for placement of your entire system would be the best. Although, in most parts of the country as long as you have space on your roof and you get ample sunlight, solar is viable on most roof types except wood shake. 

What is the best roof design for solar?

The answer is pretty straightforward, a large square roof is ideal for a simple solar system install. Roofs with lots of tiers, chimneys, skylights, pipes, and very little extended spaces, create lots of challenges for system design and installation.

What type of roof is not good for solar panels?

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have a wood roof your options are limited. These roofs will disqualify you from installers, although you still have the option to reroof or look into ground mount solar installations.

What if my roof is old?

If your roof is too old or worn down, it’s best to replace it before installing solar panels. Some installers offer both services, which can bring down the cost by combining the projects.

If your roof is older, but not at the stage of replacement, you can still install the system. However, you’ll likely end up paying for the labor to un-install and re-install the system when you do end up replacing the roof. This cost isn’t typically welcome when you’re already paying for a new roof.

 

Dec 08 2022
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hyunda Ioniq 5 charging

Hyundai IONIQ 5 Charging Costs: Solar Versus Utility

By Solar Panels for Home, Charging Your EV With Solar Panels and Using the EV Tax Credit To Lower the Cost No Comments

With awards for safety, design, and performance, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 is perhaps the hottest electric vehicle (EV) on the market and will likely attract a new wave of EV drivers in 2023. But one thing to consider before buying any EV is how and where you’re going to charge it. In this article, we’ll explore the cost of charging a Hyundai IONIQ 5 on grid versus solar electricity.

Let’s get started with a quick estimate of how many kWh of electricity it takes to charge an IONIQ 5.

How many kWh to charge a Hyundai IONIQ 5?

The 2022 IONIQ 5 has a battery capacity of 77.4 kWh and a range of 300 miles, according to Hyundai’s product guide.

For the health of the battery, it’s recommended to keep a minimum charge of 10% at all times. So, it takes around 70 kWh of electricity to “fully charge” an IONIQ 5.

According to Hyundai, you can expect a 10% to 100% charge to take around 6 hours and 45 minutes with a standard 240V Level II charger – the kind most EV owners install at their home.

How many kWh per day to charge an IONIQ5?

Theoretically, you could commute 270 miles a day and have plenty of time to fully charge at home each night. But the average American drives just 37 miles a day, so let’s see how much electricity it takes to charge an IONIQ 5 with an average commute.

According to the US Department of Energy, the long range 2022 IONIQ 5 has a fuel economy rating of 30 kWh/100 miles – the equivalent of 114 miles per gallon. This rating is on par with the Tesla Model 3.

Charging an IONIQ 5 requires 11.1 kWh of electricity to travel 37 miles per day, and around 333 kWh per month.

Now that we know about how much electricity you need, the next question is where should you charge your IONIQ 5?

The cost of charging a Hyundai IONIQ 5

To figure out the cost of charging an IONIQ5, first we need to figure out where you are charging it. There are three main options for charging an EV.

  1. At home on grid electricity
  2. At home on solar electricity
  3. At a public charging station

Obviously, if you’re cruising cross-country, you’re going to rely on public charging stations. But for day-to-day driving, there are benefits to charging at home – most notably lower charging costs.

Public charging typically costs between 20 and 60 cents per kWh and can vary widely depending on the time, location, and type of charger. The rate for home charging is usually much lower but can also vary depending on your utility rate and the cost per kWh of your solar system.

Here’s a breakdown of cost of charging a Hyundai IONIQ 5 on grid, solar, and public chargers:

Charging method Cost per kWh Cost per full charge (70 kWh) Cost per month (333 kWh) * Cost per year (4,051 kWh) *
Solar panels 7 cents** $4.90 $23.31 $283.57
Grid electricity (US average) 16.7 cents $11.69 $55.61 $676.52
Chicago 18.8 cents $13.16 $62.60 $761.59
Los Angeles 24.4 cents $17.08 $81.25 $988.44
New York City 24.5 cents $17.15 $81.59 $992.50
Public charging 40 cents $28 $133.20 $1,620.4

*Figures based on the average American driver traveling 37 miles per day. **Average cost per kWh of solar panels purchased through solar.com. Grid electricity prices for September 2022 electricity prices per BLS.

Home charging an IONIQ 5 on solar electricity is the cheapest option by a long shot at nearly $400 cheaper per year than charging at the national average price for grid electricity. In major metro areas like Los Angeles and New York City, that savings increases to over $700 per year.

That’s a good chunk of change for one year and it really adds up over time.

IONIQ 5 home charging: Grid vs solar

Charging an IONIQ 5 at home is clearly cheaper and more convenient than using public chargers. But it gets even cheaper (not to mention cleaner) when you have a home solar system.

As we found above, IONIQ 5 owners can save $400 to $700 in the first year of charging on solar instead of grid. And those savings increase each year as the price of grid electricity climbs – typically by around 3.5% per year.

Here’s how that looks over the 25-year warranted life of a solar system.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 charging grid vs solar

The average American could save over $18,000 by charging on home solar over 25 years. In Los Angeles, where EV adoption is much higher, homeowners stand to save over $30,000 by charging on home solar instead of grid electricity.

Now, you may not own your IONIQ 5 for 25 years but designing a solar system to offset EV charging in general is an investment with a clear payoff.

How many solar panels to charge a Hyundai IONIQ 5?

For the average driver traveling 37 miles per day, it takes 6-10 solar panels to charge a Hyundai IONIQ 5 entirely on solar electricity – or at least to offset the grid electricity you use to charge it.

The exact number of panels you need depends on how much you drive, how much sun you get, and the type of panel you install. Let’s run through an example scenario based on an average American driver.

Depending on where you live, the number of peak sun hours can average between 4 and 6 hours a day. We’ll split the difference and say 5 hours.

11.1 kWh per day / 5 hours of sun per day = 2.22 kW of production per hour

Let’s divide that by 78 percent to account for the slight loss while converting from DC to AC electricity.

2.22 kW / .78 = 2.846 kW

So, you’d need 2.846 kilowatts or 2,846 Watts of solar capacity to charge your IONIQ 5. Today, the most popular solar panels are rated for 400W.

2,846 W / 400W = 7.11 solar panels

We’ll round down to say it takes seven 400W solar panels for the average American driver to charge an IONIQ 5.

Of course, the exact amount will vary depending on how much sun your house gets and the power rating of your solar panels. The table below shows how many panels you need to charge a Hyundai IONIQ 5 for some common sun and panel combinations.

Peak sun hours Solar panel power rating Number of panels to charge a Hyundai IONIQ 5*
4 350W 10
4 400W 9
5 350W 8
5 400W 7
6 350W 7
6 400W 6

*2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 with 77.4 kWh battery with a 300-mile range driving 37 miles per day. Number of panels rounded to nearest whole number.

Now that we know how many solar panels it takes to charge an IONIQ 5, let’s see how much each panel costs.

How much does it cost to add panels to charge an EV?

There’s two ways to measure the cost of solar panels: Price Per Watt (PPW) and cost per kilowatt hour.

Today, a home solar system typically costs between $3-5 per Watt and around 6-8 cents per kilowatt hour.

At just over $4 per Watt, it would cost $11,500 to add seven 400W solar panels before applying the 30% federal solar tax credit. After claiming the tax credit, the net cost comes down to $8,050 and gives us a rate around 7 cents per kilowatt hour over the system’s 25-year life.

Pay yourself back by charging your IONIQ 5 on solar

Home solar is the cheapest, cleanest, and most convenient way to charge a Hyundai IONIQ 5, or even EV, for that matter.

By going solar, you freeze your electricity rate at a super low price – usually in the ballpark of 7 cents per kilowatt hour – and shield yourself from ever-rising grid electricity costs.

Over time, charging with solar adds up to huge energy savings and ensures that your EV is running on clean, renewable energy.

Connect with an Energy Advisor to see how much you could save by charging with solar.