GAF Energy taking on Tesla, to make solar shingles cheaper
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Where? Elon MuskThe secret was out TeslaSolar Roof was launched in 2016. It was the first time that solar shingles were known to anyone. However, the concept of solar shingles that both produce energy and blend well with regular asphalt roofing shingles was already around for many years.
From Companies Dow Chemical CompanyThe now-defunct BP Solar has given the solar shingle a chance, although many of their products are no more available. The installation and cost of solar shingles is much higher than regular panels. They have remained out of the mainstream.
Get it now GAFA division of privately owned – one of the biggest roofing companies in the country Standard IndustriesThe company is now launching a new venture in the solar industry. Timberline Solar is a new product from GAF Energy. It’s a sister company to the firm. Timberline Solar claims it will be more affordable and reliable than Tesla Solar Roof. The company just received the Best of Innovation Award at CES for Smart Cities.
GAF Energy is different
We are the largest global roofing company. Martin DeBono (President of GAF Energy) said that they have the ability to access materials not available to other solar companies. No one has tried to create a solar product that roofers can use. We’ve succeeded, with a simple nail gun. This solar panel is twice as efficient as the average one.
Timberline Solar is able to be secured to the roof in the same way as regular shingles. GAF Energy claims this will lower the cost and complexity of the installation. The shingles measure 17″ tall by 64″, which is a bit more than Tesla’s. This means that there are less parts and fewer wiring connections to make, which will reduce costs and increase reliability.
The shingle is larger than normal and more bulky, so GAF Energy’s doesn’t look as natural as Tesla’s.
Gabriela Bunea, Senior Vice President of Solar R&D at GAF Energy, holds the company’s new solar shingle.
GAF Energy
GAF Energy claims its close ties with the roofing industry will help the company save money on marketing and sales expenses. GAF Energy can also attract customers to solar from the vast pool of potential clients who already come to GAF to get a roof.
“When you are about to replace your roof, the natural time to put solar panels on it is when it’s already dark. Standard Industries Co-CEO David Winter said that it is absurd to replace an existing roof with brand new solar panels after the warranty has expired.
Winter claims that one in three asphalt shingle roofs is made of GAF roofing. We are there to help homeowners replace their roofs, and introduce solar.
Based on Wood MackenzieCustomer acquisition costs typically account for 23% of the residential solar system’s total cost. So, if you can save money here, it could prove to be a key factor.
GAF Energy also touts the fact that it assembles and partially manufactures its shingles at its facility in San Jose, California. Although the company does import its PV cells from Thailand it feels that some local manufacturing can be advantageous.
DeBono explains, “That allows us the ability to take the improvements from our product and make them available in the product very quickly.” Alternatively, to perform changes overseas, teams may need to fly. You’ll see that product changes can take months and even years to complete, but here, it only takes hours or days.
There is still time to ask questions
GAF Energy will only be able to prove that it is a solar shingle company capable of providing reliable, affordable and cost-effective products if they can demonstrate real results over its 25 year warranty.
GAF Energy didn’t provide pricing details to CNBC, but DeBono estimates that Timberline Solar would cost twice as much to replace a roof using normal asphalt shingles.
Consider that a roof costs fifteen thousand dollars in some parts of the United States. DeBono stated that a solar system would cost another fifteen thousand.
GAF Energy Timberline Solar Shingles are fully installed in Montclair, New Jersey.
GAF Energy
A $30,000 solar roof is far less expensive than any other option on the current market and may cost as little as a regular roof with solar panels.
To compare, the projected price of a 1,700-square-foot Tesla Solar Roof in San Francisco is approximately $40,700, before subsidies. Tesla’s product is known for being more expensive than initially estimated. Last year, Tesla was sued in a class-action suit. dramatically hiked Solar Roof pricesCustomers who have already signed contracts. Legal filings show that Tesla told certain customers later it would reverse any price increases.
GAF’s shingles’ efficiency in real-world environments is still unknown. Previous solar panels have not been as efficient.
“They operate fundamentally at a lower level of efficiency,” explained Barry Cinnamon (founder and CEO of Silicon Valley solar installer Cinnamon Energy Systems). They’re not flush with the roof, and they get hot. Hot solar cells are less efficient than cooler modules.
GAF Energy states that they use high-efficiency monoPERC cells which are more efficient than conventional monocrystalline PV cell at high temperatures. The Timberline Solar Shingle’s 45-watt power and dimensions mean that it will still produce less energy per square feet than Tesla’s 71.7 watt shingle, or a 300-watt panel.
Cinnamon was not informed that GAF Energy had released its shingle as of the interview. However, when he spoke about solar shingles in general, he doubted that the majority would be interested.
I don’t think there’s anything to be done to make this a mainstream product. “I think that it will remain a niche product, like a luxury sports car.”
Yet Gabriela Bunea, Senior Vice President of Solar R&D at GAF Energy, maintains that Timberline Solar will be able to compete when it comes to cost, efficiency and reliability.
“I hope you’ll choose the solar roof when your roof is due for replacement in 5-10 years. It will be attractive, cost-effective, and will offer the same guarantee as other roofs.
Watch the video to see CNBC’s early look inside GAF Energy’s R&D and manufacturing facility in San Jose, California, where it’s assembling Timberline Solar shingles.
Lora Kolodny was a contributor to this report.
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