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14
December
2024
Updated
14
December
2024

Solar Roof Tiles vs Solar Panels

A quadrant of pictures, two of solar tiles in the top right and left corners and two images of solar panels below

Below, we cover everything you need to know about solar roof tiles compared to standard panels, including: 

  • What they are
  • Types
  • Cost of installation
  • Efficiency
  • Lifespan
  • Pros and cons

This guide is a 10-minute read. So, feel free to bookmark this page for later and read this short summary instead…

In Summary: Solar Roof Tiles vs Solar Panels

Solar roof tiles work in the same way as solar panels. However, they are generally more expensive and less efficient. 

The main reason people use them? They have less visual impact. 

PV roof tiles are available in a thin film or monocrystalline construction, with monocrystalline being the most popular thanks to higher output potential, higher efficiency and a longer lifespan. 

The major disadvantage of solar roof tiles vs panels is the cost. Expect a basic system using panels to cost around £6,000 (without a solar battery). 

The same size system using solar tiles? Expect to pay around £9,000. 

We fit panels rather than solar tiles, as they offer much better value for money. 

Get prices on a system spec'd specifically for your property by using our clickable tool here

Guide: Solar Roof Tiles vs Solar Panels

What Are Solar Roof Tiles?

Solar roof tiles (also known as PV tiles, slates and shingles) replace your existing roof tiles.

They’re similar to solar panels in that they can generate electricity from sunlight.

When using solar roof tiles - like PV panels - you’ll need an inverter to convert electricity generated in the form of direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). DC electricity can't be used in UK households. So, without an inverter, the electricity would be unusable.

However, unlike solar panels, tiles are integrated into your existing roof structure, rather than installed on it. Whilst this makes them aesthetically pleasing, they’re generally only installed on properties that either need a new roof, or on new-builds.

The costs associated with solar roof tiles, slates and shingles are much higher than solar panels.

We fit solar panels as they offer much better value for money, reducing your payback period dramatically in comparison to roof tiles.

You can get quotes on your system by using our clickable solar panel tool here.

Solar roof tiles (also known as PV tiles, slates and shingles) replace your existing roof tiles. They’re similar to solar panels in that they can generate electricity from sunlight. 

When using solar roof tiles - like PV panels - you’ll need an inverter to convert electricity generated in the form of direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). DC electricity can't be used in UK households. So, without an inverter, the electricity would be unusable. 

However, unlike solar panels, tiles are integrated into your existing roof structure, rather than installed on it. Whilst this makes them aesthetically pleasing, they’re generally only installed on properties that either need a new roof, or on new-builds. 

The costs associated with solar roof tiles, slates and shingles are much higher than solar panels. 

We fit solar panels as they offer much better value for money, reducing your payback period dramatically in comparison to roof tiles. 

You can get quotes on your system by using our clickable solar panel tool here

Types of Solar Roof Tiles

Thin Film Solar Tiles

Thin film solar roof tiles are generally the least expensive option. However, they're not as popular as the monocrystalline solar tiles we've mentioned below. They're generally less efficient, have a lower maximum power output and are not as durable. 

When investing £1,000s in your solar panel system, it makes sense to get the most efficient and durable units possible, as that's what will represent the best return on investment. 

Expect the lifespan of a thin film tile to be as little as 10-years.

Monocrystalline Solar Tiles

Monocrystalline solar panel tiles are much more popular. 

Whilst they're more expensive, the fact they have higher efficiency ratings, higher output and last much longer means they're the go to option. 

Designs

Solar PV tiles don’t just differ in terms of efficiency, power output and lifespan, but design too. 

As the popularity of solar panels increases, more and more designs are becoming available, allowing homeowners to purchase tiles that fit in with the design of their property. 

Popular designs currently include: 

  • Textured glass
  • Smooth glass
  • Slate shingles
  • Tuscan tiles

Cost of Solar Tiles For Roofs vs Solar Panels

The Cost of Installing Solar Panels

The cost of installing solar panels for an average sized property (3-bedroom semi-detached with 4,000kWh electricity consumption per annum) starts at £5,893. 

This bumps to £8,388 when utilising a small solar battery. 

A snippet from the dwellow website showing a quote for a 12 panel system

Whilst solar battery storage isn’t essential, having a battery will protect you from rising energy costs. 

At face value, the best option for achieving the minimum payback period (9-years) is by not incorporating a solar battery. 

A bar chart from Statista showing rising electricity prices over the years

However, electricity prices consistently rise, as you can see from the above graph from Statista

So, whilst your initial payback period by incorporating a solar battery will be higher, it will decrease over time. 

For more information regarding prices, jump over to our guide to solar panel install costs here. You can get prices for your system, with and without a solar storage battery. 

Or, get quotes on your perfect system, starting at just under £6,000 by using our clickable solar panel tool here

The Cost of Installing Solar Tiles On Your Roof

The biggest disadvantage of solar panel tiles vs solar panels, is the cost. 

The system we mentioned above (5.16kWh 12-panel system), is suited to a 3-bedroom semi-detached property with reasonable hot water and heating demand. 

This property would consume approximately 4,000kWh of electricity, which is above the UK average, as you can see on this table over at Ofgem:

A table from Ogem showing the average gas and electricity usage for different size homes

Whilst a standard solar panel system is likely to cost around £6,000 without a battery, expect a system using solar panel tiles to be in excess of £10,000. 

And this price is only likely to increase if you use industry leading brands such as: 

Compare the prices you’ve found for systems using solar PV tiles, shingles and slates directly with panels by using this clickable solar panel configuration tool here. 

Efficiency

If you're comparing solar panel tiles vs solar panels for efficiency, the clear winner is going to be panels. 

Jumping over to our LONGi solar panel review, we can see the Hi-MO range sits in the region of 23-25%. An example is the Hi-MO X6 Guardian, operating at 23.6% efficiency. 

Better still, industry leading brands such as LONGi offer a "Performance Warranty". So, their panels aren't just covered if they break, they're also covered if their efficiency drops below certain tolerances. 

Using LONGi again in this example, we see they offer a warranty that covers: 

  • A maximum 1.5% degradation rate (loss of efficiency) in year 1
  • A maximum of 0.4% degradation rate in years 2-25

These panels would still be working at 88.90% of their original efficiency, even after 25-years. 

A line chart showing the power warranty reducing to 88.90% from 100% over 25 years

So, how does this level of efficiency compare to the efficiency of solar PV tiles, slates and shingles?

As a quick example, a typical roof tile from Tesla is going to be around 20% efficient. And whilst that's only a 3.2% drop at face value, the actual difference in what your system produces is much larger; the percentage drop from 23.2% to 20% is around 13%. 

Over the total lifespan (25-years for standard solar panels), you'd be looking at a £2,000+ loss, accounting for current electricity prices; these prices tend to trend upwards!

If you’re looking for low upfront cost and high efficiency, solar panels are the way to go. 

We can spec a system specifically for your property and all our engineers are MCS accredited. Get prices for your system on-screen within a couple of minutes using our tool here

Lifespan

Solar roof tiles are much less common than solar panels and their development is still in the early stages. Generally, that means the lifespan of tiles vs panels is going to be a lot lower. 

Solar panels from leading brands such as LONGi are likely to last 25-40 years. This is backed up by their 25-year performance guarantee that covers not just the panels becoming dysfunctional, but drops in efficiency as well. 

On the flip-side, expect the average solar roof tile to last around 15-years. Lesser known brands may offer warranties as low as 10-years, with leading brands such as Tesla offering up to 30-years in some cases. 

We fit solar panel systems with up to 25-years warranty as standard. You can get prices on a system that’s best suited to your property by using our clickable tool here

Pros & Cons of Solar Roof Tiles

Pros 

Design

For some, solar panels are not aesthetically pleasing. Solar roof tiles have a lot less visual impact, altering the appearance of your property on only a small scale. 

Green Energy

Like solar panels, you'll be able to create your own green energy using solar tiles on your roof.

With standard panels, an average household is likely to save around £700 per year on their electricity bill. As we've mentioned above, due to their slightly lower efficiency, expect this annual saving to be around £600 per year if you're using tiles rather than panels. 

The savings are made up from a combination of: 

  • Using electricity as it's generated from your solar roof tiles
  • Electricity being used directly from your storage battery when the tiles aren't producing any electricity
  • Payments you'll be receiving from the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme; you'll be getting paid by the grid for any excess electricity you produce. 

Our clickable solar panel tool here allows you to see prices, energy bill savings and system self-sufficiency. 

Cons

Installation Costs

Expect installation costs for tiles to be around 50% higher than that of panels. An initial investment in solar panels of around £6,000 is likely to be closer to £9,000-£10,000 for tiles. 

For this reason, generally the only properties suited to tiles are those that: 

  • Are already having a roof replacement
  • New-builds

Roof Tile Removal

It's worth bearing in mind that if you're having solar roof tiles fitted, your existing roof tiles will need to be removed. So, there may be periods of time where your roof is uncovered. 

By comparison, solar panels can be fitted to an existing roof, minimising disruption.

Efficiency

Whilst the average solar panel is 20-25% efficient, the average roof tile is going to be just 15-20% efficient. 

Increased cost and reduced efficiency means that the payback period (and, return on investment), is going to be much longer for PV roof tiles than it would be if you were simply installing solar panels. 

Our recommendation? Go for panels vs tiles. 

Get fixed prices for your solar panel installation by using our clickable tool here

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