DIY solar panels are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to hiring an installation company. With the right knowledge and experience, homeowners can save money on solar panel installation and gain more control over the process. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for designing, installing, and maintaining a DIY solar system.
A DIY off-grid solar system involves gathering solar panels, batteries, charge controllers, and inverters to generate and store electricity. Solar modules (PV panels) collect energy from the sun and convert it into direct current. A power inverter converts the DC from the panels into AC for appliances to use.
To start, purchase solar panel components such as solar cells, tab wires, and encapsulation material like glass. Wear gloves and safety gear when installing the panels. The Do-It-Your-Way Solar Guide provides comprehensive information on planning, system design, set up, and more.
The charge controller regulates the electricity flowing in and out of the battery bank. All you need is basic electrical knowledge and simple calculations. DIY solar panels come in the form of a solar kit that includes the necessary materials to set up a solar energy system yourself.
In Massachusetts, off-grid living and self-sufficiency are becoming increasingly popular due to the growing demand for clean, renewable energy. By following these steps, homeowners can create a sustainable and eco-friendly home energy solution.
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Are DIY solar kits worth it?
DIY solar panels can save about 10% of your total bill, but it comes with risks of improper installation, lack of access to high-quality equipment, and additional time. For home solar panel systems, it’s essential to work with a professional, as they have decades-long experience and can handle electrical, roofing, and other skilled work. DIY installation can also increase the risk of system errors and potentially damage your home.
Can you install solar power yourself?
Can you install your own solar panels? Yes, if you can drive lag bolts and assemble prefabricated parts, and are willing to spend a day or two on your roof. You don’t need to know how to hook up the solar panels to your household electricity or the utility grid. You’ll hire an electrician for the house hookup, and the utility company will take care of the rest, usually for free. For a completely off-grid system, the utility company isn’t involved at all.
However, this job isn’t a good excuse to buy new power tools, as the only one needed is a good drill. Most people use professional installers for solar installations, as they handle more than just installation. They design the system, apply for rebates and credits, order all the necessary parts, obtain permits, and pass all inspections. However, you can do all these things yourself, provided you have a helpful adviser and follow the rules of the local building authority.
Can I power my whole house with solar?
Solar power is a versatile and versatile power source that can power everything from pocket calculators to entire cities. With enough sunlight to power the world’s population for a full year, a single house can be powered with solar. However, the key to running a house on solar power is proper system size. Having fewer than the required panels will not provide enough power, while having more than the required size may result in unnecessary spending. Proper system size ensures that your house has enough power and doesn’t consume unnecessary money.
How many solar panels for 50 kWh per day?
The requisite number of solar panels for a 50-kilowatt daily output is contingent upon a number of factors, including panel efficiency, the duration of sunlight hours, and the prevailing local conditions. In general, a 50-kilowatt system may necessitate the use of between 150 and 200 solar panels. It is advisable to seek the advice of professionals in order to achieve an optimal setup.
How to make a DIY solar system?
To create a solar system model at home for a school project, paint the display, lay a cardboard box with the top side facing you, sort foam balls, paint the planets, cut the Asteroid belt and planetary rings, glue everything together, cut strong thread, and put it all together. The solar system is a basic science lesson taught to students at the beginning level. It is the gravitationally bound system that revolves around the sun and consists of eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Building a solar system model is not difficult if you can visualize it and know the size and position relations of the planets. Although a practical model is not possible, a correctly scaled model can be created.
How many batteries to power a house?
To go off-grid, consider your intended use of the batteries rather than the number needed. A standard three-bedroom household will likely require 8-12 12V batteries, while more on-the-grid individuals may require more batteries. Each complete off-grid solar system with batteries kit includes a battery for different levels of power usage.
When choosing the best battery for off-grid solar, consider your power structure and the amount of power you plan to use. If you plan to use most of your power during the day, you may need fewer batteries. Purchase batteries from reputable suppliers like GridFree or consider one of our off-grid solar system packages with batteries included.
There are three types of batteries available for off-grid solar systems: the 200Ah Gel Deep Cycle Battery, the Lead Carbon Battery, and the Growatt ARK LiFePO4 Battery 2. 56kWh. The Gel Deep Cycle Battery is popular due to its affordability and long lifespan of 3-7 years if treated well. The Lead Carbon Battery has a slightly longer lifespan of 7-10 years and is in the middle of the pack price-wise. The Growatt ARK LiFePO4 Battery has a 10-15 year lifespan and an 80 usable depth of discharge.
To choose the best battery for off-grid solar, consider your power structure, battery type, and the supplier you choose.
Is it legal to install your own solar panels in the UK?
DIY solar panel installation in the UK is legal, with most regions having no laws against it. However, local authorities may need planning permission in certain areas. For rental properties, landlord clearance is crucial, and building regulations may apply. The main concern is the potential loss of profit from DIY solar panel installation. Benefits from manufacturers and installers can encourage hiring professionals, but it’s important to note that exporting solar energy isn’t allowed. In summary, the decision to install solar panels depends on personal preference and the potential benefits from professional installation.
Do homemade solar panels work?
DIY solar panels can be a cost-effective option for small home applications and off-grid applications, but it’s best to hire a professional installer for larger systems. DIY solar panels can be challenging, but it’s not recommended for most people, especially those without electrical training. Powering your entire home without professional experience can pose significant risks. Solar incentives can reduce the cost of going solar, but you still need to invest over $20, 000 upfront.
While solar saves money in the long run, the initial five-figure bill can be overwhelming. DIY solar panel installation may seem tempting, but it could ultimately cost more in the long run. It’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of DIY solar panels before making a decision.
Is 40 kWh per day a lot?
The average electricity usage for a 3, 000+ square foot home is over 42 kWh per day, which is twice the average usage of homes less than 1, 000 square feet. The median home size in the US is 2, 000 square feet, with an average of 30-33 kWh per day. While 40 kWh per day is higher than the average household consumption of 29 kWh, it is normal for homes with 3, 000+ square feet and five or more members, especially in the South.
Can I run my house on solar power only in the UK?
Solar panels can potentially save energy costs and help the environment, but it’s challenging for the average homeowner to install enough panels to power their entire home. However, they can generate enough energy to power household appliances like TVs and fridge-freezers. If you want to go off-grid with solar, it’s easier to lower your energy needs than to install enough panels to sustain your current lifestyle.
This blog will explore how to power your home with solar power, how to make the most of solar panels, and how Solar Together can help you become more self-sufficient with clean electricity at a lower price.
Is it possible to make your own Solar Energy?
Pearce’s ebook explains that people can create their own solar panels, using photovoltaic cells, tab wires, and glass encapsulation material. These materials can be purchased online or at hardware stores in various sizes. Starting small is recommended for simplicity and cost-effectiveness. A good starting project is a smaller panel, such as a water pump, to practice soldering skills and familiarize oneself with the materials. Buying larger panels is actually cheaper than making them. People can power their communities with the sun’s energy through solar panels.
📹 Do It Yourself Solar Power? – Easy DIY Solar Panel Installation!
Attempt any DIY project at your own risk. Follow local code. Working with electricity can be dangerous. Here are my numbers.
Thank you so much. I started looking into solar power within the past couple weeks. My familiarity with electricity from residential construction and automotive electrical helped me tremendously in understanding the basic concepts behind solar power. But your article has motivated and inspired me so much. And I learned a lot in 20 mins. Thanks again
Nice article gives a good picture of the whole process. I had a similar system installed but I didn’t trust myself with the wiring so I hired an installer to wire my system. Better safe than sorry but I wish I had done more to get a better understanding of how things work. Everything is working but if something stops then I’m in trouble.
Good morning! I truly appreciate this article because I really want a solarHome system. This helps me to know the equipment that is needed & be knowledgeable. So, when I’m involved when speaking with an professional to help me get mine installed. 😇🙏 Keep up the great work, one if your faithful subscribers!
Great job with this article! In the interest of safety, everyone please note the ball on top of the inverter. Its called an automatic portable fire ball extinguisher. Its recommended to grab a couple of these and place one on your battery bank and one on your inverter. They’re cheap, and can add an additional layer of safety.
Thanks to ppl like you and Will Prowse putting out this info you have demystified solar and made it possible for the layperson to do it themselves! Unfortunately most solar installation companies are so outrageously expensive the only way to go solar in a financially viable way is to do it yourself. I can now install similar systems, solar mini split AC’s etc with the knowledge and understanding I have gained from your articles and Will’s. Thanks again! Wish I lived that close to Sulfur Springs TX so I could just go and pickup stuff, lucky you lol
Perhaps you knew a little about your home’s main breaker panel before you embarked on your solar journey, but many do not. A few questions on your “off-grid” system: (i) you show the inverters go to a sub-panel (why is this needed?), which then presumably sends 240Vac to your main panel . . pls describe sub panel-main panel connection; (ii) you mention still having the utility connected to your main panel, please confirm you have an “either/or” manual transfer switch that allows you to re-connect the grid/dis-connect the PV (like a backup generator as you described) and how is that transfer switch installed?; (iii) does the utility or electrical safety bureaucracy need to be informed when you retrofit an off-grid solar system to your panel? (ie. when they see your grid consumption drops to near-zero, do they send out a posse with handcuffs?)
East and West roof has the most space is pitch for more winter style or early Sun and late Sun of the day and actually seems to get more Sun than the Southside at least in the summertime in the winter time the East pretty much gets about her almost as much as a Southside does Southside Roor more pitch for winter. And in the summertime the Southside of my house it’s about six and a half hours of Sun. Which is more than what the four and a half hours to say I need to get or five and a half hours to see I need to get. And surprisingly myself side gets about the north roof gets five hours of Sun. I think I’m going to put solar panels on all sides of my house on the roof. I also have 3 ground mounts small ones that I put solar panels on and I’m making two more to put solar panels on.
Where did you get the metal work for your larger array? I also have a few of the SS brightmount but I would like to mount on a pole with an adapter plate to mount the 4 hole base. i just don’t want to pour a concrete pad just in case I decide to move at a later date. Great article you covered all the basics.
What temperature do you have to keep the equipment room at? In a room smaller that 10×10 (will build a room for the equipment) will a window unit (average sized) be enough to cool the room? I’m in CenTex too so it’s hot anyway but was curious how much heat these put off. Yes I know there are lots of parameters so a precise answer isn’t expected just wonder how much heat your sized system puts off.
The One thing I’ve always hated about my House Layout is the fact that my Main Breaker Panel is in my Bedroom Closet along with the transfer switch, I’d love to have all the Solar Stuff in the Spare Bedroom I don’t use instead, and I agree with you Off-Grid is the Way to go. It feels great to make your own power
Thanks for all the great articles! Since you have both the Growatt and the EG4 Inverters, do you think the flickering issue is important enough in your experience to affect the decision on which manufacturer to go with? I know the price and simplicity of the EG4 Inverters is a great selling point, but like cheap out of round tires, will I hate myself later on for purchasing them? Wondering how perusal tv after dark with flickering lights is going to affect me.
Suspect that electric dryer and large water heater are something that require a really large system if you don’t are hooked up to grid, a really large system if you live in cold north. I think people are getting fooled if you think you are able to use all modern electric equipment year around with only off grid system 🤔🙂 Great article about basics 👍
Nice article. Have you seen the Enphase products. They have a pretty neat looking “sunlight backup” solution with the iQ8 inverters, allowing you to run from your solar when the grid is down. Good intermediate solution if you aren’t ready to pull the trigger on batteries. Also nice system for those of us a bit concerned about high voltage DC, plus you don’t have a single point of failure like you do with a string inverter.
Thanks for the numbers. I live in Australia. My system fully installed cost $3500 after incentives. I thought that was pretty good so I got a 2nd one (yes I had more roof space). Here we pay 32c/kwhr for electricity if your on a contract with the energy company, if your not you pay about 40c. Solar credits happen at 10c/kwhr. I don’t dip into the grid much because I have a Tesla Powerwall 2 home battery. That cost $5000 after incentives, about 13500 without.
I love all your articles! You, as a person, just seem generally nice, laid back and professional. Your presentation style is what I think is also part of what brings people back time and time again, like myself. I just wanted to say I purchased a kit from Solar Wholesale mostly because of this article and partly because of the cost of other kits. I am hoping to receive the kit in Mid to late February. It’s a 12.5kW kit and I will let you know how it all goes, maybe I’ll do my own DIY article from the home owner perspective that doesn’t do projects all the time. Thank you again for all your great content!
Hey great job!!👍💯 I would like to recommend one thing and that is instead of using that clear silicone that you get a product by the name of (NP1)you typically get it from your roofing supply distributor not Home Depot or Lowe’s you have to go to an actual distributor in your town I am sure you can call them and they carry it it’s commercial grade silent and with it being used under the flashing it will last the life time of the roof!! Very highly rated product!!! 👍💯
DO NOT WALK ON SOLAR PANELS!!!!!!!!!! When you do you cause micro fractures that over the years will destroy your panels. They won’t break right away. Heat and cold weather puts stress on that glass and over time they will fail, or cause the ground fault you were talking about. Also especially in cold climate those zip ties you used will fail due to fatigue and moisture and ice loosening them up. Snap and Rack sells special rail clips that you can secure the cables in the rail. And ultimately you want a drain at the bottom of the riser pipe as it tends to build moisture and water inside and it will drain at the opening to your breakers. Hope this helps to improve the longevity of your systems. Thanks for a great install article and please wear PPE when installing.
The glass might be strong enough to support your weight. But you really can’t stand on the panels, you create micro cracks in the silicone cells of the panels and will dramatically reduce production over time. Unless the brand of panels you used use more flexible cells, like sunpower, you might not have issues, even then it’s extremely not recommended. -Fellow solar installer.
Good article however I was left wondering that when, not if, it comes time to re-roof your house it’s going to be a serious amount work to completely remove & re-install the system again. I would suggest the best way is to have the panels elevated about two feet high, via a pole system similar to an electrical mast, in place so that when the roof is redone it’s much easier to install the roof.
you’re making a huge mistake by stepping on the panels assuming the glass doesn’t break no harm is done. this is when i realized you’re a newbie and don’t know much about solar panels. once you stepped on those panels micro fractures have developed. you cannot see it with naked eye. let your system work for 3 months. after that get a thermal imaging camera, examine those panels. what you will observe are hot spots. guess what are the cause of those hot spots? micro-fracture So what’s the big deal about hot spot? it will be so hot to the point where it will melt the backsheet of the panel and reach your roof which will go up in flames. this is real not a theory.
I watched your article, called solar wholesale and started the process to get my 9.3kw 30 panel ground mount solar array, fast forward a couple months and I’m doing the final wiring to the main fuse panel today and final inspection is this week! Thanks for sending me on this adventure and a 100% did it myself project!!!
As a solar installer, I know for a fact walking on panels causes micro-fractures? I’ve had to personally replace panels that have had these problems from them being delivered incorrectly. The same problem occurs when you walk all over them. I do have to say though those rails look much better than the ones we use in Australia
The power company designs their grid for peak load which is during the day when homes are all using AC. It seems the peak output of solar panels matches this peak pretty well, so it helps the power grid when it needs it most. I don’t hear this discussed, but it seems to be a benefit that may keep the cost of power generation and transmission down for people who do not have solar systems too. Are there too few solar systems to make a difference, or is this really helping power companies?
Thank you for this article. I live in San Francisco area and companies are charging about 35K for a 1500 square foot house. It looks like these companies are making a killing on installation. I do all of my own electrical work. I did not know hooking up the solar panels to the electrical box was so easy to do. Or am missing something? I’m trying to figure out why the solar companies are charging up to 25K to 30K just for installation when installing solar is literally slightly more difficult than putting together some lego blocks then hooking a up a few wires.
48 kilowatts is about 4.80 ? So that should be easy to figure out. In 3 years that’s around 5 grand. And if the electric co op knocks 10 percent off they are losing money, Line loss is pretty significant once it hits the grid. And weather has a significant effect also but not bad. Now what was the cost?
Hi, Thanks for this article, nicely done with some useful details . NOTE that the breakers you use to tie to the grid, usually in the existing distribution panel, in the home or business, MUST be CERTIFIED bi-directional breakers. That is to say that the breakers, in case of a fault or other serious situations, will trip when the power is flowing from the grid to the building, AND when the power is flowing from the solar pv arraty to the grid. This is not intuitive as on first impression one might ask why if we’re talking about AC, Alternating Current, i.e. current that goes back and forth. However MOST standard breaker designs, but not all, work on POWER intensity, not current direction, and they are in effect an electro-MECHANICAL design that only trips when power flows from grid to loads in the building. So if you have a breaker that is not bi-directional and a branch, bird or other event causes a short on the grid, this short will create a short to your pv panel array, and since you don’t have bi-directional breakers the breakers will not trip. Although most PV panels have a limited short circuit it is important to note that there may still be a risk for fire, damage to you power electronics (inverters, etc.) or simply aging the insulation of the wiring and possibly the pv cells. It is possible that for your brand of electric distribution panel there is no bi-directional breakers available. So install bidirectional breakers OR quality fuses in a separate small box and then to your distribution panel.
11:38 At the very end here he finally says he is doing a “grid tide” system which means the solar panels won’t give you any power if the city loses power. He should of said this from the very beginning. He uploaded a article called “Off Grid Solar Battery” which is what you want if you don’t want to be dependent on the grid
Hi I love your articles and I have a few questions. My father uses 500 kWh per month for his home and I am looking to purchase 400 watt solar panels and 12 volt 100ah lithium phosphate batteries. How many panels and batteries would I need to run his home? Also I have a 2000 watt inverter and 80 amp solar charge controller. He uses appliances such as a refrigerator, freezer and TV.
I’ve watched this article 4 or 5 times. The first time I watched it I thought this is way too complicated for a normal non-electrician person to do alone. But if you watch it a few times and look into the components yourself, it’s actually not that hard. You just have rails, microinverters, trunk cable going into a junction box and then down to your electrical box. It’s really not rocket science, and totally worth saving $10,000.
hey Jerry, nice install. looks great and very well done. I’m pretty sure you are familiar with Sunpower and I currently have a system of 24 E20 327 but since I expanded the house an extra 450 sq. ft. my energy consumption went up pretty quick. I have bought 6 more E20 435 Sunpower that I want to add to my current system; the E20 327 have their micro inverter and a big power inverter at the wall but the E20 435 do not. would you recommend adding these new 6 panels to the current system or should I consider buying a sunnyboy inverter to assist the original system? tkx
It’s better to learn from these do it yourself articles, then added up cost for maintenance and installments plans and a year warranty. Plus they might give you an insurance plan of business of interest from their own venture partners or sponsors, I can go on but the list is long, This is beautiful work good people sharing Thier techniques how to articles.
Very nice article. I want to be grid tied but want to have battery backup. I want to be able to produce excess power to the bank…charge my Tesla and rarely use grid power unless off month or bad weather. Also would rather have off roof so I could use some type of solar tracking to gain even more efficiency.
Well I saw this article back in September 2021. Decided to buy a kit from solar wholesale. I am now almost done with my instal. Here is what I have to say if you are interested. Solar wholesale is not the same company they were when he used them over a year ago. They have had many of their higher ups move on. They have the worst customer service I have ever had to deal with. I go weeks without getting a response. Their instal PDF is incorrect and has bad info on it but their YouTube article along with this one made it pretty easy to follow what to do. Hopefully after I’m connected for the city I won’t have to deal with solar wholesale that after that. They didn’t even send me the meter box I needed or my mail breaker needed. I had to buy them myself. They did refund me for the breaker though but did say they don’t normal cover that for people.
What I need to know The most right now is we have a 2500 square-foot home or monthly bill is about 250 for electric. How much would it cost for the kit? For that big of a house? Has anybody else put panels for a house on the average and how much did they pay for them? And I mean pay for the whole kit for a house that size?
Do yourself a huge favor and check your attic for leaks periodically, especially after hard rain. I do mold remediation and we just had to completely rip a roof off of a house that had solar panels installed by a subcontractor for Tesla Solar. The damage was pretty severe, cost a lot of money and it was only caused by a handful of leaks over a period of 5 years. Other then that you have an awesome setup! I hope you and your other half enjoy those new nonexistent power bills
Eeeek, carflex.. wire connectors instead of terminal blocks in the junction box and tying the mc4 wires. If you don’t want your house to catch fire DONT do anything this guy did. It might work now but in the near future you WILL run into issues. After all the website is called Jerry rig so makes sense.
HEY! You are dealing with electricity, and those panels can catch fire. BUT if you do not do it right in accordance to the manufacturer, you will invalidate your roof warranty, not to mention the risk of fires. If you do not notify your homeowner’s insurance they can drop you. PS: One slip and fall you have no idea what will be broken or if you will survive the fall. So better have GOOD health insurance to cover the long-term hospitalization
Easy and quick solar panel DIY instructions: 1. Have a garage full of special tools from A -Z like the home improver you’re supposed to be in the first place 2. Count on spending a few dozen grand 3. Either have done it before and plan a couple of holidays full of workload – or get yourself 5 professionals for a day or two… 4. …wait what ?
Grounding something does not protect it from lightning. This has become a common misconception. If you want to protect your solar from being destroyed by lightning install a lightning rod near the panels that does not touch the panels. The lightning rod is grounded in a way that gives an easier path to ground than the panels. The reason grounding is considered a lightning protection with solar is because it protects your house. If lightning hits your panels you don’t want it to go through the mounts and into the rafters to get to the ground because that can catch your rafters on fire.
Imagine living in a country that actually allows you to do something like that. In Serbia if you would like that, you would need to pay hefty sum for “certificates” and shit, and also they wouldnt allow you to be completely independent, our government needs to fill their pockets with your money, you cant just go and make your own power! Gotta pay fines monthly and that honestly adds up to be the same as you would pay the regular energy bill, so it doesnt really pay out here.
As a Energy Systems Engineer and working in a Solar EPC company, I want to say that walking on top of the solar panels is not a good idea. This may damage the solar cells inside the panels and cause some major damages in following years. We can’t see the damage with our eyes but it may lead to some cracks in the solar cell and in time these crack becomes a fire hazard.
I’m curious if you or anyone in the comments have had a setup from this company for an extended period of time and how the maintenance and reliability has fared for the solar array, your roof, and electrical wiring. Please share! I’m very curious as to the user’s experience and interested in investing in a solar array myself someday. Edit: I also saw his follow up article a year later but I’d still like to hear more feedback.
thank you for this article, appreciate the extra effort for the drone timelapse, and especially appreciate that you took time out to reposition it after half the roof was done. I do article work for a living so I know the amount of work that goes into it. definitely looking forward to seeing the 1-year update. also looking forward to anything solar, espcially DIY. I think it’s a great topic these days 🙂
This is a convient solution, however seems far from the most economical one, those microinverters cost between 70-150$ per piece, which is quite expensive, i get the problems you can have, when wiring all the panels in series, though if you live in southern cali, NM or AZ and have no source of shade, this should still work fine, however you could also just wire in parallel, odc this will drive the amps up and you need a thick cable, that can take those amps, but you could still split the system in 2 or even 4 parts. For a 5kw system on a shoestring, you would pay 2k for panels, 300 for mounting and cables, 500 for inverter and safty eq. and 1.2k for a 10kwh LiFePO4 battery with a charge controller. So overall 4000$ for a system which can take you entirely off grid, if you live not to far north and are not going overboard with your energy consumption. With 11ct/kwh, you should then have it amortized in 8 years, even while being 100% off grid, where i live, i pay 33ct per kwh, so i would have it amortized in ~2.6 years
This is very interesting. The only thing I think I would do a little differently, is create an entire separate space to put the panels on that will feed into my home. The only reason being is having to take all of that stuff off, and redo the entire thing over again, in case you need a new roof, shingles, etc.
Hey Jerry – Excellent article! What do you do in 10 years if that roof needs replacement? I mean roofs don’t usually last 30 years, right? An asphalt roof last about 20 years. I mean I assume you pop the panels off and then install the new roof and then pop the panels back on but I’m just curious about your thoughts. I really loved your article and I hope to do a DYI solar installation in the near future. Thanks!
Jerry, how about the the latitude angle for better efficiency? That is one of the major things we learn on elet. eng. course, but looks like many people just instal in level with the roof. Did you adjust something like that? Because even with the project being custom made for your house, that L support looks all the same size, top and botom, unless the angle can be achive with that fine ajdustment as well.
my home has three phases and we unevenly load them, so the supplier takes full price from me on the phase that is loaded more than solar produces and rest goes into storage. which is taxes additionaly when taken back as storage price. I get taxed on storage as I am producing excess power during the day, lol. and it disappears if not used power is left on their year thing (in january maybe). yay europe and weird power company.
Roof shingles and solar panels seem redundant. By this time, I thought we’d be at the very least roofing new houses with modular solar panels that are self-cleaning and temperature modulating, that provide the basic functions of a roof tile which is just to provide weather resistance. Any sealed solid material with a large footprint, like a solar panel seems like it does this automatically. I know Elon’s solar tiles were supposed to be the solution, but it seems like it hasn’t materialized.
I would imagine you would want to make sure your shingles are in good shape before you install that system and that they are good for 30+ years. That would suck to realize after a few years that you need a new roof. Also, I would venture to say that would void any possible roofing warranty. Enjoyed the article though and got me thinking, just maybe, it might be something I would try tackling myself.
Anyone who goes to install these, do not install them on your roof if you have the land to put them on, it’s prone to causing roof leaks, also if you ever need a new roof put on, add at least 10k to the price of a new roof, cause they have to disconnect the solar panels, n reinstall them, n poke holes threw your new roof…. Put them on the ground if you have the land