Thinking of putting in solar roofing for your next home improvement project?

Most Bay Area roofing contractors recommend solar shingles instead of traditional solar tiles to achieve a more energy-efficient home. Solar tiles are standalone, which means you can use it as the primary roofing material.

Solar Power Distribution of Solar Tiles

Solar tiles are wired to provide electricity for both off and on-grid systems. Having a solar panel system on an on-grid system allows you to power up homes and commercial establishments. Excess electricity generated from these tiles may be sold to the utility company for a rebate. Off-grid solar systems are more for back-ups in cases of power outages. They can also store energy for future use. Keep in mind that an off-grid system can be more expensive than an on-grid system.

All solar-powered systems make use of a power inverter that converts sun energy to usable electricity. A power inverter typically converts DC electricity into AC electricity for home use. Though solar roofing installation can be costly, the investment is recouped over time. They usually pay for themselves after several years of electricity production.

Solar Tile Pros

Solar roofing shingles are more aesthetically pleasing than their traditional counterparts. Home designers will appreciate the fact that this material enhances your home’s exterior design. You can choose from different sizes or models- from systems that make use of thin films to solid shingle-size tiles that look like any other traditional shingle.

You may opt for a more durable, waterproof solar tile during the time of installation. Bay Area solar roofing contractors will have an easier time during installation- they can just staple the tile directly to the roof. Furthermore, you may be qualified to get tax incentives if you go solar.

Solar tiles are more effective than traditional panels overall. Each shingle can generate up to 17 watts of electricity! Perhaps the most notable benefit of having solar tile roofing is that you won’t have to make room for large flat surfaces to install traditional solar panel systems.

Additionally, solar energy roofing can be constructed in a way that makes them highly resistant against strong winds.

Solar Tile Cons

• Initial installation costs can be steep.
• The roof has to have the right angle to efficiently catch solar energy. Also, the surface area must be sufficient to reliably power your property.
• On-grid systems will have no energy storage, which means you can’t use solar electricity during storms or in the night time.

Solar Energy Roofing in the Bay Area

Century Roof Tile is the go-to Bay Area roofing contractor for solar roofing installations, gutters, re-roofing and roof repair contact Century Roof Tile. At your earliest convenience, call (888) 233-7548 or contact us online for further assistance.

There are a variety of options for property owners who are looking to make their homes, and especially their roofs, more environmentally friendly. Some changes to be made include an entire overhaul and new roof, while some only require adding on to the existing roof. Here are 5 great ways to make your roof more eco-friendly:

White Roof

One of the most straightforward ways to make your roofing more green is to go white. Replace all of your old dark colored roof shingles for white or light tan colored ones. This change is simple but very effective as it results in much lower electricity bills. Not only will the light shingles keep the sun from beating down too intensely on the top of your home, they will also help keep the interior of your home cooler.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are the perfect add-on option if your existing roof is still in good or excellent condition and you would like to keep things as are. The panels can be added by a qualified Bay Area solar company quickly and cleanly right on top of your existing roofing. Solar panels are an excellent way to save money while going green because they have been proven to drastically lower electricity bills. They gather energy from the sun during the day and harness that power for your home.

Metal Roofs

A metal roof is really a great idea for all kinds of homeowners because it comes with so many benefits. Metal roofs last a very long time and are known to be extremely durable. They also reflect the sun, so that your home stays cooler during the day. A bonus is that metal roofs are in-style at the moment, so you can make your house trendier at the same time that you are helping the environment.

Clay Roof Tiles

A clay roof is a roof that is made from clay or slate tiles that are naturally occurring. Spanish style homes often feature this kind of roof, whose benefits include long lasting properties as well as highly desired aesthetic. A Bay Area roofing contractor that is experienced with unique roofing types is essential when implementing something like this to make sure that the job is done well.

Green Roofing

Another add-on option is called a green roof. This option includes installing a garden on the top of your roof, with a variety of plants and flowers to assist in clean-air production and sun management. Though this isn’t a service offered here at Century Roof & Tile, having a roof inspection before starting a green roof is important.

Contact Our Bay Area Solar Company Today

When is comes to things like solar roofing installations and adding re-roofing projects, calling a professional is very important. The team here are Century Roof & Tile will help you through the entire process with ease, making your transition from old roof to eco-friendly roof painless and simple. Contact us today via our online contact form, or give us a call at (888) 233-7548 for more information.

Being in an age where having environmentally friendly everyday items is becoming more and more commonplace, solar roofing panels are quickly taking over neighborhoods across America. Not only do they look great, but they are environmentally friendly, save you money on electric bills, and last for many many years.

There are two main types of solar roofing called Crystalline and BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic). Both of these electricity making systems have a moderate cost when it comes to the initial installation, but over time they’ll pay for themselves by saving you money on energy bills. By cutting down the reliance on electricity, they have a positive effect on the environment by reducing pollution caused from power plants.

Recently solar roofing has been picking up at quite a fast pace. Many people jump to negative conclusions about the installation of a solar roof, with the belief that you have to make large holes in your roof and bring in heavy duty equipment to hold the panels.

However, that isn’t the case. With all the advancements in the field of solar energy roofing technology, today’s solar roofing products have all the benefits of lightweight tiles, ease of installation, and strong durability. These are just a handful of reasons solar roofing a great choice.

Solar roofs mainly consist of solar roof tiles, but can also consist of solar panels. Solar tiles are less prominent than large solar panels, which are fitted on top of the current roofing system. Solar tiles can be easily adjusted into the roofing shingles, and easily blend into the roof type because of their dark blue gray appearance. A person who doesn’t know about the presence of the solar roof tiles would not be able to identify them at the first glance. Solar tiles weigh 2-3 pounds for every square foot, making it easier to install when compared to heavier solar panels.

Solar roofing is very helpful if you are trying to avoid or cut down on a costly electricity bill. In the long run, and if installed correctly, solar roofing will prove less costly, and in some cases even eliminate the whole electricity bill. You may even be able to supply power to other homes if your energy consumption is small enough. Taking these factors into consideration, solar roofing could be a real great investment for you.

Contact Our Bay Area Solar Company Today

Whether you want solar roofing to save money on your electricity bills or to contribute towards reducing your energy consumption, having them fitted by a professional roofing contractor is a must. Having solar panels is a great step in the right direction to help protect the Earth and our environment. If you are interested in learning more about solar panels or solar tile installation, contact us online today or give us a call at (510) 780-9489.

Since the U.S. Department of Energy began investing in solar in the 1980s, this environmentally-friendly energy source has continued to grow in popularity. In fact, given the incredible surge in interest in solar that’s developed over the past 5 years or so (hat tip: Elon Musk), California may be poised to witness a veritable solar energy revolution.

Check out these fun facts about solar solutions.

1. Solar tiles collect energy from the most abundant energy source available on our planet. – The sun supplies the Earth with 173,000 terawatts of continuous energy.

2. A single CSP (Concentrating Solar Power) plant can supply power to thousands. – One average sized CSP plant generates enough power for 70,000 homes.

3. Italy and Germany love solar. – Although any homeowner can invest in solar energy roofing, solar energy gets the most attention in Italy and Germany.

4. Spacecrafts utilize solar energy. – Since the 1960’s, orbiting satellites have put solar energy to good use.

5. California’s Mojave Desert houses the world’s largest solar energy project. – The Mojave Desert project includes 350,000 mirrors and will generate power for 140,000 homes.

[See Also: History of Solar Energy]

Bringing Solar Energy Roofing to Your Bay Area Home

Curious about exploring a solar solution for your home’s energy needs? The experienced solar roofing installers at Century Roof & Solar can help. Call (888) 233-7548 or contact us today for a solar consultation.

The post Did You Know: Interesting Facts About Solar Energy first appeared on Bay Area Roofing & Solar.]]> 1165 https://centuryrooftile.com/solar-bay-area-roofing-blog/solar-panel-installation-apprehensions/ Sat, 30 May 2015 00:09:18 +0000 http://www.centuryrooftile.com/solar-bay-area-roofing-blog/?p=1089 We offer the answers to the most common installation worries so you can begin your energy saving investment. Read on to learn more about solar solutions.

Heat on solar tiles does impact the way your green technology works, but not exactly in the way the conventional wisdom might have you believe. More heat beaming down on your roof actually starts to reduce the efficiency of the solution after a certain point. What accounts for this counter-intuitive result? The energy that comes from the sun’s rays translates to power, but this energy is not necessarily equivalent to the amount of heat generated by sunlight.

So what does this quirk of physics mean for you as a homeowner or landlord?

If you look into solar solutions, scan through the manufacturer’s information for the temperature coefficient. This metric will tell you how much your energy production decreases when the panels heat up past a certain point. The opposite is also true, by the way. Cooler temperatures can allow certain solar technologies to absorb more of the sun’s rays and increase the energy output.

You can also look at the efficiency rating. This metric indicates the usable percentage of sunlight that the solar technology will absorb. This rating impacts the amount of space you will need to dedicate to a solar solution installation.

Ask your solar company for advice on the best solar technology for your location. Whether you live in a warm environment where temperatures regularly rise or you’re situated in a foggy, windy, shady spot near the Bay will impact the solutions that are appropriate for you as well as your ideal solar cell placement. For the maximum efficiency, you must match your solar solution for your geography and landscape.

Our East Bay Roofing Experts Know Solar!

Our team can help with these calculations, so you can maximize the value of a remodel or investment. Call (888) 233-7548 or fill out a contact form today!

For fifteen years now, since 2000, photovoltaics have been the fastest-growing renewable-energy technology. According to the International Energy Agency, photovoltaic solar tiles are likely to provide 16 percent of the world’s energy by 2050, up from only one percent at present. In the United States alone, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Administration, solar energy production has been more than doubling annually for over a decade. What does this astonishing trend mean in employment?

It means good news. In the United States, employment in the solar-energy sector is increasing 20 times faster than in the job market overall. One in every 78 new jobs last year was in the solar-energy field, the largest single category being solar roofing installations.

As to the quality of the jobs in this field, wages and working conditions are better than average. One indication of this is that over 90 percent of those working in solar energy work exclusively in solar energy. Nationally, the median wage for a solar photovoltaic installer is $19 an hour.

Solar energy currently employs upwards of 174,000 workers in installation, manufacturing, selling, and distribution. By a strange coincidence, 174,000 is the same as the total number of full-time workers involved in coal, counting miners, power-plant workers, and people employed in transport. This is, quite literally, a tipping point, the moment when the falling number of coal workers meets the rising number of solar-energy workers. For fifty years, changes in mining technology have been reducing employment in coal. The number of miners fell by ten percent last year. Across the solar industry, employment rose by nearly 22 percent during that time, with a similar increase projected for the coming year, according to an employer survey by The Solar Foundation. The number of solar roofing installers has doubled since 2010.

In California alone, 1672 solar companies employ 47,000 workers, up 3,500 from last year. Century Roof and Solar is proud to be part of this growing, sustainable, and valuable industry.

Contact a Solar Company You Can Trust

Contact Bay Area solar company Century Roof and Solar today at (510) 780-9489 to learn more about how a sun-powered system can improve your life.

The market’s desire for solar solutions is spiking. Thanks in part to fears generated by climate change, Californians have been focusing relentlessly over the past few years on expanding the solar energy market. Bay Area solar companies, in turn, are capitalizing on government benefits that incentivize consumers to use alternative energy sources.

Several prominent solar rebate programs have attempted to speed up this positive change. One program reimburses homeowners for outfitting their existing homes with photovoltaics and other alternative heat generation systems. Water heaters powered by solar energy are also deductible. Owners of rental properties can realize tax benefits simply by refitting solar tiles to their housing. Homeowners can also take advantage of a green energy rebate called MASH.

Finally, some companies researching new alternative energy sources now can have access to state and federal grant money to develop better methods of green energy collection.

Should California residents continue to invest their tax dollars on solar infrastructure, education, and technologies? Pure libertarians have criticized these programs, saying that we’d be better off allowing the free market to set prices and determine energy tech winners and losers. On the other hand, supporters point out that a recent solar boom has created tens of thousands of jobs for Californian citizens, and the amount of water needed to cool traditional power plants has dropped. For a state frequently beset by fresh water concerns, this is a huge boon.

Residents have also seen positive environmental effects. The carbon footprint in California has noticeably decreased since the advent of more prominent solar technology. Less air pollution means a drop in the risk of several forms of cancer. Perhaps most importantly, California is becoming a solar leader for the United States, showing the rest of the country how homeowners and investors who take little steps with respect to solar can generate big returns to our society.

Get Help from Bay Area Solar Solutions Experts

For help integrating solar energy into your life to save money or support your business or real estate purchase, contact our solar roofing installations team today at (510) 780-9489 for an estimate.

The shape of your roof is more than a style decision. Roofing impacts the space inside your home, the degree to which your home can stand up to weather, and overall energy savings. Especially if you’re planning on “going solar” now or in the near term future, you want to build or remodel with an appropriate roof design in mind. Here are some pros and cons of 3 unique roofing styles to help you make a more informed remodeling or purchasing decision.

Mansard roofing. This classic style features a pentagon with two slopes on either side of the house, which contrasts with the singular slope of gabled roofing. This type of roof is great for providing extra space above the main floor, but it may create design and engineering challenges if you opt for solar solutions.

Skillion roofing. Skillion roofs are flat roofs where one side has been raised so the structure is on an incline. This type of solution can be used to design a home’s entire roof, or you can use it to highlight one area of a home. A skillion roof works really well when integrated with solar roofing installations, if the flat, angled roof can face substantial sun during the day. All that said, opting for this roofing paradigm can create engineering issues; it may hinder certain house designs and constrain any attic designs.

Hip roofing. Characterized by four sloping sides that come together in the center, hip roofing can also be used in conjunction with an astonishing variety of designs. Instead of meeting at a singular point as 4 triangles, the hip roof has a flat area at the top for the quadrilateral sides to meet.

Interested in remodeling your roof? Contact Century Today!

For more information call the team at Century Roof and Solar (510) 780-9489 we are ready to help you choose the right roof for your home. Whatever your questions may be we have personnel standing by to help you quote your roofing projects.

© 2014 Century Roof & Solar

Californians can now get serious tax credits for installing solar roofing. Will you benefit? Can a solar solution improve your home’s energy efficiency, help you get off the grid (at least partially), and maximize your tax dollars?

You may qualify for a federal solar tax credit worth up to 30% of the installation and equipment costs. Previously, this credit maxed out at $2,000. But a recent revision to the rules abolished this ceiling. California also offers credits and rebates. Your local municipality may provide even more incentives.

To qualify, you first need to owe money in taxes. In other words, a credit is not “money back in your pocket” — it simply reduces tax liability. If you don’t owe taxes this year, never fear: credits “roll over,” meaning that you can apply them later. Federal credits are NOT available to renters, but you can qualify, if you’re building a new home or remodeling an old one.

The unlimited cap on the credit only applies to new systems (built between 2009 and 2016). If you install an older solar roofing system, you can still get a credit, but you’ll be capped at $2,000.

What if you opt for a solar power purchase agreement (PPA)? If so, you won’t obtain the credit directly. Instead, your provider will benefit. In exchange, however, your provider should be able to offer you incentives, like reduced installation costs or free installation.

A credit is almost always superior to a deduction. A deduction hits at your taxable income. For instance, let’s say you earned $90,000 for the taxable income. If you get a $7,000 deduction, your taxable income goes down to $83,000. However, a credit of $7,000 comes out of the money you owe to the government. For instance, let’s say you owe $50,000 in taxes. Subtract out a $7,000 credit, and you’ll only owe $43,000.

Explore Your Bay Area Solar Solutions Today

Connect with our solar company to explore solutions for your Bay Area home or business. Let us help you save money and reduce your energy costs. Give us a call today at (888) 233-7548 or fill out our contact form here on our website.