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When most homeowners invest in solar roofing, they want to know how long it will take for their investment to pay for itself or their break-even point. In today’s energy building standards there are three main structure types; net-zero, energy-plus, and ultra-low energy. All three types will reduce your current energy needs, however, energy-plus buildings have the potential to generate revenue through energy production and net-zero buildings have a constant break-even where the cost of the materials equals the revenue generated. In order for a building to be considered one of the three main classes, it must produce energy and a roof is one of the biggest energy producers. Reduce Energy Demand In order to for a roof to reduce energy demand on a structure old roofing materials that are no longer performing must be replaced with new material. Homeowners have a wide range of material choices within their municipal codes. When a roofing system is designed properly, roofing materials that far exceed local code regulations can be used, increasing the thermal insulation rating greatly. This means that your home will stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, lowering the load on your HVAC system. Produce Energy The use of photovoltaic cells in roofing is how energy is produced. There have been several advancements in the past few years on solar roofing. CertainTeed, one of the industry’s biggest manufacturers, has an Apollo Solar Roofing system that meets LEED platinum certification. Newer solar roofing systems are able to now capture and convert more of the light spectrum at low light hours, like morning and evening. Reduce Roofing Costs Thanks to principles of Moore’s Law, solar roofing systems are reducing in price. In fact a 2,000 square foot home sees minimal increase in price on many solar roofing systems. The cost of developing solar roofing shingles has fallen dramatically due to improvements in photovoltaic materials as well as increased manufacturing in the United States. Roofing systems like those offered by CertainTeed and other manufacturers also save costs on installation labor as well. A roofing system that will provide up to 60% of a home’s total energy use, takes only 5 hours for full installation. The system includes 54 photovoltaic panels and 24 squares of shingles. Electrical components have now been greatly simplified as well. Typically an electrician sets your home up with special equipment to make sure your home can work properly with your local electric grid. Once a homeowner added solar roofing to their home, the electrician would have to make another trip to hook up the roofing system to the electric grid. Now, the systems are all plug-n-play, meaning that your specially trained roofer can establish electrical connection, safely, without the need of a 3rd party. David Schulte is the president of Schulte Roofing and has served Bryan-College Station, Houston, Brenham and the surrounding areas for over 18 years. To learn more about College Station roofers, visit their site at: http://www.schulteroofing.com.
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solar roofing, college station roofer, Schulte Roofing,
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