Disguised as regular rooftop shingles, solar roofing is probably one of the more highly sought after forms of modern roofing. This roofing material gives you the hidden power to collect energy from the sun and use it for your home, but solar roofing is also not the most resilient form of roofing. The truth is, solar roofing is far easier to break than typical shingles, and it is easy to understand why with a little guidance.
Solar shingles are more rigid than regular shingles.
Asphalt shingles have a certain amount of give to them because they have flexible materials inside them. Solar roofing shingles, on the other hand, are not as flexible and more rigid in overall construction. As necessary as this design is to harvest solar energy, it also means a solar shingle will snap under pressure much easier than a regular roofing shingle would. These shingles are so easy to break that they can't be put down with the usual fasteners.
Solar shingles are not designed to withstand weight.
If a roofing repair specialist needs to make repairs to a regular roof, there is no issue with them grabbing a ladder, climbing up, and stepping all over the shingles. Yet, if you have solar roofing shingles, they cannot stand the weight of even footfalls without being at risk of damage. These solar shingles can't be exposed to weight, which means they will also break easier if they are impacted by a flying object like a hail stone or tree limb.
Solar shingles do not have a long life span.
If you buy asphalt shingles and have them professionally installed, you can expect those shingles to last your home for many decades. Unfortunately, solar shingles simply are not manufactured with that same level of longevity, which means they will break down faster and have to be replaced sooner. Most homeowners are perfectly okay with this fact because the solar roofing provides such a great service to the home, but it is something to also keep in mind so you understand the limitations of these roofing systems.
Even though your solar roofing is probably highly valuable to you and your home, it can also get damaged fairly easily. If you have solar shingles that appear damaged on your home, it is important to have them repaired right away. Reach out to a solar roofing repair specialist for advice if you have problems.