GAF Energy, a subsidiary of America’s largest roofing manufacturer Standard Industries, recently introduced a potential new innovation for bringing solar power to the mass market.
Named Timberline Solar, the new solar roofing solution is a project that has been two years in the making. It features the world’s first nailable solar shingles and will be assembled at the GAF Energy facility in San Jose, CA.
According to Standard Industries’ co-CEO David Millstone, Timberline Solar essentially addresses key issues that many people have had with solar roofing. This innovative solution zeroes in on problems that older solar roofs had regarding waterproofing while adhering to a sleek and appealing modern aesthetic.
The product was officially tested at the US Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories to vet its strength and durability prior to the formal launch.
A Powerful Improvement
Timberline Solar is said to be a vastly improved version of one of Standard Industries’ existing products: the Decotech Solar Roof, of which the company has already sold over 3,000 units.
Millstone and co-CEO David Winter expressed hopes that they will be able to install millions of their new roofs, an endeavor that is bound to be pushed by the fact that it is one of the most reasonably priced solar roof products in the market.
Millstone went on to say that the key to making solar power the choice of at least one out of every three homes anywhere in the world is to viably integrate solar panels into conventional roofing. The finished product must be able to protect residents from the elements aside from generating power off the grid.
Indeed, as of the end of 2021, GAF Energy has already installed four of its roofs in various locations within the states of Pennsylvania and Louisiana, as well as on a model house currently on display in New Jersey. By the end of the current month, the company hopes to install as many as 30 new solar roofs.
Making the Competition Sit Up and Take Notice
Timberline Solar is set to compete directly with Tesla Solar, an offshoot of the electric vehicle manufacturing company that produces solar generation panels.
Critics opine that, given Timberline Solar’s friendly-to-the-masses price point, this newcomer may easily edge out the Elon Musk-led competitor. There’s currently a waitlist – actually spanning several years – for the Tesla Solar product which has been noted to be both “flashy” with a price above the reach of ordinary citizens.
Likewise, Tesla Solar is currently under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission as to whether it did not properly advise its shareholders of certain technical defects that make these panels a fire risk.
