Because the overhead costs are shared, the soft costs are lowered (engineering fees, permits, taxes, etc.), and the roof and solar have a better lifetime match. Additionally, when you have solar you are actually able to pay for the Roof and the Solar by the energy cost savings and rebates. Depending on your financing, you can get a roof for no upfront cost that will pay for itself (or more). If you are paying cash, the energy you produce makes returns on your cash investment.

It makes sense financially. 1. Financing options are better. 2. Your roof will pay for itself. 3. Both the roof and the solar will be cheaper because they share overhead costs. See also explanation of “Net Present Value”

Metal roofs last longer (by 2-3x) for a lower lifetime cost. They are 100% recyclable at the end of life, vs. asphalt shingle which is about 3 tons of landfill waste per home (11m tons of landfill waste in the US annually). Metal roofs are a circular economy product. They are not louder in the rain despite the myth. When you have decking and insulation the noise is comparable to an asphalt (composition) shingle roof. Metal roofs color and gloss match better to solar, for a more pleasing aesthetic. Metal roof is lighter weight but it's more resistant to impact from things like hail and tree fall. It's more energy efficient because it reflects more light than asphalt shingle. It's not made of oil like asphalt shingle. A metal roof is better for water catchment than asphalt shingle because it is free of PFASs. It has the same fire rating as asphalt shingle (Class A). In short, the metal roof performs better in all the ways you want your roof to perform: lifetime cost, recyclability, aesthetics, durability, heat, water catchment, and fire. We recommend getting a quote. Even if you are not planning to stay in your house, its resale value will likely pay for the difference in cost, if not more.

The “payback period”gives you a concrete way to grasp that your solar is worth the cost. If you pay cash, the payback period for solar tends to be around 8 years depending on your usage and your system (https://www.amyrs.com/benefits-of-roof-solar). When adding solar with a new roof, however, this payback period can be immediate when you finance with no money down. Since your solar roof pays you, we find it can also be helpful to measure it in investment terms, like “Net Present Value” (see FAQ question on NPV).

Because we will always be honest and communicative, we have made a commitment to doing our job with integrity and we take good care of our employees. We are an accountable, local, woman-owned mom and pop shop with a big vision for a sustainable future for the Bay Area and beyond.

This is a way that finance people decide whether an investment is worth their time and money. We can show you the math if you want (contact us), but it’s basically a formula to calculate what each investment is worth in today’s dollars. If the number is positive, then you are making money on the investment, if it is negative, then you are losing money. When looking at roofing only, you are negative the price of the roof, so the NPV is negative $15,000, for example. This is not an investment it is an expense. Getting a roof with solar, even if your NPV is -$3000, then you are still getting a better deal (+12,000 from the NPV of the roof alone). If the NPV is positive, say +$1200, then you are actually making money on the life of the roof and you are +$16,200 from where you would be if you just bought a roof. We find this to be a more accurate calculation than a “payback period” even if it is a little more complicated. Most residential solar+roof installations have an NPV in the $10,000's. Large systems, like commercial buildings may be in the $100k-$200k NPV on a 30 year timeline.

Solar is a low risk way of investing in a clean carbon future. It also diversifies your assets.

Some people are! But most Roofers aren’t Solar Installers and most Solar Installers aren’t Roofers. We believe we are at the beginning of a wave of solar roofers because this model makes so much sense. Roof+Solar is a triple win: you win because you save money by combining overhead and soft costs, we win because we get your business, and the community wins because you are now producing your own clean energy! Our larger goal is to build this model to share with others to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

Generally, the materials are the same for the 30, 40, and 50 year roof and you are being sold a warranty which you will need to collect on when your roof fails. The money you will work to collect would be a depreciated value on the roof. A very small percentage of people (if any) actually collect on that warranty for a few reasons: 1. The home has changed ownership and either the warranty isn’t transferable or the new owners are not aware of it. Or 2. When ownership is the same, after 20 years they don’t want to go through the effort of collecting the amortized portion of the roof value. For these reasons we feel it is better to keep that money in your pocket. We can sell you the warranty if you want it, but we do not recommend it. More information on roofing warranties can be found here: http://staticcontent.nrca.net/consumer/warranties.pdf. If you want a roof that will last 40-50 years, we recommend a metal roof and will be happy to give you a quote. The Net Present Value (NPV) of a metal roof generally looks better than a shingle roof. See also "What's the deal with a Metal Roof?" in the FAQ. The metal shingle we use is StarlingRFS (roofing for solar). It is the roofing part of a solar roofing system (and can be used as a roof alone). You can find out more information about that product on the website: starlingrfs.com. Note- Starling RFS won the Department of Energy's American Made Solar Prize in 2021 for the impact Solar-Roofing can make in reaching the US clean energy commitments. You can read more about the American Made Prizes here: https://americanmadechallenges.org

We are glad you asked! You are eligible for a 30% federal tax credit. You can take this next year on your taxes OR you can adjust your withholdings since you know exactly the amount of credit you will receive. This way you can take your tax credit as monthly cashflow rather than waiting a year to get it. If you get a battery, you are also eligible for the 30% tax credit. Also PGE and the State of California have allocated Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) rebate money (currently $350/kWh battery). If you live in a low income area, high fire threat zone, or Native American land you may be eligible for a higher rebate (currently $850-$1000/ kWh).

Yes! If you are a non-profit, you actually get a rebate instead of a credit! Congratulations! If you are a business and you do not make enough money to pay federal taxes, you can actually sell your credits to someone else. Please ask your accountant for more details.

Great question. Under NEM3* terms (also called Net Billing), the payback on a battery is 8 years on average. Batteries are warrantied for 10 years, though they will probably last longer depending on how you use it. One benefit of a battery is that instead of paying your utility full price for your electric usage when the sun is not shining, you can use the electricity you generated when the sun was shining. For this reason it's a great idea if you like the idea of self sufficiency. A second benefit of a battery is that you can use it for back up power if the power goes out. If you are talking to any solar installer about a battery and this is important to you, be sure to ask them if the battery will also provide back-up in case of a power outage. We are happy to look at your unique circumstances and gather the information so you can decide whether a battery makes sense for you. *NEM3/ Net Billin is the name of the agreement you have with PG&E/ your utility. It dictates the terms under which you get "credit" for any extra energy you export to the grid.