Solar panels and photovoltaic shingles are both good ways to collect the sun’s energy on the roof of your home. Each choice has pros and cons you should consider before you decide which option is for you. Some choices you can dictate, but some are controlled by the location and design of your house alone.

Both types of solar energy collectors work on the same principle. Sunlight hits the photovoltaic semiconductor material in the panel or in the shingle; this is then converted to direct current via diodes. This direct power is wired to a converter that converts it to alternating current that all of our homes are wired for. Then this power enters our house and is either used directly, stored in batteries, or sold to the power company.

Roof-mounted solar panels are much more attractive today than in the past. They offer more versatility for optimal performance since they can be adjusted for the best sunlight reception over the course of the year. They are also easier to retrofit for your roof, though some homes are even designed with these solar panels in mind and are even highlighted by their incorporation of solar panels and photovoltaic shingles into their design.

Photovoltaic shingles look quite similar to regular asphalt shingles and can blend in with most traditional homes’ roofs. These blend in much nicer to your home’s roofline, but you are at the mercy of your roof’s lines. Depending on your latitude and north/south position, your rooflines may be in direct opposition of your wishes and shingles can not be adjusted. If you are planning new construction, you can consider designing your roofline and roof’s angle for the best solar energy reception. But on an existing roof they could be ineffective depending on its angle and what direction it faces.

Solar power is such an effective power source; every property owner should consider it the next time they make an investment in a new roof or in a new home. The advances in solar technology have been dramatic in only the last five years. If you thought you knew about solar power, it’s time to read up again. Solar panels and photovoltaic shingles are only a couple of the areas in which solar is shining. Add all of the new solar technologies to the rising cost of coal power and solar power makes a lot of sense.