Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Conor Humphries
The logo of DingTalk is seen, an offshoot of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China July 20, 2018. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing Rights
SHANGHAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) work communication and collaboration platform DingTalk will split from the company's cloud division, according to two sources close to the company.
The sources could not confirm the exact timing of the split and also did not confirm news reported by Chinese media outlet Caixin on Wednesday that DingTalk would pursue its own IPO in the near future.
DingTalk will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alibaba Holding Group and there would be no impact on its services, one source said.
Alibaba's Cloud Intelligence Business Group did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the matter.
Though the Slack-like DingTalk will split structurally from Alibaba's Cloud Business Intelligence unit, the sources said it would continue to work closely with the cloud division technology-wise.
Alibaba's cloud division is itself working towards a public listing, having flagged it would be the first of the Group's newly created six business units to IPO.
The tech giant announced the split of its business in March and has said the cloud division was likely to IPO by May next year.
Alibaba Group last week reported better than expected results for its first quarter, but sales for its Cloud Intelligence Business Group, a major growth driver outside of e-commerce, reported the smallest revenue growth among the group's business units of 4%.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Scientists at Rutgers University have developed a highly accurate process for producing coatings of biologically active compounds for a variety of medical devices. According to the researchers, such technology might pave the way for a new era of transdermal treatment, including shot-free vaccines. Writing in Nature Communications, researchers described a new approach to electrospray deposition, an industrial spray-coating process. Essentially, Rutgers scientists developed a way to better control the target region within a spray zone as well as the electrical properties of microscopic particles that are being deposited. The greater command of those two properties means that more of the spray is likely to hit its microscopic target.
In electrospray deposition, manufacturers apply a high voltage to a flowing liquid, such as a biopharmaceutical, converting it into fine particles. Each of those droplets evaporates as it travels to a target area, depositing a solid precipitate from the original solution. "While many people think of electrospray deposition as an efficient method, applying it normally does not work for targets that are smaller than the spray, such as the microneedle arrays in transdermal patches," said Jonathan Singer, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the Rutgers School of Engineering and an author on the study. "Present methods only achieve about 40 percent efficiency. However, through advanced engineering techniques we've developed, we can achieve efficiencies statistically indistinguishable from 100 percent."
Coatings are increasingly critical for a variety of medical applications. They are used on medical devices implanted into the body, such as stents, defibrillators and pacemakers. And they are beginning to be used more frequently in new products employing biologicals, such as transdermal patches. Advanced biological or "bioactive" materials -- such as drugs and vaccines -- can be costly to produce, especially if any of the material is wasted, which can greatly limit whether a patient can receive a given treatment.
"We were looking to evaluate if electrospray deposition, which is a well-established method for analytical chemistry, could be made into an efficient approach to create biomedically active coatings," Singer said. Higher efficiencies could be the key to making electrospray deposition more appealing for the manufacture of medical devices using bioactive materials, researchers said.
"Being able to deposit with 100 percent efficiency means none of the material would be wasted, allowing devices or vaccines to be coated in this way," said Sarah Park, a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering who is first author on the paper. "We anticipate that future work will expand the range of compatible materials and the material delivery rate of this high-efficiency approach." In addition, unlike other coating techniques used in manufacturing, such as dip coating and inkjet printing, the new electrospray deposition technique is characterized as "far field," meaning that it doesn't need highly accurate positioning of the spray source, the researchers said. As a result, the equipment necessary to employ the technique for mass manufacturing would be more affordable and easier to design. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, July 6, 2023.
Aly Song | Reuters
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba on Thursday said revenue grew by 14% year on year in the quarter ended June 30. That's the biggest annual increase in sales since the September 2021 quarter, according to Refinitiv data.
The company's U.S.-traded shares rose by 4.5% in premarket trading.
Here's how Alibaba did in the June quarter versus Refinitiv consensus estimates:
- Revenue: 234.16 billion yuan ($32.29 billion) versus 224.92 billion yuan expected, up 14% year on year.
- Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders: 34.33 billion yuan versus 28.66 billion yuan expected, up 51% year on year.
Alibaba's main business, Taobao and Tmall Group, saw revenue rise 12% year on year to 114.95 billion yuan in the June quarter. The company noted that the Taobao app for online shopping saw daily active users rise in June by 6.5% from a year ago — and rose further to more than 7% in July.
The company's push into overseas markets also bore results, with revenue from international commerce retail surging by 60% year on year to 17.14 billion yuan in the June quarter.
watch now
That international demand also helped drive revenue for Alibaba's Cainiao logistics business up by 34% to 23.16 billion yuan during the same period.
Alibaba's cloud business reported revenue growth of 4% to 25.12 billion yuan. Those results were dragged down by a drop in revenue from top customers as well as reduced need for remote work, streaming and education services in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the company said.
Investing more in AI
However, Alibaba said it saw "strong demand" in its cloud business for training artificial intelligence models and related services.
"We believe the growth opportunity driven by AI services have just begun. We believe the technology revolution built by AI not a short term opportunity but the beginning of a new era," management said in a conference call with analysts Thursday.
They highlighted plans to invest further in AI development and business opportunities.
"The Taobao app has the greatest potential to become a one stop smart portal for life and consumption enabled by AI," management said on the earnings call.
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Since the craze over OpenAI's ChatGPT in the last several months, many companies in China have rushed to announce their plans for similar products. ChatGPT isn't officially available in China. Amid regulatory uncertainty, most similar AI products in China have focused on working with business partners rather than offering public-facing chatbots.
In April, Alibaba launched its large language model (LLM) called Tongyi Qianwen. A LLM is an artificial intelligence model trained on huge amounts of data. It is also the basis for generative AI applications, such as ChatGPT — which generate human-like responses to user prompts.
Alibaba restructure
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Current CEO and Chairman Daniel Zhang will be stepping down in September, but remain head of Alibaba's cloud computing business, as it pushes toward a public listing. Alibaba veteran Eddie Wu will succeed him as CEO, and Joe Tsai will take over as chairman, the company said in June.
"Alibaba delivered a solid quarter as we continue to execute our Reorganization, which is beginning to unleash new energy across our businesses," Zhang said in a release Thursday.
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Rutgers scientists have devised a highly accurate method for creating coatings of biologically active materials for a variety of medical products. Such a technique could pave the way for a new era of transdermal medication, including shot-free vaccinations, the researchers said.
Writing in Nature Communications, researchers described a new approach to electrospray deposition, an industrial spray-coating process. Essentially, Rutgers scientists developed a way to better control the target region within a spray zone as well as the electrical properties of microscopic particles that are being deposited. The greater command of those two properties means that more of the spray is likely to hit its microscopic target.
In electrospray deposition, manufacturers apply a high voltage to a flowing liquid, such as a biopharmaceutical, converting it into fine particles. Each of those droplets evaporates as it travels to a target area, depositing a solid precipitate from the original solution.
“While many people think of electrospray deposition as an efficient method, applying it normally does not work for targets that are smaller than the spray, such as the microneedle arrays in transdermal patches,” said Jonathan Singer, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the Rutgers School of Engineering and an author on the study. “Present methods only achieve about 40 percent efficiency. However, through advanced engineering techniques we’ve developed, we can achieve efficiencies statistically indistinguishable from 100 percent.”
Subscribe to Technology Networks’ daily newsletter, delivering breaking science news straight to your inbox every day.
Subscribe for FREEAdvanced biological or “bioactive” materials – such as drugs and vaccines – can be costly to produce, especially if any of the material is wasted, which can greatly limit whether a patient can receive a given treatment.
“We were looking to evaluate if electrospray deposition, which is a well-established method for analytical chemistry, could be made into an efficient approach to create biomedically active coatings,” Singer said.
Higher efficiencies could be the key to making electrospray deposition more appealing for the manufacture of medical devices using bioactive materials, researchers said.
“Being able to deposit with 100 percent efficiency means none of the material would be wasted, allowing devices or vaccines to be coated in this way,” said Sarah Park, a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering who is first author on the paper. “We anticipate that future work will expand the range of compatible materials and the material delivery rate of this high‐efficiency approach.”
In addition, unlike other coating techniques used in manufacturing, such as dip coating and inkjet printing, the new electrospray deposition technique is characterized as “far field,” meaning that it doesn’t need highly accurate positioning of the spray source, the researchers said. As a result, the equipment necessary to employ the technique for mass manufacturing would be more affordable and easier to design.
Reference: Park SH, Lei L, D’Souza D, et al. Efficient electrospray deposition of surfaces smaller than the spray plume. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):4896. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-40638-7
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Daniel Penn Associates recently asked members of LinkedIn’s Association of Asset Management Professionals Group “What is the maintenance strategy that you use the most with your organization?”
The feedback we received was consistent with our team’s experiences. Sixty-three percent of the 284 survey participants said they most frequently use planned maintenance, 17% said they most frequently use reactive maintenance, and 16% said they most frequently use predictive maintenance.
Each type of maintenance plays a role in helping manufacturers manage, maintain, and restore the health of their facilities’ valuable physical assets. Planned maintenance ensures regular upkeep, while reactive maintenance addresses unexpected failures promptly. Predictive maintenance (PdM) leverages data and analytics to predict and prevent failures.
Let’s take a closer look at the uses, considerations and benefits of each type:
A combination of these maintenance strategies can help manufacturing organizations minimize downtime, increase reliability, optimize performance and gain a competitive edge.
The Downside of Reactive Maintenance
According to research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST):
- On average, 45.7 % of machinery maintenance is reactive maintenance.
- The top 25% of those establishments relying on reactive maintenance was associated with 3.3 times more downtime than those in the bottom 25%.
- Reactive-maintenance organizations were also associated with 16 times more defects, 2.8 more lost sales due to defects from maintenance, 2.4 times more lost sales due to delays from maintenance and 4.9 times more inventory increases due to maintenance issues.
As Michael Beauregard points out in his upcoming Productivity Press book Process Downtime Reduction, the old Fram oil filter commercial was correct – “You can pay me now or you can pay me later,” but later (i.e., reactive) always costs more.
Looking to The Future of Predictive/Condition-Based Maintenance (PdM)
Given that unplanned downtime costs industrial manufacturers an estimated $50 billion annually and that equipment failure is the cause of 42% of this unplanned downtime, companies are beginning to use PdM methods that incorporate technology, set condition-based alerts and provide training to help manufacturers discover and fix issues before they become full-blown crises. New artificial intelligence tools (AI) can help maintenance professionals quickly aggregate and analyze maintenance data.
NIST reports that the top 50% in predictive maintenance “experienced 15% less downtime, an 87% lower defect rate and 66% less inventory increases due to unplanned maintenance.”
Bringing It Together
Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) is a systematic approach to maintenance planning and decision-making that optimizes the reliability, performance and safety of physical assets. It involves analyzing the functions, potential failures, and consequences of failures of equipment to determine the most effective maintenance strategies. RCM includes:
- A focus on emphasizing, identifying and prioritizing critical functions of equipment that are essential for achieving desired outcomes. These are determined based on the equipment's purpose and the organization's objectives.
- Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) to help understand the risks associated with equipment failure and enable proactive maintenance planning.
- Maintenance strategy selection for different types of failures, considering such factors as the criticality of the function, cost-effectiveness, safety implications and potential impact on production.
- A proactive maintenance approach that focuses on preventing failures rather than simply responding to them and implementing preventive or predictive maintenance activities to minimize risk.
- Evaluation and optimization of maintenance tasks on equipment to determine the optimal frequency of inspections, tests, lubrication and other activities based on reliability, performance and cost considerations.
- Continuous improvement, by collecting data and feedback on the effectiveness of maintenance strategies. This information is used to refine maintenance plans, optimize asset performance, and enhance overall reliability.
As one of the plant asset management leaders in our LinkedIn survey noted, “The idea in any reliability-centered maintenance program is to monitor all possible failure modes with key trending health parameters. Depending on the alarms we set up for normal and warning signs, we can decide on which strategy is best suited to eliminate the abnormality.”
An Integrated Path Forward
Bringing these elements together helps manufacturers in their maintenance and asset management programs:
How is your organization incorporating technology, tools and training to help it migrate from reactive to preventive and proactive maintenance?
Tony Rodriguez is president of Daniel Penn Associates. The firm has over 45 years of consulting experience helping companies Strengthen asset management, operational excellence and lean management.
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It's not that there aren't many electric vehicles at the $25,000 price point that Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares asserts is the sweet spot.
There are none at all, from Stellantis or any other manufacturer, with sticker prices below that mark today.
Whether Stellantis and other manufacturers can hit such an ambitious target on a wide scale in the coming years remains to be seen, but Tavares said producing EVs that are attainable for the middle class should be a syllabu of discussion during this year's UAW contract negotiations.
Reaching that price range, Tavares said last month, will be crucial to protecting jobs in the long run. Tavares has said in the past that Stellantis would need to absorb the additional costs that come with building EVs and not pass them onto consumers.
The company's imperative to reduce its fixed-cost structure in pursuit of more affordable EVs is clashing with the UAW's demands for higher wages and benefits at the bargaining table.
Stellantis has budget-friendly electric options on the way in Europe from Fiat and Citroen. The Citroen e-C3, arriving early next year and a Fiat Panda-inspired model to be unveiled in July 2024 are expected to be priced below €25,000 ($27,500).
"We need to work very hard to reach that point," Tavares said of a $25,000 EV for the U.S. market. "Part of the things we need to discuss with our union partners is how we make affordable EVs in the U.S. that the middle classes can buy and that they are sustainable because they are profitable."
UAW President Shawn Fain said automakers can build affordable EVs in the U.S. but not by making workers sacrifice.
"The electric vehicle transition does not have to be a race to the bottom. Unfortunately, Stellantis has taken the low-road approach, resulting in closed plants and destroyed communities," Fain said in a statement to Automotive News. "Stellantis' business model is broken, and until they fix it, they'll never hit that $25,000 target."
The industry still has a ways to go before it consistently delivers EVs under $30,000 in the U.S. The outgoing generation of the Chevrolet Bolt EV is the least costly, at $27,495 including shipping.
The other option is the Nissan Leaf, which, like the Bolt, is a small car. Consumers wanting more space and variety have to look upstream.
Some industry observers wonder if profitability will be nonexistent for an EV around $25,000. And getting to that price could mean stripping out much of what consumers want in a vehicle.
Betts: Teslas are very spartan.
Doug Betts, president of global automotive at J.D. Power, pointed to Tesla's minimal interiors as an approach that could be adopted by more manufacturers. Betts said $25,000 EVs would definitely open up the market, but he thinks building them would require more cost reductions in addition to the savings realized as battery prices come down in the coming years.
It has been rumored that Tesla could add a $25,000 hatchback to its lineup at some point.
"One of the things about the Teslas is that they're very spartan," Betts told Automotive News. "They pull it off in the name of technology. They've got the one big screen in the car. There's not a lot of other stuff so, practically, they're putting everything into that screen, and they're probably saving a lot of money by not having all the redundant buttons and things like that."
Tavares' $25,000 goal is interesting but not one that can be achieved quickly, said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of AutoIntelligence for S&P Global Mobility.
The industry is going to need more affordable products of all powertrains, Brinley said, to return to U.S. sales of 16 million or 17 million vehicles a year, meaning automakers should be looking to shave EV price tags however they can, even if they're not beholden to a specific dollar target.
"The broader question and issue is getting electric vehicles that are more affordable price points more so than specifically $25,000 being that price point," Brinley said. "Because we have some that, with incentives, get that low [although] not very many."
Another challenge is getting the EV supply chain to the level that it can support an influx of new entries.
"Right now, it looks like EV sales are not necessarily slowing or collapsing or anything of the sort, but the take rate is slowing down a little bit," Brinley said. "If somebody waved a magic wand and said these are affordable and profitable, and all cars are going to be EV tomorrow, it's just not possible. "
Bringing out a profitable yet "cheap" EV in the $25,000 range is still about a decade away for most automakers, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions. Fiorani sees limitations on which segments manufacturers could enter at that price, with many of them likely being compact models for the time being. The journey to profitability, he said, will take time.
"Everybody keeps saying how Ford is losing money on their EVs, and Tesla is profitable, but it took a decade to be profitable, so expecting the legacy automakers just to be profitable on Day One is absurd," Fiorani told Automotive News. "Lower the price to $30,000, it's going to push that profitability even further out."
If you don't like the look of solar panels, and don't want big ugly blocks on your roof, you've got another option.
Solar shingles provide another option for those looking to go solar. But this time, there are no bulky panels involved. Solar shingles are essentially tiny solar panels that integrate into your roof with the rest of your nonsolar roofing shingles to provide a discreet solar system.
These shingles are designed to look just like a normal roof, albeit with a few dark patches.
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"A solar roof is where you have the [photovoltaic] system integrated into the roof design," Bianca Howard, the director of the Building Energy Research Lab at Columbia University, told CNET. "So you've got the solar shingles, which are acting as the PV system, in terms of generating electricity, and also as a functional building material. So it's got a dual purpose."
Best solar shingles of 2023
While Timberline Solar by GAF Energy is our top pick overall, the race for first place is very close. We found Tesla Solar Roof and CertainTeed Solar to be solid options. Luma Solar scored lower than the rest, but we thought its ridiculously high wind rating at least warranted a mention. Here are our rankings for the best solar shingles.
Timberline Solar by GAF Energy takes the top spot with its excellent warranties and efficiency ratings. GAF Energy offers three limited warranties with its solar roof: a 25-year product warranty against leaks and manufacturer defects, a 15-year wind warranty and 25-year power output warranty. The power output warranty guarantees that your solar roof's performance won't dip any lower than 98% after one year and won't decrease by any more than 0.55% per year for the next 24 years. These shingles come with the highest efficiency we've found (23%) and a solid wind rating of 130 mph. The only thing holding GAF Energy back is its lower wattage per square foot (14.3).
Tesla has a track record of making average but well-rounded solar products. The Tesla Solar Roof is no different. But it does come with the strongest solar roof warranties we've seen. Tesla offers three limited warranties for its Tesla Solar Roof. You'll get a product warranty that protects your roof from manufacturer defects, a weatherization warranty that covers damage from wind and rain, and you'll also get a power output warranty. The power output warranty guarantees that your solar roof's performance won't decrease to any less than 95% at five years and won't decrease any more than 0.5% per year for the next 20 years. The Tesla Solar Roof has a lower wind rating of 110 mph and its shingle efficiency was not disclosed. We found Tesla Solar Roof's wattage per square foot (15.3) to be average.
CertainTeed might not be as well-known as Tesla or GAF, but it's still a good solar roof option for your home. You'll get three limited warranties: a 25-year product warranty that protects you from manufacturer defects, a 25-year power output warranty and a much shorter 10-year wind warranty. The company guarantees that your solar performance won't fall below 98% after one year, and won't decrease by any more than 0.55% per year for the following 24 years. CertainTeed Solar's shingle wind rating is 110 mph, which is lower than others on this list. This solar roof also comes with a fairly average efficiency rating (19.85%) and a slightly higher wattage per square foot (16.1).
Luma Solar scored much lower than our top three picks for the best solar shingles, but we thought it was worth including Luma Solar in the rankings for its standout wind rating. You'll only get two warranties with a Luma Solar roof: a five-year product warranty and 25-year power output warranty. Luma's power output warranty guarantees that your solar roof's performance won't have decreased by more than 80% after 25 years. As far as we know, the company doesn't offer any kind of wind or weatherization warranty. But these shingles do come with an incredibly high 200+ mph wind rating, according to the product's data sheet (PDF). Luma Solar's efficiency rating (22.10%) and wattage per square foot (14.9) aren't bad either.
What are solar shingles?
Solar shingles are a more niche way of installing solar panels on your roof. These shingles are essentially tiny solar panels designed to mimic traditional shingles and roofing materials. Instead of mounting solar panels on top of your roof, you can now have solar panels installed in your roof. Some solar shingles can be installed with an existing roof, while others might require an entire roof replacement.
Similar to normal rooftop solar panels, solar shingles absorb sunlight and use it to generate electricity to power your home. They tend to have lower efficiency and performance ratings than solar panels.
The main draw with solar shingles is aesthetics. Not everyone wants giant solar panels on their roof. Solar shingles are designed to blend in.
"By incorporating them into the roof, people won't immediately know that you've got PV on there, which is good from a design aesthetic," Howard said.
Solar shingles are also made to be weather resistant, offering protection from high winds and water leaks. Most solar shingle manufacturers include some type of limited wind or weatherization warranty in your purchase.
How to choose the best solar shingles for your home
There may only be a handful of solar roof manufacturers, but there are still a few things to pay extra attention to when looking at solar shingle products. If you have the luxury of having multiple solar roof options in your area, compare your options carefully.
Warranty
Most manufacturers offer a limited warranty package that comes in three parts: product warranty, wind/weatherization warranty and a power output/performance warranty. In terms of coverage length, it's a little all over the place. Some manufacturers offer great warranties, others not so much. Howard suggested what this means for your overall roof maintenance over time. Here are the warranty types you need to know.
Product warranty: This guarantees that your solar roof will be free from manufacturer defects in design and/or material. The best limited product warranty we've seen for solar roofs is 25 years.
Wind or weatherization warranty: Some solar shingle manufacturers also offer a wind warranty (sometimes referred to as a weatherization warranty). This warranty will typically cover your roof from any wind-related damage for at least 10 years. In some cases, this warranty will also cover water damage caused by leaks. The longest weatherization warranty we've seen is 25 years. However, most manufacturers will only cover wind damage for 10-15 years.
Power output or performance warranty: Every solar shingle manufacturer we've seen offers a power output (or performance) warranty. Just like normal solar panels, your solar shingles will see their production and efficiency drop as the years go by. A power output warranty is the manufacturer's guarantee that your solar roof won't drop below a specific production percentage within a certain amount of time. For example, Tesla Solar has a 25-year power output warranty. The company guarantees your solar roof's production won't drop below 95% of its original level five years after the initial installation. And after five years, your solar roof's production won't decrease by more than 0.5% per year for the next 20 years.
Wind rating
Every brand of solar shingle should come with a wind rating. Just like normal roof shingles, solar shingles can only withstand wind speeds up to a certain amount. A solar shingle's wind rating tells you how high a wind speed your solar roof can withstand.
Solar shingles are designed to be weather resistant, with most solar shingles being able to withstand winds of at least 110 mph. We found the most common solar shingle wind rating to be about 130 mph. When deciding what solar solution is best for your home, ask yourself if you need that level of protection for where you're living, said Howard.
If you live somewhere that is prone to extreme weather patterns, then a solar roof with a higher wind rating is likely a higher priority for you.
Efficiency
Just like traditional solar panels, each solar shingle has a maximum efficiency rating. This is the amount of sunlight that a solar shingle (and panel) is turning into electricity. The efficiency rating usually reflects the product's performance during the best conditions possible. The higher the efficiency rating, the more electricity your roof will generate. The average solar shingle efficiency rating is around 19 to 20%. But it is lower than some of the most efficient solar panels on the market.
Keep in mind that since solar shingles are installed as part of your roof, they can't be angled like solar panels, which can be adjusted for optimal sun exposure.
"You can't put them on a particular axis, so you might not get maximum efficiency," Howard said. "From what I've seen, the solar shingle efficiency is less than a typical solar panel. So from a performance point of view, you're not getting more in terms of PV output and the amount of renewable energy you're able to generate."
Wattage per square foot
Every solar shingle comes with a wattage rating, which is the amount of power it can output under ideal conditions. Your solar roof's wattage plays an important role in how much power you'll be capable of generating. But what you'll really want to look for is a shingle's wattage per square foot. This measures how much power you have within a given amount of space.
The higher a solar shingle's wattage per square foot, the less space it will take up on your roof. Depending on the cost of the specific shingle brand, this might save money because you'll be installing fewer solar shingles to meet your energy needs.
"What you'd want to know is the equivalent amount per square foot that you can get," said Howard. "Because if you have a higher wattage per square foot, then that's a better shingle in terms of power output."
Are solar shingles better than solar panels?
Which are better, solar shingles or solar panels? It's honestly up to you and your personal preferences. Solar shingles are a niche technology with very limited availability. So it's tricky to compare them directly against traditional rooftop solar panels. Both have similarities, but they are still two different types of PV systems. Think of solar shingles as an alternative way to install solar on your roof.
"Solar shingles, as another option for building integrated photovoltaics, is a good thing," said Howard. "It's a personal choice about your values of design versus performance. I wouldn't want to put them against each other and say that one is better than the other, in a holistic sense."
There are certain situations where solar panels might make more sense for you than solar shingles, and vice versa. If you need to replace your roof before installing solar, prefer a more subtle approach to solar and there's a solar roof installer in your area, then solar shingles might be a good choice. Solar shingles might be more likely to be accepted by your homeowners association too. However, some states have laws in place that prevent HOAs from banning solar panels.
If you don't mind the look of solar panels on your roof and you're not replacing your roof anyway, traditional rooftop solar panels might be a better fit. Just keep in mind that solar is a personal choice, and the battle between solar panels and solar shingles really just comes down to personal preference and budget.
Pros and cons of solar shingles
Pros:
- A convenient option if you need a roof replacement to install solar panels.
- Weather-resistant.
- A more discreet way to install solar on your home.
- Modern and sleek roof design.
Cons:
- Limited availability.
- Can be less efficient than some solar panels.
- Can't be angled.
- Will likely cost more than solar panels.
How much do solar shingles cost?
Solar shingles are a niche product and are not nearly as widely installed (or available) as regular solar panels. This makes finding reliable pricing data tricky. If you purchase solar shingles, you're also likely paying for an entire roof replacement.
While pricing data for most solar shingle manufacturers is unavailable, we can use Tesla Solar Roof estimates from Tesla's online estimator to at least get an idea of how much a Tesla Solar Roof would cost. The general consensus is that a solar roof costs more than just installing solar panels. We found this to at least be true for the Tesla Solar Roof. And it's probably not your best option if you're looking for cheap solar.
Tesla estimated a cost of $168,400 for a 12.5kW solar roof system and a Tesla Powerwall battery for a home in Dallas. The Tesla estimated cost of a regular 12kW solar panel system and a Powerwall at the same location is $26,966.
Pricing for the Tesla Solar Roof is an estimate based on your address, average electric bill and the square footage of your roof. Tesla also requires the purchase of at least one of its batteries, the Tesla Powerwall, per solar roof. A Tesla Powerwall will cost you an additional $9,500 or more.
But these prices should be taken with a grain of salt. Just like with solar panels, everyone's solar roof estimates are going to vary depending on your energy needs, location and other factors. The best way to get an accurate price estimate for any solar shingle or panel system is to talk to an installer in your area. If you have multiple installers in your area, make sure to compare prices.
How we found the best solar shingles
CNET has not performed any form of hands-on testing with these products. Solar shingles are part of a complex PV system that is integrated into the roof of a house or structure. This makes hand-on testing difficult. Instead, we took the most common solar shingle brands on the market, and made comparisons between them to find the best option. It's also important to note the limited availability of solar roof products, making choices for this list limited as well. Here's how we scored the best solar shingles.
First, we determined what categories we would use to evaluate each solar shingle. Each category was given a weight reflecting how important we felt it was to the average consumer. After examining data provided by manufacturers and speaking with subject matter experts (who did not influence the choices that were made for this list), these were the categories we chose to evaluate each solar shingle brand on.
- Product warranty: 20%
- Wind/weatherization warranty: 15%
- Power output/performance warranty: 20%
- Wind rating: 10%
- Shingle efficiency: 15%
- Shingle wattage per square foot: 20%
We looked at five of the most popular solar shingle providers on the market, collected the data for each category and compared the numbers. Each category (for every solar shingle) was given a tier-style rating to evaluate which aspects of each solar shingle were above average (among our list), just average or below average.
Solar shingle FAQs
How long do solar shingles last?
The longevity of your solar roof depends on the manufacturer and the installer. But most solar roofs are designed to last between 20 and 30 years. This is comparable with traditional solar panels, which typically last 25 years or more. You should also check solar shingle warranties. If your solar roof is warranted for 25 years, that's a good sign. Most solar shingle product warranties that we found lasted at least 25 years. However, there were some that only covered five or 10 years.
Can solar shingles cause leaks?
Yes, if not installed properly. You'll want to select an installer that has a proven track record of installing solar on the type of home you're in and the type of roof you have. If the job is done right, you shouldn't have to worry about leaks. Some solar shingle manufacturers include water damage in their product or weatherization warranty. GAF Energy in particular promises fewer leaks than others.
How many solar shingles do you need?
You'll need as many solar shingles as it takes to meet your home's energy needs. Your installer will help conduct an energy audit to determine how many solar shingles you'll need. Keep in mind that not every solar shingle on the market has the same wattage (or power output), and traditional solar panels offer a significantly higher wattage than an individual solar shingle.
