Local news outlets are reporting that GAF Energy will open a second manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Texas, for its solar shingle product. The city council has approved a development agreement that would allow GAF Energy to build a 450,000-sq.-ft building off I-35, just a half hour from downtown Austin.
GAF Energy says the new manufacturing site would result in 265 jobs over five years in manufacturing, office and R&D.
The company released a solar roofing product in January 2022 and has been making the nailable Timberline Solar shingles out of its 50-MW facility in San Jose, California. The California building has been reported to be 112,000 sq. ft.
GAF Energy confirmed that the two facilities combined will be able to produce 300 MW of Timberline Solar shingles.
The Timberline Solar shingle is approximately 64- by 17-in, while the solar portion (one row of 16 half-cut cells that generates 45 W) measures 60- by 7.5-in. That extra non-solar portion is TPO roofing material and is nailed to a roof. GAF Energy is tapping into its 10,000 GAF roofing dealers to install the solar product.
Earlier this year, Solar Power World spoke to Reynolds Holmes, GAF Energy’s VP of services and product management, about the new product.
“You have to design and develop a great product that has an accessible price point, but you also have to build the infrastructure to scale this product,” he said. “The thing we’ve leaned heavily on and made design decisions maybe against being the highest power is making sure it’s installable by this 10,000-strong network. At the end of the day, if you have a great product that meets all needs but there’s no one who can install it, you might as well not have a great product.”
GAF Energy released a press release on the new factory announcement, which is expected to reach full operation by the end of 2023.
“The response from both consumers and roofers to our Timberline Solar roof has been tremendous and we’re thrilled to be expanding capacity to meet that growing demand. Georgetown has a long track record as a clean energy leader, so it is the perfect home for us to build the future of solar,” said Martin DeBono, President of GAF Energy. “We launched Timberline Solar because we believed that more consumers would choose solar if they had a more reliable, durable, and attractive option. The market has confirmed our belief — now we’re turning that belief into reality and building the future of clean energy here in the U.S.”
Story updated 07/19 to include quote from GAF Energy
Roofs are only good for 20-25yrs. Installing these on a existing roof would foolish as the cost to remove and replace them would be prohibitive. I have a ground mount system the panels are 450 watts, these panels are 45 watts each. People really need to due there research.
There are about three houses near me that have the GAF flush roof mount solar PV panel systems and they seem to work well in summer heat as well as snow. The GAF product like the TESLA roofing tile product has a problem with piercings on the roof, wiring into usuable panel strings and feeding the house inverter(s). Still not sure how these tile strips meet RSD requirements under the NEC. Of course if a fireman has to hack through the roof to vent for an attic fire, not sure it would be as simple as replacing the obviously damaged panel strings. The close proximity to the roof may allow stress cracking of solar PV tile cells that were not breached. The racked close mount of framed solar PV panels seems like a better O&M prospect over something that may last 30 or more years on one’s roof.