Solar shingles or rack-mounted panels when replacing a roof in New York

Four ways to combine a new roof and solar

When a roof reaches the end of its life, the owner can either install a conventional roof and mount panels on it, or install a roof in which the solar cells are part of the roof covering. The second approach is called building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The table compares the options available to New York homeowners as of October 2026.

A standing-seam metal roof usually outlasts the panels on it, so the array can be replaced later without re-roofing. Integrated products for metal roofs also exist; for any specific product, confirm its US listings and local availability before relying on it.

What changed in 2026

According to news reports published in August 2026, Tesla stopped taking new Solar Roof orders and told its certified installers that it would supply only conventional panels. Tesla has not made a formal announcement, and its Solar Roof web page now leads to its solar panel page. Owners of existing Solar Roof systems should confirm warranty and service arrangements directly with Tesla.

Two nailable products remain the main integrated options. GAF's Timberline Solar ES 2 shingle is rated at 57 W per shingle, 23 percent more than the previous version, and is rated for 130 mph wind. GAF states that Timberline Solar was the first solar roof certified to UL 7103, the standard for building-integrated roofing. CertainTeed's Solstice shingle is rated at 70 W, and trade press reports that its new Landmark PWR shingle, 85 W per 4-foot shingle with half-cut cells, becomes available on November 1, 2026 and installs alongside Landmark asphalt shingles.

The 30 percent federal residential clean energy credit no longer applies to systems installed after December 31, 2025. New York State and New York City incentives are covered in our solar guide. We are contractors, not tax advisors; please consult a CPA, such as Copper River Tax (copperrivertax.com), about your own situation.

Output and cost per watt

Integrated products have a lower power density than standard panels, and because they sit directly on the deck without an air gap underneath, they run hotter and lose more output in summer. One 57 W shingle produces a small fraction of what one 400 W panel produces, and the shingle also covers less area, so the fair comparison is watts per square foot of exposed roof. Ask each bidder for the system size in kilowatts that fits the same roof plane.

BIPV replaces part of the roofing material, which offsets some of its cost, but its cost per watt of solar capacity is considerably higher than that of panels on racks. The useful comparison is total price for the roof and the solar together, divided by the kilowatts each option delivers. We price both options for the same roof so the figures can be compared directly.

Code requirements that narrow the choice

• Minimum slope: the NYC Building Code does not permit photovoltaic shingles on roofs below 3:12 (BC 1507.17.2). Flat-roof rowhouses and brownstones are therefore not candidates for solar shingles.
• Installation: PV shingles require a solid deck, fasteners at least 3/4 inch into the sheathing, a UL 1703 listing and wind testing to ASTM D3161 (BC 1507.17). BIPV used as the roof covering must be tested, listed and labeled (BC 1505.8).
• Fire classification: rooftop panels and their racking must meet the roof's fire classification (BC 1505.9 in NYC; R324.4.2 of the Residential Code of New York State, which applies even to an existing roof).
• Underlayment: outside NYC, PV shingles and BIPV must meet the same underlayment and ice barrier rules as any roof covering (RCNYS R905).
• Tear-off: in NYC, a roof replacement means removal down to the deck, and a new covering may not be laid over a roof that already has two or more layers (BC 1511.3).
• Fire access: integrated roofs follow the same firefighter setbacks as panels. In NYC that is 3 feet on each side of the ridge on pitched roofs; elsewhere in New York it is 18 to 36 inches at the ridge plus 36-inch pathways.

Repairs over a 25-year horizon

Rack-mounted panels can be replaced one at a time with standard parts, and many brands fit the same racking. Integrated shingles need the same manufacturer's replacement parts and an installer the manufacturer has trained. If the manufacturer leaves the market, as Tesla's order pause illustrates, parts and qualified service can become difficult to find.

Before choosing an integrated roof, ask who will be able to service it in 2040, which warranty covers roof leaks and which covers power output, and whether the warranty requires a certified installer for repairs.

How the options differ in Europe and China

In Europe, in-roof mounting (known as Indach in German-speaking markets), where panels replace roof tiles rather than sitting above them, and BIPV products are established categories with a wide range of products designed for local tile and slate roofs. These products are certified to European and international standards.

In China, building-integrated (BIPV) and building-attached (BAPV) solar are widely used terms, and much of the activity is on large commercial and industrial metal roofs.

In the United States, building departments require US listings: UL 61730 or UL 1703 for modules, UL 7103 for building-integrated roofing, and fire classification under UL 790 or ASTM E108. Roofer and manufacturer warranties cover a short list of listed systems. A product that is common in Europe or China usually lacks these US listings, and without them it cannot be approved for a New York roof, regardless of its quality. This section is background only; it is not a recommendation for any imported product.

Using a cheaper shingle under the panels

Some owners ask whether they can install a lower-grade shingle where the panels will sit, since the array shades the shingles beneath it from sun, heat cycling and hail. That part is true, and shingles under an array generally age more slowly. In practice, however, the savings are small and the risks are real.

• Only part of the roof is covered. Ridge setbacks, fire pathways, rakes, eaves, north-facing planes and the edge zones racking engineers avoid all stay exposed, and on a typical Long Island gable a large share of the shingle area remains in the weather.
• Material is a small share of a re-roof. Tear-off, disposal, underlayment, ice barrier, flashing and labor make up most of the cost, so a lower shingle grade saves on material only.
• Code minimums still apply. The shingle under an array is a code roof covering and must meet the fire classification and the wind rating for the site (ASTM D3161 or D7158). On coastal Long Island, the wind rating often determines the shingle.
• Warranty terms matter. Ask the shingle manufacturer who pays to remove and reinstall the panels if shingles under the array need warranty work; under some manufacturers' published guidance, that cost falls on the owner. A roof built from mixed product lines can also complicate enhanced system warranties, so confirm the terms in writing.
• Leaks start at the mounts. The weak points are the penetrations, not the shingle under the panel.
• The roof will be seen again. When the panels come off at end of life or for a buyer, a lower-grade, differently weathered shingle under the array makes any partial repair look patched.
• Ice dams form at the eaves. The eave area is usually outside the array, so a cheaper shingle there would sit where New York winters do the most damage.

Our recommendation is to keep one shingle line across the whole roof at the wind and fire rating the house requires. Owners can skip premium designer shingles under the array, and the money is better spent on full ice-and-water membrane under the array area and on properly flashed mounts fastened as the racking listing requires. The membrane is our recommendation, not a code requirement.

Sequencing the roof and the solar

The most economical sequence is a structural check of the roof framing, then the new roof, then mounts flashed into the new roof during the same mobilization, so the roofer and the solar crew are not working around each other's warranties. In NYC, a full roof replacement can also trigger the sustainable roofing requirements of Local Laws 92 and 94, which the Department of Buildings summarizes on its website. On Long Island, the town or village issues the building permit. In NYC, the photovoltaic electrical work is performed by our licensed partner master electricians, as the electrical code requires.

We quote the roof and the solar as one project, compare panels and solar shingles for your roof's actual slope and setbacks, and show the warranty that comes with each option. Photos of the roof and a recent utility bill help us prepare an accurate estimate.