Solar Roof Tile Cost Calculator
Integrated solar costs roughly two to three times what an equivalent on-roof array costs. This prices the difference honestly, so you can decide whether the appearance is worth it on your roof.
Open the calculator →Price a solar roof in 30 seconds
4 steps. Covers the product, roof area, whether you are re-roofing anyway, and region — with the on-roof equivalent shown for comparison.
How this calculator works
Integrated solar is priced per kWp like any array, but the rate is two to three times higher because the product is doing the roof’s job as well as generating. The calculator therefore prices your chosen product against system size, then shows the on-roof equivalent alongside it so the premium is visible rather than buried.
The re-roofing question matters more than any other input. If the roof is being replaced anyway, you avoid buying the tiles and the labour the solar displaces — roughly a £3,200 offset on a typical semi — and integrated solar becomes a genuine competitor. On a sound roof, you are paying the full premium for appearance alone. The other case where it can add up is a new build or a full re-roof you are financing anyway, since the solar then rides on labour and access you have already paid for; on an otherwise healthy roof, a conventional array plus the money saved is almost always the better return. It pays to be clear-eyed about the trade-off: integrated tiles look far tidier and some conservation areas or listed settings will only accept them, but their output per kWp is usually a shade below a good on-roof panel, and a repair means lifting roof covering rather than unclipping a module. For the standard alternative, the solar panel cost guide sets out the numbers behind the comparison, and our solar cost index tracks how those prices are moving through 2026.
Solar roof costs by product (2026)
| Product | Typical 2026 cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| On-roof panels | £7,500–£14,000 | Conventional rails above the tiles |
| In-roof flush panels | £11,000–£17,000 | Set into the roof plane, tidier |
| Solar slates (GB-Sol / Solecco) | £18,000–£28,000 | UK-made, reads as a slate roof |
| Full solar roof (Tesla-type) | £22,000–£32,000 | Whole roof, only when re-roofing |
| Re-roofing offset | −£2,500–−£4,000 | Tiles and labour you no longer buy |
Ranges match our solar roof guide and include 0% VAT. Integrated products generate slightly less per kWp than on-roof panels because they run hotter with less airflow behind them — typically 2–5% lower annual yield.
Solar roof calculator FAQs
On payback alone, no — integrated solar costs two to three times more per kWp and generates slightly less because it runs hotter. It becomes defensible when the roof needs replacing anyway, when you are in a conservation area where panels would be refused, or when appearance genuinely matters enough to you to pay for it.
Yes, typically 2–5% less per kWp per year. Integrated products sit flush with less airflow behind them, so they run hotter, and photovoltaic output falls as cell temperature rises. Factor that into any payback comparison. The gap is not huge, but it compounds over a system that should run twenty-five years or more, so when you weigh the appearance premium, weigh it against slightly lower lifetime generation as well as the higher upfront price.
Usually not — solar on a house is generally permitted development. Consent is needed on listed buildings, and often on the principal elevation in a conservation area, which is exactly where integrated products are most likely to be accepted when conventional panels are not.
Yes. The relief covers domestic solar generation regardless of whether it is panels or an integrated product, and runs to 31 March 2027. Where a solar roof also replaces the roof covering, ask the installer how they are apportioning the work — the roofing element is not automatically zero-rated. In practice a clear installer will split the invoice so the generation part carries the relief and only the pure roof-covering share is standard-rated, which is worth confirming in writing before you accept the quote.
Related cost guides
- Is a solar roof worth it? — the economics, honestly
- Solar panel cost calculator — price a conventional array
- Solar tiles vs slates — integrated against a normal roof
- Roof replacement costs — what the re-roof itself costs
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