Surprise, it's solar

Rather than use traditional photovoltaic panels that mount to a rack and are sometimes considered unsightly, Rupert choose integrated solar roof tiles that interlock with his new concrete roof tiles and lie flat. "Most people don't even notice that it's a solar roof," said Rupert, 67, an aerospace systems engineer.

As the state pushes for more solar-produced power and more builders and sellers realize that solar can help move homes and increase their value, a new generation of solar energy systems is taking hold. For homeowners in need of a new roof who want to go solar, this latest design option would cost about 20% to 25% more than traditional solar panels, not including additional roof tile installation, said Aaron Hall, president of El Cajon-based Borrego Solar Systems. Rebates and tax credits, however, return 30% to 40% of the initial solar-system costs to the consumer, according to the California Energy Commission and solar experts such as Mark Conroy, general manager for GE Energy's Solar Technology.

Costs are also recouped in energy savings. Sold by the amount of energy, or watts, they produce, solar power systems send surplus energy to the utility company's power grid and, based on an agreement with the company, provide the homeowner with an energy credit. When the home's energy needs can't keep up with demand, the utility returns that credit to the homeowner.

A 3,000-square-foot home, for example, would need a 3.5- to 4.5-kilowatt system and take up about 100 square feet of roof space per kilowatt.

Rupert hired Borrego Solar to install General Electric's 5-kilowatt integrated tiles. Though designed to work with concrete roof tiles, the lightweight integrated solar electric tiles -- which have a blue to black antireflective coating -- also will work with composition shingles, Hall said. The solar tiles just need an extra layer of flashing around the edges.

Rupert's rooftop project ultimately cost $65,000. He spent $57,000 for his 5-kilowatt system and $24,000 for the concrete tile roof, but got a state rebate of $14,000 and a federal tax credit of $2,000. By comparison, the average cost to re-roof a 2,500-square-foot roof with asphalt shingle, cement tile, wood or metal runs from $8,000 to more than $20,000.