2022 was a fantastic year for GAF Energy. Last year, I spent my holidays preparing for the world to meet Timberline Solar™–our innovative, new solar roof. Twelve months ago, I was celebrating more than just Christmas and the New Year; I was toasting to the disruption the roofing and solar industries were about to experience with our new product.
This year, I was able to spend my holidays having Timberline Solar™ installed on my own home in Northern California—and then having long conversations about it once the installation was complete. After installation, I received numerous compliments on my new roof—not my new solar, but my new roof. That’s what Timberline Solar™ is: a roof (that happens to produce power). Everyone who visited or passed by commented on how good it looks compared to traditional solar panels. The fun part for me was proceeding to explain the various other benefits of this roof: durability, home protection, warranty, affordability, ease of installation, and American product assembly.
Timberline Solar™ officially launched last year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. My colleagues at GAF Energy and I were finally able to reveal what our team had been working on for the past three years: the first true solar roof. This product is revolutionary for a number of reasons—it incorporates the world’s first nailable solar shingle, it’s just as durable and protective as a regular asphalt roof, it’s cost-competitive, and it’s installed via the nationwide roofing network of the largest roofing company in North America, GAF.
One year later, I can’t help but reflect on the three primary reasons Timberline Solar™ is the solution to real-world problems.
Homeowners want it.
In addition to possibly putting holes in your roof, traditional solar panels are eyesores. In order for residential solar to be adopted by the masses, it needs to protect homes from bad weather and it needs to look good. Similar to the compliments I received on my Timberline Solar™ installation, I’ve heard positive feedback from homeowners across the country, like Frank K. in Pennsylvania: “The solar roof economics are nice, but it’s also just a good thing to do. Timberline Solar looks like a roof, versus having big things mounted on top of the roof. And, to have good, local people installing it just seems to make sense.”
Roofers want it.
For so long, solar roofing has been complicated to install, often needing special expertise outside of traditional roofing training. Even worse, rack-mounted solar panels ran the risk of compromising the integrity of the existing roof underneath. Since Timberline Solar™ launched, we have received record numbers of roofer inquiries for the product. It incorporates traditional roofing processes and materials (like TPO and a nail gun) so it requires very little extra training.
The world needs it.
This year, Timberline Solar™ proved to be one of the top products that can help our world move toward the direction of clean, renewable energy. Fast Company recognized Timberline Solar™ as “one of the 5 technologies that should give us some hope for the planet’s future” and listed it as a World Changing Idea of 2022. TIME called it one of the Best Inventions of 2022 and Popular Science included it in their roundup of 100 greatest innovations of the year. These honors, among the 30 awards Timberline Solar™ received after launching, help solidify our idea that America is ready for energy from every roof.
The past year showed me that Timberline Solar™ is the answer to so many problems we’ve seen in roofing, solar, and clean energy adoption. Today, I have a brand new solar roof that is helping to protect the planet while protecting my home. And at GAF Energy, we’re just getting started. Stay tuned for what’s to come in 2023 and beyond. Spoiler alert: energy from every roof.