Company Updates and News
08/01/2025 – How does a solar tile system work?
Like a traditional solar array that uses solar panels, Solex solar tiles work in the same way and require the same components to provide home-grown electricity to a property.
Solar tiles operate on the basis of the photovoltaic effect. This is where radiation from sunlight is absorbed by a semi-conductor material (monocrystalline silicon in our case) and excites the electrons within the material, causing an electrical current to flow through the panels.
By connecting each solar tile to the next in series, the energy produced by each solar tile accumulates, which over the entire surface of even a single roof can be quite substantial. For example, a 30 square meter roof could provide 5.1 kWp with solar tiles installed, above the national average solar array size of 3.5 kWp. Solex solar roof tiles cost approximately £95 per square meter, and this includes all the mounting equipment required to keep the tiles in place.
However, solar tiles aren’t the only components required for generating free electricity for your home. Another key piece of equipment required is a solar inverter. All solar tiles (and panels) generate electricity in direct current (DC), but a residential property uses alternating current (AC). Because of this, an inverter is required to convert DC into AC for the homeowner to use. Inverters also collect data from the solar array, such as the amount of energy generated over time.
There are several different types of inverters including string inverters, hybrid inverters, micro-inverters, and battery inverters. Which type that would be required for your installation depends on factors specific to your project that are best discussed with a solar installer once the peak energy capacity is known, as well as other project details such as the orientation of the solar tiles, shading obstacles, and whether batteries are required. Inverters vary in cost, and this cost is dictated primarily by the power output the inverter is capable of, as well as the inverter type. For a standard domestic system, the cost of this will be in the region of £500 – £1000.
While not essential for the operation of a solar array, batteries can add great advantages to an installation. Solar tiles will only generate energy when subject to solar radiation, and so will not generate significant energy in low light levels, which are potentially the times you need energy the most. Because of this, batteries can allow you to store your energy at its highest levels of production, when you need it the least (such as the middle of the day), and use it when it’s most required (such as in the evenings).
Additionally, where excess energy is generated by your solar array and sold back to the National Grid, energy companies will pay different rates for energy supplied to them at different times. As with a household’s own use, electricity at peak time is more valuable to an energy supplier than it is in the middle of the day, and batteries can be programmed to take advantage of the grid demand. The sale of excess energy to the grid is possible due to the Smart Export Guarantee scheme.
