By Steve Panosian
It is fascinating to discover an American company with more than 120 years of dedication and service in the design-build industry. In this case, a company that has evolved to meet the ever-changing environmental conditions that challenge the sustainable home design specialty market. CertainTeed provides complete solutions for addressing the latest trends and challenges in building construction, and with their advanced transparent tile solution technology, the company is poised to deliver an array of industry-leading solar roofing solutions to its customer base, including homeowners, architects, builders and more.
CertainTeed manufactures a wide range of sustainable building materials for both residential and commercial construction that include roofing, siding, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and other building materials. Founded in 1904 as a General Roofing Manufacturing Company, CertainTeed was acquired in 1988 by Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest building materials companies. Headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA, their roofing product line includes asphalt shingles, solar roofing, underlayment and accessories. Their siding portfolio includes vinyl siding, polymer shakes and shingles, fiber cement siding, and insulated siding. Extending inside a structure, CertainTeed offers a wide array of insulation solutions, gypsum drywall and finishing products. Acoustic ceiling panels, suspension systems, and specialty ceilings allow for customizable solutions for unique aesthetic and performance needs. CertainTeed also uses many of its products to build prefabricated customized assemblies for turnkey building of residential homes.
Sustainability and Innovation
CertainTeed is committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Many of their products are designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of buildings. The company’s recycling programs, such as Asphaltica, offer solutions for materials like asphalt shingles and gypsum. Ongoing research and development continue in the creation of advanced building solutions that meet the evolving needs of the market.
Certifications, Awards and Corporate Reach
- Many CertainTeed products carry third-party certifications for sustainability and performance, such as ENERGY STAR, LEED and GREENGUARD.
- ONE PRECISION ASSEMBLIES™ (OPA) offsite construction system was awarded the Offsite Construction Award for Innovative Product or Service along with the Supplier of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Offsite Construction Specialty Awards.
- As a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, CertainTeed benefits from a global network of resources and expertise.
CertainTeed Solar Solutions
CertainTeed extends its specialty sustainable building materials industry expertise and now offers innovative solar roofing solutions, including but not limited to Solstice® Shingles. These products are designed to integrate seamlessly with traditional roofing materials while providing the benefits of solar energy. SunStyle® roofing tiles are CertainTeed’s most innovative solar design solution for addressing the needs of the design-build industry.
I recently sat down with Phoebe Kwan, General Manager for CertainTeed Solar Solutions, to discuss the company’s vision for its SunStyle® portfolio which extends unique designs that offer consumers a more stylish, durable and energy-efficient solution.
In the future, I see CertainTeed continuing to offer better solar solutions for the residential market and homeowners investing in becoming energy independent. As more people become aware of solar, and more people become environmentally friendly and conscientious, then people will naturally want to move to become energy-independent and have more resilient housing. This is just the beginning for solar and I am excited to see the advancements in the future.
Steve: Hello Phoebe, let us begin with a little bit about your background.
Phoebe: Thank you, Steve. I have led the CertainTeed solar solutions business for about two years. My prior roles included working for our parent company, Saint-Gobain, for about eight years, and then I spent several years working in New Zealand as an entrepreneur specializing in start-up companies. Saint-Gobain approached me about this exciting opportunity and here I am!
I would like to open with our vision for focusing on one unifying purpose that defines everything that we do to make the world a better home. Each of the products CertainTeed designs for a home is aimed at creating a healthy and long-lasting home. Introducing our recent solar solutions, like Solstice Shingle and SunStyle, rounds out our sustainable design product offering.
When we think about how all our products are linked together, there are a couple of themes. CertainTeed sees building science as the foundation for the building envelope: everything that makes up the walls and roof, and the importance of achieving a high-performance form. Air quality and energy efficiency leads our processes about sustainability. Finally, it’s about durability. These are elements that drive the development of our products.
Steve: Is solar roofing new for the company?
Phoebe: We have been in solar roofing for quite a while, about 15 years now. While CertainTeed was predominantly known for roofing shingles, we are now seeing more homeowners, contractors and architects interested in its sustainable and energy efficiency solutions. From our point of view, roofing shingles have been in our portfolio for many years, and now with the solar offering we are electrifying the roof. CertainTeed offers Solstice Panel along with Solstice Shingle, and now our new solar offering includes the SunStyle design that will attract homeowners, designers and architects.
Everyone likes the energy efficiency and sustainability of solar, which are two very important factors. However, CertainTeed’s solar portfolio also prioritizes design and there are solar shingles that have a very sleek low profile that integrates with any asphalt shingle roof. From afar, it almost just looks like a skylight, and design-wise, it does not stick out. We have been installing these shingles all over the country and last year, we won a couple of awards, including Solstice Shingle being recognized as one of Green Builder’s 2023 Sustainable Products of the Year. This year, at the IBS (International Builders Show), the Solstice Shingle won two awards: Best Energy Efficient Product and Best in Show. We are proud of this achievement and feel welcomed into a world that recognizes advanced technology combined with a beautiful design.
Earlier this year, CertainTeed partnered with a Swiss company called SunStyle, to launch the solar solution into the North American market. SunStyle started in Switzerland and the design was inspired by the Alps. Personally, when seeing the design for the first time, it was an instant ‘wow’ moment. Even better, the more I looked at the design and the performance, the product fit CertainTeed’s beliefs that solar must perform well, but it should also look good. It must have high efficiency and must last for a long time. Its design is inspired by the traditional slate roofs of the Swiss alpine region. The diamond configuration allows for better weatherproofing and the end-to-end installation provides a seamless look. For places like Colorado, SunStyle’s diamond arrangement blends very well into the mountainous landscapes that may be in the background. The SunStyle tiles look good, they are functional, and the design helps with lessening snow build-up on the roof.
Steve: Are the SunStyle solar shingled roofs custom fit?
Phoebe: Yes. The SunStyle tiles are designed to be placed edge to edge. However, not all the tiles are active, solar-wise. The number and placement of the active tiles are based on the amount of energy required. So, the roof is a mix of both active and passive tiles that have the same design aesthetically.
We understand that every roof and home is different, we take that into account whenever we take on a project. So, when we say it is customizable, for residential it means a couple of things. It means we can customize the size of the system to maximize and help offset the homeowner’s energy usage with an engineered number of active tiles. This is the important design attribute of SunStyle.
The other important design attribute and factor is the placement of these tiles around skylights, windowed dormers, and vents. The customized design allows for building the solar system around any part of the roofline.
CertainTeed takes a holistic and systems-based approach, which is how every solution of the building envelope works together to maximize energy efficiency. Solar shingles and panels on the roof absorb the sunlight, generating electricity to power your house. Then, a homeowner may have Landmark Solaris, which is a solar reflective shingle that helps keep your house cooler. When coupled with CertainTeed’s sustainable insulation, it can help significantly improve the overall energy efficiency of a home. As much as 50 percent of a home’s electricity usage is for running heating and cooling, so we want to optimize the building materials to reduce electricity usage. If you are saving energy, you are making a positive impact in the world.
Steve: What can you share about training, installation, and warranty?
Phoebe: We invest in optimizing the customer journey for our contractors and installers. We provide a full suite of tools and offer a credential program for our contractors and installers. Once they are in the program, they have access to the training assets on-demand. We start with the basics to set a solid foundation by training them on “what is solar.” We have an interactive module that instructs them how to install and we also provide video training. Solar installations are also supported with hands-on help from CertainTeed field teams who ensure a positive installation experience.
Our digital tools provide access to resources for the creation of designs and proposals. These assets help provide visuals and costs for the homeowner. The homeowner can see what their home will look like and understand the estimated energy cost savings.
The solar product warranty is a huge selling point, especially considering the homeowner’s peace of mind. CertainTeed takes this a step further than most others because we want to avoid having a homeowner caught in the middle of who is responsible – the roofing contractor or the solar installer.
When we sell a product and put it on your roof, we have your back. It is something of which we are proud of. CertainTeed solar roofing is backed by a strong warranty that covers the performance over the 25-year warranty period. Additionally, our industry leading warranty covers workmanship and labor and that is very unique in the solar industry. The homeowner makes only one call for anything to do with the solar panels or asphalt shingles, the installation workmanship, leaks or anything.
Steve: Final thoughts?
Phoebe: In the future, I see CertainTeed continuing to offer better solar solutions for the residential market and homeowners investing in becoming energy independent. As more people become aware of solar, and more people become environmentally friendly and conscientious, then people will naturally want to move to become energy-independent and have more resilient housing. This is just the beginning for solar and I am excited to see the advancements in the future.
