GAF Timberline solar shingles review: do they make the solar roof mainstream?

The GAF Timberline Solar roofing system consists of solar shingles with 57 watts of output each that are installed alongside regular roofing shingles that perfectly align with their solar counterparts. The result is a roof that’s built like a traditional shingle roof that also generates solar power.

As the world’s first nailable solar shingle, Timberline solar shingles are attached directly to the roof deck like ordinary shingles, making them easy for roofers to install and wire together. Because of the way the Timberline Solar roofing system is built, GAF offers some pretty great warranties for it. 

But, the GAF solar shingles aren’t as efficient and are more expensive than regular home solar panels. Let’s take a closer look at what the GAF solar roof is like, how much it costs, and if it’s the right solar shingle option for you.

What exactly are the GAF solar shingles?

GAF’s solar shingle design combines the conventional asphalt roof shingle material it’s known for with the monocrystalline solar cells of a solar panel. 

The top portion of the GAF solar shingle is made of asphalt, which means it can be nailed right to the roof like regular shingles - no racking or extra mounting equipment necessary. This makes it incredibly easy for roofing contractors to install them. 

The bottom portion of the solar shingle is what will generate the electricity. When installed, that portion will overlap the asphalt material of the solar shingle before it. The shingles lay flush against your roof, staying right in line with the regular asphalt shingles covering the remainder of the surface of the roof. 

All of the wiring is located on the side of the shingle, where they can be easily connected together to create a functioning solar electric system. In 2025, GAF released the second iteration of its solar shingles, the Timberline Solar ES2, which simplified the wiring and tweaked the design to make them even easier to install.

Can you install GAF solar shingles without having to get a roof replacement?

No, you can’t get GAF solar shingles installed without an accompanying roof replacement.

GAF solar shingles must be installed by a GAF-certified contractor at the same time as a roof replacement, or during the construction of a new roof. So, if you just got your roof replaced and are looking to go solar, you’ll probably want to stick with regular rooftop solar panels. 

How much do GAF’s solar shingles cost?

GAF has not released any official pricing for their solar shingles, but it did mention the cost of its systems in a recall filing with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In that filing, GAF said the approximately 2,100 recalled systems were sold for between $40,000 and $100,000.

Compared to the $25,000 national average cost of a roof replacement, these systems were sold for substantially more. Even when considering the pre-incentives $18,000 average cost of solar panels, the cost of GAF Timberline installations can be quite high.

However, with the recent release of the Timberline Solar ES2, prices could get cheaper. The newly designed shingles have an easier installation process, according to GAF, which may make installation easier and reduce costs.

It's likely a regular roof replacement and conventional solar installation would still be cheaper than getting GAF solar shingles, but it doesn't hurt to get quotes for both and compare.

If you’re dead set on solar shingles, GAF’s solution might be a bit cheaper than the cost of a Tesla solar roof, which tends to go for closer to $100,000 on average.

How do GAF’s Timberline solar shingles perform?

GAF Energy’s official datasheet for the Timberline Solar ES shingles provides some good data about how well they generate power. It says that a single 7.56-by-65-inch portion of solar shingles can put out 57 W of power under ideal conditions.

Doing the math shows that’s about 16.7 watts of output per square foot, and a standard 6-kW solar installation would require about 360 square feet on the roof.

For comparison, a 6-kW solar installation made with traditional solar panels would require just about 250 square feet. That means you can fit more solar on the same sized roof with traditional panels.

Learn more: How many solar panels do I need?

GAF solar shingles vs. solar panels

In addition to the extra surface area required for solar shingles, the GAF Timberline system will produce less electricity than a conventional solar panel system on a per-watt basis. Why? Because they are installed right against your roof, just like regular shingles.

How solar shingles are installed means two things:

1. They can't be adjusted to the optimal angle for solar production like solar panels on a racking system can.

2. They can't take advantage of convective cooling like solar panels, making solar shingles hotter and less efficient.

Essentially, being flat against the roof makes it so solar shingles produce less power than solar panels under the same conditions.

Can you install a solar battery with GAF solar shingles?

Yes, you can install a solar battery with GAF solar shingles. The shingles themselves transmit DC power from the roof to a solar inverter. GAF uses SolarEdge inverters in its Timberline Solar installations, and SolarEdge makes inverters designed to pair with DC-coupled batteries.

If you’d prefer to get a battery after the initial installation of your GAF solar roof, you could purchase an AC-coupled battery, like the sonnenCore or Tesla Powerwall. Many solar installers and electricians can install AC-coupled energy storage systems.

Pairing your GAF solar shingles with a battery will increase your installation costs. The cost to install a Tesla Powerwall is about $16,800, while the Panasonic EverVolt might reach closer to $18,000.

Does the GAF solar roof require maintenance?

The GAF solar roof doesn’t require any serious maintenance. 

The solar shingles may collect dust and debris over time, but your typical rain shower will wash this away. If you haven’t had any rain and notice that your solar shingles need a rinse, you can do so yourself with a garden hose. You could hire a professional if you want, but that’s probably not necessary. 

Keep in mind that snow can prevent the solar shingles from generating electricity. If you don’t want to wait for the snow to melt, you can brush it off your GAF Energy shingles with a soft bristled brush. 

How long will GAF solar shingles last? Are they durable?

The GAF Timberline solar shingles warranty coverage has three parts: a manufacturing defects warranty, a solar nameplate capacity warranty, and a blow-off and wind damage warranty. There's also an additional Solar Max Addendum warranty you can purchase if your installer is a GAF Certified or Master Elite Contractor.

Manufacturing and Defects Warranty

GAF Energy offers a 25-year warranty on its solar shingles. According to the warranty, GAF covers their shingles for 25 years against manufacturing defects that cause roof leaks, with a non-prorated 10-year period.

If there's an issue with your shingles in the first 10 years, GAF will either pay the labor costs to repair or replace the affected portion of your roof or provide you a refund of the costs associated with the broken tiles.

After the 10-year period, GAF will no longer cover labor costs but will provide replacement parts or provide a refund at a prorated rate. This is pretty standard for roofing material warranties.

Coverage for Solar Power Nameplate Capacity

The company also includes a 25-year solar production output warranty that states the shingles will operate at 84.8% of their original rated output at the end of 25 years. Most solar panels will operate closer to 86% of their original rated output, meaning they would generate a little more electricity over time than the solar shingles, but not by much.

Wind Warranty

The wind warranty will provide coverage if your Timberline solar shingles were installed properly but were damaged by windspeeds up to 130 miles per hour. Like the manufacturing warranty, you will be covered at a prorated rate after the first year of use.

Solar Max addendum

If your Timberline Solar system is installed by a GAF Certified or Master Elite Contractor at the same time as a Qualifying GAF Roofing System, you can purchase additional coverage called the “Solar Max addendum” that provides 25 years of solar power generation coverage.

Here’s the gist of the legalese on that warranty: if, after each 5-year period after installation, the Timberline shingles have failed to generate as much energy as GAF estimated at the beginning of the system’s life, and if that failure is determined to be due to “a manufacturing defect in or misapplication of the Timberline Solar System,” GAF will pay you the cost to repair or replace the malfunctioning parts of the system.

The Solar Max addendum also provides coverage for rooftop power electronics and inverters and electrical workmanship.

Will GAF honor those warranties? GAF is known for its excellent warranty coverage, and it's been put to the test at least once already, as GAF issued a recall for around 2,100 Timberline Solar roofs in 2023.

Do we recommend GAF Timberline Solar shingles?

We’re going to be totally honest - we’re not crazy about how the GAF solar shingles look, which pretty much defeats the purpose of installing them. Because GAF’s shingles stick out on your roof, why wouldn’t you just get regular solar panels that will be able to produce more electricity?  

The good news is that GAF is a reputable company, so you can trust that they’ll be around to handle any issues that may arise with the system. Although the recall situation isn’t great for the reputation of the product, the way GAF has been handling the situation is what you could hope for - contacting system owners directly, turning off systems to prevent further safety incidents, and providing payment to make up for the solar production lost is something you could only get from a well-established company.  

What GAF’s solar shingles really have going for them is their potentially low price and easy, streamlined roof-plus-solar-shingle installation. So even though the solar shingles produce less electricity and they aren’t the greatest looking thing you can put on your roof, if the price is right, it could still be worth it. 

If GAF can really make their solar shingle installations fast, easy, and cheap, this might be the product that finally makes solar shingles a mainstream choice for homeowners looking to go solar. But for now, we’re still going to recommend at least getting quotes from local solar installers in your area before you jump right into installing GAF's rooftop solar shingles.