The roof decides more than the panel brand
Solar by roof type
The roof is not a detail under the panels; it decides mounting hardware, sequencing with re-roofing, and part of the price. Pick your material for the notes that apply to your house.
The one rule that applies to every material
Panels are a 25-year commitment bolted to a roof with its own remaining life. If the surface under the array has less life than the array, you will pay to remove and reinstall the system mid-life, or rush a roof decision later with panels in the way. Get the remove-and-reinstall price in the original solar contract, in writing, while you still have leverage. Each roof page below applies that rule to its material, from shingle age to membrane age, and the quote red flags guide lists the other contract lines that belong beside it. Once the roof plan is settled, size the system with your state export rule in view.
Asphalt shingle
Most homes in most climates; the default against which other roof quotes should be compared.
Read the roof notes
Standing seam metal
Long-lived roofs where the owner wants the array to outlast one shingle cycle.
Read the roof notes
Flat and low-slope
Low-slope homes, additions, and porches where a tilted rack can face the array properly.
Read the roof notes