On January 15, 2019, Standard Industries, the world’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, announced the launch of GAF Energy, a new company that aimed to revolutionize the adoption of rooftop solar for everyday consumers.
It has been four months since that press release, and The people at GAF Energy and its parent company, Standard Industries, say their contractors have deployed “hundreds” of installations over the past year, suggesting they may be outpacing larger rival Tesla, according to Green Tech Media.
Standard Industries is a global industrial company employing over 15,000 people in 80 countries. Their businesses include GAF, BMI Group, Schiedel, Siplast, and SGI. Standard Industries first unveiled its “roof-integrated” DecoTech system in 2017. And of course, in January this year, GAF Energy was created as a stand-alone company with Martin DeBono, the former general manager of SunPower’s residential business* brought on as president.
“We believe that roofing and solar products are on a trajectory to merge,” Robert Lahey, GAF Energy’s vice president of sales, said on the sidelines of Greentech Media’s Solar Summit last week.
GAF solar roofing is not the Tesla sleek tile-like solar roof. GAF’s product sits tight against the roof, but it is still easily recognizable as a solar roof.
For GAF Energy, solar and roofing has merged, sort of. “There are a lot of folks trying to make that killer product. I don’t think anyone has solved it yet,” Lahey said. “But I believe we have…the best roofing-integrated product out there on the market today.”
GAF Energy’s DecoTech Solar Roofing System is the sleek, low-profile, integrated solar roof system that GAF offers at an affordable price. The DecoTech system is installed directly onto the roof, unlike other rack-mounted solar panel systems. GAF’s method of installation helps to protect the integrity of the roof and help protect against moisture and leaks.
GAF has a 130-year history in roofing and decades of experience in solar, including several patents on solar roofing products, a Solar Elite Contractor certification program, and proprietary solar financing relationships. So they seem to know exactly what they are doing.
