New nail-on solar shingles offer an affordable alternative to Tesla’s solar roof

Installing a solar roof in your home is a great way to reduce both your carbon footprint and your energy costs, but unfortunately, actually getting one on top of your house is usually a rather large undertaking. With traditional solar panels, you have to affix racks and other mounting hardware to your existing roof before you can attach the panels themselves. And if you opt for Tesla’s snazzy, modern Solar Roof tiles, you’ll have to dish out big bucks for a team of specialists to replace your existing roof shingles completely. But soon there might be a third option. A new product has surfaced at CES 2022 that could make putting a solar roof on your house a whole lot easier. GAF Energy — one of the largest roofing companies in the U.S. — recently pulled the curtain back on a new kind of shingle called the Timberline Solar that can be nailed to your existing roof for easy installation. They’re designed to function much like regular shingles, so rather than requiring a team of specialists for the install, any qualified roofer can simply attach them to your roof with a nail gun. GAF claims this will cost about half as much as installing a Tesla solar roof. The company hasn’t released specific pricing details quite yet, but reports suggest that it’ll be comparable to the cost of an average non-solar roofing installation. The only downside? GAF’s cheap and easy-to-install Timberline Solar shingles will also likely produce less energy than their competitors. The Timberline system reportedly has a 45W capacity, which is significantly below Tesla’s 71W shingles or an average 300W solar panel. As always, there are pros and cons. Still, even with the power output tradeoffs, a cheaper solar roofing option could make solar power more accessible to homeowners who can’t otherwise afford it, and that’s an exciting prospect. GAF also insists that it’s well-equipped to get this technology out into the world quite quickly. As one of the largest roofing manufacturers in the world, the company believes it will be able to quickly bring its Timberline solar shingles to interested customers across the country. It’s not clear how soon the company will start shipping and installing these solar shingles, but you can start the registration process on its website right now. IFA 2025 has seen a wealth of new technology being announced and showcased and if AI isn’t talk of the trade show, I don’t know what is. Whether its a new AI fridge right down to AI washing machines, artificial intelligence is being implemented into everything. Robot vacuums are no exception, with Samsung’s latest model – the Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra – being unveiled this week. Home security has a new benchmark for smart surveillance. Meet the new eufyCam S4: a cutting-edge hybrid security camera that redefines what’s possible in smart home surveillance. This camera is built for today’s evolving security needs. The eufyCam S4 blends a fixed 4K bullet lens with a powerful 2K dual-lens PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) system to give you both the wide-angle perspective and the zoomed-in detail, all in one seamless experience. The bullet lens is like your constant guardian. It can monitor key areas like driveways and front doors with clarity that stretches up to 29 feet. Meanwhile, the PTZ camera is always ready to track, tilt, and zoom with AI precision, scanning broader zones and keeping tabs on what matters most. Roborock is widely known for its lineup of robot vacuums, which features everything from the premium Qrevo Curv to the innovative Saros Z70 with its wild robotic arm. The upcoming Qrevo Curv 2 was on full display at IFA 2025 — and while it looks like another excellent release for the brand, it was a trio of robot lawn mowers that stole the spotlight. These three robots mark the brand’s first foray into the world of robotic lawn maintenance, yet all three are shaping up to be a welcome addition to the marketplace. Before we get to the good stuff — these are currently only scheduled to release in Europe. There’s a strong possibility they’ll arrive stateside, but for now, Roborock is only marketing them for a European audience. We’re also waiting on a firm release date and pricing. Despite all these unknowns, the three robots looked quite impressive at IFA 2025 and appear to be an excellent extension of the Roborock catalog. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.