When Trevor Leeds and his brother Brady launched BYLTup, they had more than two decades of combined experience in the roofing industry. The missing piece? Solar. They started BYLTup because, similar to GAF, they saw an opportunity to converge the roofing and solar industries. “Roofing is an evolving industry,” said Trevor Leeds, co-founder and CEO of BYLTup and one of the two brothers who founded the company. For Trevor and the BYLTup team, it’s clear that roofing contractors should integrate solar into their business strategy for four reasons: 1.) the opportunity for innovation, 2.) the exciting evolution of products, 3.) the increasing customer interest seen in the marketplace, and 4.) maximizing profitability per project for roofing contractors.
According to Trevor, the roofing industry is rife with opportunity for innovation. “In many ways, roofing can be very old school,” he said. Roofing contractors can seize on this opportunity by incorporating new technology into their business.
“We saw this influx of technology coming into the space,” Trevor said, “and that’s exciting to me. You take an established, multibillion dollar industry that’s traditionally slow to change, and yet still has a ton of opportunity for innovation and technology upgrades… to me, that’s the sweet spot.”
That sweet spot was what inspired these two brothers to embrace new products and technology that was unlike anything the roofing space had seen, such as Timberline Solar™ from GAF Energy. “Roofing products are evolving rapidly,” said Trevor. “We’re seeing that with the invention of Timberline Solar. That’s an example of roofing taking on new elements; we now have a roof that produces energy.” Trevor compared this innovation to traditional roofing: “for the last 150 years, we put a shingle on the roof deck and it just sat and baked in the sun. Now, we’re putting a roof on that’s generating electricity for the home, saving the homeowner money, and making the building more eco-friendly.” The evolution of products is another reason roofing contractors may consider embracing solar.
Financial and ecological reasons aside, homeowners also choose solar shingles for aesthetic reasons, as observed by Trevor and the BYLTup team. “The response from customers has been great. They love the look, in addition to the other features we celebrate.” With a low-profile, sleek appearance, Timberline Solar™ has a curb appeal that is typically preferred over traditional solar panels. “Customers really appreciate the design,” said Trevor. “They like the fact that it’s direct-to-deck.” In fact, Trevor and his team have experienced such success with Timberline Solar™ that he anticipates the attachment rate increasing dramatically: “In five years, I wouldn’t be surprised if at least 50% of new roofs we sell are solar roofs.” As more customers want to go solar, roofing contractors can prepare to incorporate solar roofing into their business strategy.
In addition to the advantages for homeowners, roofing contractors themselves can benefit from offering Timberline Solar™. As Trevor put it, “at the end of the day, contractors can potentially make more money per contract for projects that use Timberline Solar.” As a larger project, a Timberline Solar™ roof gives roofers a larger share of wallet. A roof that both powers and protects is more valuable than a roof by itself.
Opportunity for innovation, product evolution, increasing customer interest, and maximizing profitability are four reasons roofing contractors should consider integrating solar into their company’s strategy. We’re grateful to be leading the charge toward a future of energy from every roof, along with roofing partners like Trevor at BYLTup. Learn about adding Timberline Solar™ to your offerings by contacting us at www.gaf.energy/roofers.