Solar panels

[Deleted]

Folks are putting up solar panels all over my neighborhood and I'm curious about how it works if you have to replace your roof.  Will your homeowners insurance cover the cost of removing and the replacing the panels so the contractor can get to the roofing?  What about damage to the panels during a hailstorm or windstorm?  I'm just curious because we get a good number of storms and that could get pricey.  

[kadee79]

I'd suggest that you talk to your insurance agent & find out what YOUR coverage is in all kinds of situations.  And also speak with someone who sells solar panels to find out how durable they are or aren't.  Also, if you intend to be "off grid", you will need batteries to hold excess power until needed...so you need to find out about all that too...and if you have a proper place you can store your batteries if needed.
ETA....Might also need to talk with your electric provider to see how you can save or not with them if you install solar.  Some places are finding that the electric providers are now getting to charge them nearly as much as before they installed their solar.

[susana1954]

I looked online, for what it's worth, and the insurance company probably covers their removal/replacement if you are talking about replacement of your roof due to the hailstorm/windstorm.  It sounds as if they probably cover the panels, too.  But if you are talking about an ordinary roof replacement, probably not.  This was all info from Dr. Google, who has a PhD in wishy-washy.

I will say that you don't have to "worry" that the insurance company is going to have to pay out several times due to storms.  They will either raise your rates through the roof or drop you. 

[Deleted]

Dec 7, 2021 17:04:16 GMT -5 kadee79 said:

I'd suggest that you talk to your insurance agent & find out what YOUR coverage is in all kinds of situations.  And also speak with someone who sells solar panels to find out how durable they are or aren't.  <snip>

I agree with checking with your own insurance policy or agent. Most major companies use standard policy forms but some of the "discount" companies have trimmed a little coverage away here, a little there.. and you don't know unless you have that kind of loss. (A friend once shopped around and got a great Homeowners premium- till she had to ante up a fortune to cover a sewer pipe leak on their property that would have been partly covered by a standard policy form.)

I wouldn't trust someone who sells solar panels to tell you how durable they are although I suppose you could ask about warranties.

My concern would also be what happens if you sell. Most panels are financed by a loan which they'll tell you will be paid off by the savings on electric bills. If you sell the house, though, that loan becomes due. Either you pay it off from the proceeds of the sale or the new owner finances the balance. It could cut down on the number of potential buyers.

[teen persuasion]

If solar panels are covering your roofing, your roofing probably won't degrade as quickly as it would exposed. So it would be odd for the roofing to need replacement before the panels do, I'd think.

I can't see why your homeowner's insurance would get involved in ordinary roof replacement, anyway; that's on you, normal upkeep.

Most roof replacement around here seems to have quickly shifted, from asphalt shingles as the norm, to metal roofing. We shall see if metal roofing lasts the 50+ years they claim, but even if it's 30+ that's better than asphalt. So I'd put a longer lifespan roof under solar panels. But many here put up ground mounted arrays, too. Definitely easier to clear snow off of in winter.

[kadee79]

Dec 8, 2021 22:54:27 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

 But many here put up ground mounted arrays, too. Definitely easier to clear snow off of in winter.

Also easier to do just regular cleaning that is required to keep them at their best performance.

[Deleted]

We've had to replace our roof twice in 25 years and repair it twice due to storms.  I checked on a metal roof the last time but they are twice as costly as asphalt shingles and not approved for existing construction by our HOA.  Ground mounted panels are also prohibited.  My husband is absolutely against solar panels but I'm sort of curious how they work.  My neighbor paid over $4000 to remove six trees so she could get solar and I can't imagine how long it will take her to make that back.  

[anciana]

Dec 9, 2021 16:20:33 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

We've had to replace our roof twice in 25 years and repair it twice due to storms.  I checked on a metal roof the last time but they are twice as costly as asphalt shingles and not approved for existing construction by our HOA.  Ground mounted panels are also prohibited.  My husband is absolutely against solar panels but I'm sort of curious how they work.  My neighbor paid over $4000 to remove six trees so she could get solar and I can't imagine how long it will take her to make that back.  

I remember few years back when our area got hit with a big storm and a lot of roofs got damaged, that the neighbors with solar panels were in a world of hurt. Something about having to wait for the solar company to remove the panels (so the warranty isn't voided if anyone else does it) before the roofers would be allowed to repair/replace the roof. There were so many houses with badly damaged roofs that some of the neighbors were told it would be 18 months before it's their turn to get the panels removed temporarily and they'd have to wait that long to get their roof repaired. 
Make sure to talk to both your insurance and the solar company how things work when something like this happens.

[countrygirl2]

We had our arrays mounted on the ground, cost extra but we have a 40-year metal roof that is very steep and didn't want to take a chance of it being messed up.

[countrygirl2]

We also had to show the electric company proof of insurance Because we have an LLC we have a million umbrella for it and our attorney said even carry an additional for us, as many times someone suing will still try to go after your personal assets too. So, we have insurance out the kazoo.

But the utility required a higher amount anyway before connecting us, we had no idea that would be required.