Florida’s solar installations produce enough power for more than 842,000 homes. If your Florida home already has solar panels, congratulations! But suppose your roof needs some work. In fact, roof repairs are no longer enough: you have to replace the roof. What happens to the solar panels?
Solar, Yes, But Which Solar?
Florida ranks 4th in the nation for solar power capacity. Floridians have been putting solar panels up through several generations of technology. Your neighbor’s solar panels could be vastly different from yours. Your panels could be any of these types:
- Passive emitter and rear cell
- Thin-film
- Monocrystalline
- Polycrystalline
Your solar panels can be for varying purposes, like passive solar heating, pool heating, electrical generation, and so on. You first have to know what you’ve got up there, then choose a strategy for safely servicing them. Contact your solar company for an on-site assessment of what you have, as it will help you and your roofer choose the best way to handle the transfer of the panels.
Three Ways Forward
You have three considerations for removing and returning the solar panels when your neighborhood roofer replaces your roof:
- Contact your solar company to remove the panels before your roofer begins; depending on the solar panels’ age, you have to consider whether they are salvageable or if newer, modern ones are better
- Depending on how the solar panels are attached to the roof, the solar company might work with the roofing contractor; the roofer sets the panel brackets in place, and the solar company attaches the panels to the brackets
- Standing metal seam roofs are best for solar panel systems; the panels clip to the seams, which means you do not need to cut into the roof
Not Just Anybody
As blessed as Florida is with abundant and free sunshine, not just any roofer can handle solar panel installations or moves. Work with experienced roofers who can demonstrate they know what they are doing.
Solar companies are solar experts. Roofing companies are roofing experts. You wouldn’t want your plumber installing your new roof would you? The last thing you want is to watch your environmentally conscientious investment in solar energy turn to rubble from clumsy, unknowing roofers or your roof leak because of an unknowing solar company workers. Look for a roofer who offers metal roofing and has a track record of dealing with solar panels. Please connect with us today at Westfall Roofing. We look forward to working with you to update and protect your home in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas. We are experienced in all aspects of residential roofing, including roofs with solar panels.
