Service life and upkeep
Removing and Refitting Solar Panels for a Roof Replacement
Solar panels have to come off before a roof can be recovered and go back on afterwards, and the sequence is worth planning because the mounting penetrations are where the new roof is most likely to leak. Download the checklist for the solar panel and book a survey for anything it puts out of reach. Covered here: Solar array · Mounting penetration · Removal.
Panels and their mounting have to come off before a covering can be stripped, and go back on afterwards. Every mounting bracket passes through the covering, which is where a recovered roof is most likely to leak.
Three things that decide how it is quoted
- One job, not three Removal, roofing and refit are programmed together. Three contractors on three visits costs more and puts the leak risk in the gap between them.
- One scaffold The same access period serves both the panel work and the roofing.
- Warranties Both the installer's and the manufacturer's terms turn on who removes and refits the array.
An in-roof array replaces the covering rather than sitting on it, and is handled differently from an on-roof mount throughout.
Do solar panels have to come off to replace a roof?
Yes. The covering beneath an array cannot be stripped with panels in place, and the mounting brackets pass through the covering being removed. Panels come off first and are reinstated once the new roof is complete.
Every bracket passes through the covering and is a potential leak path. The removal means panels catalogued and labelled by position, stored, then reinstated in the same layout.
How is the array removed and stored?
The array is electrically isolated by a competent person, panels are labelled by position, brackets are unbolted, and everything is stored protected on site or off it. Labelling matters because the layout is reinstated exactly.
- Brackets and flashings renewed rather than reused, weathered into the new covering.
- Removing and refitting can affect installer and manufacturer warranties.
Are the same mountings used again?
No. Brackets and flashings are renewed and weathered into the new covering rather than reused. Refitting old mounts reintroduces worn penetrations into a new roof, which is the commonest cause of leaks after a recovering.
The same access serves both the panel work and the roofing. Generation stops for the duration of the roofing programme. Integrated systems replacing the covering are handled differently from on-roof mounts.
Does it affect the solar warranty?
Sometimes. Installer and manufacturer warranty terms vary, and some require that removal and refitting be carried out by an accredited party. Check the documentation before the work is programmed rather than afterwards.
Rafter condition beneath the mounting is inspected while the array is off.
- Every mounting bracket penetrates the covering and is a potential leak path.
How long is generation interrupted?
Generation stops for the duration of the roofing programme, typically three to seven working days on a standard house plus the removal and refit days at each end. Panels are refitted as soon as the covering is complete.
- New brackets and flashings are weathered into the new covering, rather than reused.
- One scaffold serves both the panel work and the roofing.
- A removal and refit can affect installer and manufacturer warranties.
The roof under an array is never seen.
What we check while the panels are down
Refitting old mounts into a new covering reintroduces the original penetrations and their wear — the most common source of post-recovering leaks. The area beneath an array is never inspected; with the panels down it is the one chance to see it. Both the solar installer's and the manufacturer's warranty terms turn on who removes and refits the array.
Getting the work quoted together
Three separate contractors on three visits costs more and puts the leak risk in the gap between them.
On-roof array, and 4 more
- on-roof array
- in-roof array
- mounting bracket
- electrical isolation
- generation downtime
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