Roof with Solar Panels

4 Things You Need to Know When Reroofing Your Home with Solar Panels

Roof Replacement With Solar Panels

Getting a new roof for your home is a major project as it is, and adding any additional obstacles or processes to it only makes the process even more involved. However, if you have solar panels on your roof, you’ll need to undergo at least two more additional steps for your roof replacement.

This brings up a lot of questions from those who have solar energy systems constructed on their rooftop.

  • Will you have to remove your panels to replace your roof?
  • Will the roofers remove the panels, or do you have to call your solar installer to do it?
  • Can you build your solar mounting hardware directly into your new roof?

In this blog, we’ll do our best to answer these and several other common questions you may have as well as tell you about four things you need to know about your roof replacement project.

Solar Panel Installation On Roof

How to Replace Roof With Solar Panels

#1: You’ll Have to Remove Your Solar Panels to Replace Your Roof

There’s no way around it: your solar panels will have to come down to replace your roof. This means you’ll lose access to your renewable energy throughout the duration of your roof replacement, meaning for several days your home will rely entirely on utility grid power.

That will drive costs up, so be prepared for a higher utility bill than usual. Your power will likely go down for at least a few minutes at a time during both your panel removal and reinstallation, so be prepared for outages.

Here’s something else you’ll need to know: your roofers are not the ones who will remove your solar panels. Roofers generally don’t have the training or skill to properly handle a solar panel removal, so you’ll want to call your installers to have them take your panels down before your removal project gets started.

Temporarily removing your panels will probably take at least a day, and reinstallation will probably take about a day as well. Plan on adding a couple of extra days to your replacement project to accommodate for your panel removal and installation.

#2: Be Careful When Choosing Your New Roof Material

When replacing your roof, you may be tempted to change to a new roof material. Whether it’s a more energy-efficient material, a more durable material, or a roofing material that’s more affordable, not all roof materials use the same solar mounting brackets.

If you change materials, you may have to replace your mounting hardware, and that could add thousands of dollars to the overall cost of your project. Talk with your solar installers ahead of time to learn if your new roofing material can take advantage of your current mounting hardware, and arrange ahead of time to have your new mounting hardware delivered before your roof replacement is finished.

That way you aren’t waiting around on another delivery in order to get your solar energy system reinstalled.

#3: Choose Solar Installers and Roofers Who Will Work Together

Your roofers and your solar may not be working directly with each other, but they’re both providing a service that directly impacts your home and the roof over your head, so you’ll likely need to do some work as a liaison between the two.

Remember: you are in control over your project, and you should be able to say what gets done, how it gets done, and when. You can make your replacement a lot easier by choosing a roofer that’s willing to work directly with your solar installation company.

Likewise, giving your solar installers the contact information of your roofing company and allowing the two providers to collaborate on your project will lead to a faster and less stressful project.

#4: Avoid Extra Costs by Replacing Your Roof Before Installing Solar Panels

Are you considering switching to solar energy? Many solar installers will actually ask if you have had your roof recently inspected to determine its overall health and quality before starting your project. The reason for this is simple: if your roof has less than five years of useful life left, your solar installer will probably inform you that you’re better off replacing your roof before installing solar.

Removing your solar panels even temporarily can be costly, so avoiding this cost by replacing your roof in advance could wind up cutting thousands of dollars off of the cost of simply installing your panels now and then replacing your roof later.

Looking to replace your roof in the Phoenix or Tucson area? If you have solar, turn to the roofing pros from Lyons Roofing by calling (520) 447-2522 or by sending us a message online! We work with solar installers and offer roofing repairs and replacements designed with your home and your energy system in mind.

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