Solar panels and a roof replacement: what happens

Plenty of Brisbane homes with old roofs also have solar panels. If the roof needs replacing, the panels have to come off first and go back on afterwards. It is a common job, and with a bit of planning it runs smoothly.

Who does what

Disconnecting and reconnecting solar panels is electrical work. In Queensland it must be done by a licensed electrician. The panels themselves are handled as part of the roofing job.

A typical job looks like this:

1. A licensed electrician disconnects the system so it is safe to work on.
2. We take the panels and rails off and store them safely on site.
3. We replace the roof.
4. We put the panels back on the new roof.
5. The electrician reconnects the system and checks it is working.

In his video on our Reviews page, our customer Brett talks about how we worked in with the solar installers on his insurance job.

How the timing works

• Mention the solar at the inspection. The number of panels and how they are fixed affect the scope and the price.
• Expect a few days without solar. The system is off from when it is disconnected until it is reconnected.
• Ask about rails and fixings. Rails and brackets need to suit the new roof sheeting, and every fixing through the roof must be sealed.
• Keep the paperwork. Keep the electrician's paperwork with your house records.

Checks before the job

Before the system is disconnected:

• Note how it is performing, for example from the inverter or monitoring app, so you can compare afterwards
• Check whether taking the panels off and putting them back affects any panel or inverter warranty
• Mention any batteries, isolators or cabling that run through the roof space

Checks after the job

Once the system is reconnected:

• Check it is producing power again on the inverter or app
• Ask the electrician to confirm everything has been reconnected and tested
• Check that the fixings for rails and cables have been sealed

Thinking about solar soon?

If your roof is near the end of its life and you are planning solar, it usually makes sense to replace the roof first. If you want a new solar system, we can put you in touch with a supplier we recommend. You deal with them directly, with no markup from us.

Get the roof checked

At the free inspection Ethan looks at the roof and the solar setup and explains how the job would run. You then get a written quote that sets out the scope and price.