If I get a new roof what happens with my solar panels?
This is a very common question we get on a daily basis. With all of the hurricanes we get here in Volusia and Flagler counties, some homeowners find themselves prematurely having to replace their roofing system. Here at Sundial Solar Services, we specialize in removing and reinstalling your home’s solar panels for the repair or replacement of a new roof.
The process is very simple. Call us prior to your roofing contractor beginning your roof project. We will come out, remove all solar panels, hardware, solar racking or mounting system, etc. After removing all of the solar equipment to give your roofing contractor a clean slate to work with, we will then seal all the existing roof penetrations with a high grade polyurethane roof sealant. Applying this roof sealant to the existing penetrations will give you the reassurance that your home will stay dry and damage free if there is a delay between the detaching of the solar and the installation of your new roof system.
We neatly stack, organize, and store the solar panels and the components in a place on your property that will be out of the roofers work area and away from any potential damage. We work closely with many reputable contractors in our area. Upon your request, we can communicate directly with them and schedule everything you having to worry about the process.
Will solar panels damage my roof?
If the solar panels were installed correctly there will be no damage. We have seen countless systems that were installed very poorly and it gives the solar industry as a whole a bad name. Luckily most of these contractors are no longer in business but a few solar contractors are still out there. In the past few years manufacturers have made some major advancements in producing some great solar mounting products for installers to utilize. Along with using a high quality sealant for your specific roof type, we also use the proper flashing and sealing techniques.
All fasteners and hardware we install are aluminum, stainless steel and UV stabilized polypropylene products. Using high quality solar products remove the chance of deterioration, staining to your roof and leaks. Some of our competitors also do not take the time needed to properly fasten these solar components. An example of this would be mounting to your roof sheathing without using proper flashing and or sealing techniques.
With all the rain and wind we get in Florida it is very important to seal properly along with making sure that every fastener is attached to engineered specifications at a solid anchor point (not just the sheathing/decking material). Aside from proper sealing and flashing techniques it is also important for us to keep as much material as possible from coming in contact with your roof.
With solar panels expanding and contracting and ample amounts of rainwater passing by the mounting and components we make to keep everything elevated slightly. Some systems do not allow this completely but can still be installed properly where no damage is done. Our systems require a minimum wind speed of 130 mph in the Daytona Beach area but are designed to withstand 160 mph wind speed to give the extra protection and reassurance.
Do I need a new roof before my home solar system is installed?
A new roof is not always necessary before installing solar panels. We always inspect every roof top before installing your homes solar energy system. If the roof is starting to show signs of age we will advise you that repair or replacement is needed prior to the solar system being installed.
We can also let you know the estimated length you will have before replacement is needed with our knowledge in the roofing industry by one of our professional roofing contractors. If for some reason roof replacement is needed sooner than you anticipated we offer very reasonable rates and sometimes include a free detach and reinstall with the purchase of one of our systems if this may be a potential concern during the time of purchase.
What is the life expectancy of solar pool heating panels?
There is not one number for this because there are too many factors involved. We will give you an average of what we see year after year. When it comes to solar pool heating panels we find 15 years to be the magic number.
There are multiple manufacturers making these solar pool heating systems. We find that some of these panels (not saying any names) mainly using rubber hose attachments and strapping to hold down during high winds tend to have a higher failure rate than others. These panels tend to start having issues around 10-12 years. The solar pool collectors we install last closer to 20 years before repair is needed.
The DIY solar pool systems you can purchase online last around 5 if you are lucky. Solar panels are not created equal, so please choose carefully. Let us know if you need help choosing a collector even if you are not in our service area.