The answer, from a purely insurance point of view, is “probably not.” Now, I’m not saying solar is bad, or that considerations beyond insurance won’t tip the scales in favor of a project. It’s my job to give you the Insurance Nerd View, and it’s your job to decide what’s best for you and your family.
Let me say, right up front, that some insurance companies just don’t like solar panels. Some insurers will decline to write coverage if you have rooftop solar. Others may decline under certain conditions like, for example, if you are using net metering. Right now, it’s probably a good idea to have as many options open to you as possible, so cutting out even a couple of potential insurers may not be ideal in the current difficult Florida insurance market.
Assuming your insurer is fine with rooftop solar, there are some considerations that you may not have thought about, and I can all but guarantee that the commissioned salesperson won’t put this on a presentation. First, you need to consider the installation itself. Installing panels will require making a bunch of holes in your roof. Good installers can absolutely seal these up properly, but will your installer be that careful? Reinstallation will also be a consideration, and I’ve never seen numbers for this included in a sales presentation.
Let’s say, for example, that your roof is ten years old when you install panels. If you need to replace your roof when it’s fifteen years old, you’ll need to have a solar contractor remove your panels, then get the roofer to do his bit, and then get the solar contractor back to reinstall the panels and hope none of them break during the process. By the same token, if one or more panels is damaged and must be replaced, can that be done without punching more holes in an otherwise good roof? This could be especially problematic after a hurricane or other big storm. Remember how tough it was to get a roofer after Michael? Imagine coordinating a post-storm roofer with two visits from a solar contractor. Unless you plan and coordinate your roof and solar replacement with precision – and Mother Nature cooperates -- you may need to adjust your budget.
I have one other concern, but I admit that I don’t have supporting data. Still, I have to mention it, and I’m happy to be corrected if someone can get me good engineering information. Solar panels would seem to me to be more fragile than the typical roof covering, and thus far more susceptible to storm damage. It also seems that, due to their shape (long, wide, and very thin) that they would be more prone to wind uplift than ordinary roof materials. This makes me wonder if they might not be a problem, with roof panels flying away, causing damage as they are torn off. I honestly just don’t know, but I’d want this question answered before making a decision about an installation.
If you are considering solar, do a couple of things: 1) Call your agent to discuss how it affects your insurance, 2) consider the additional costs I’ve mentioned here, and 3) be sure to increase your limits of insurance to account for the cost of your solar array (and installation cost).
