Solar Panel Removal & Reinstallation

Homeowners sometimes need to temporarily remove their solar panels and reinstall them a short while later.

The most common reason is to accommodate a roof repair or replacement. Hopefully you only need to do this once every twenty-five years or so due to normal roof aging, but it can also sometimes be necessary to repair roof damage from wind, falling trees, hail, ice, or fire. You might also need to do a removal & reinstallation to accommodate construction of a home addition or addition of a skylight.

This process is variously known as removal & reinstallation, remove & reinstall, remove & replace, R&R, uninstall/reinstall, detach & reset, or D&R. At Certasun, we generally call it remove & reinstall or R&R. Whatever you want to call it, Certasun is here to help!

Top 10 Things to Know about Solar Panel Removal and Reinstallation

1. It’s important to reach out early. R&R projects require scheduling and coordination. Please contact us at least three or four weeks before you need your panels removed. If you call three days before you expect your roofer to arrive, you will be disappointed.
2. Don’t forget to notify your insurance company. If your project is needed because of a loss covered by insurance (i.e. hail, tree damage, etc.) your insurance company will likely cover the solar R&R cost. Be sure to contact them to find out what they’ll need to reimburse you. (We are unable to accept payment directly from your insurance company unless they pay in advance, and even so this can often create delays.)
3. Late fall is a gamble. In the Chicago area, most roofing companies don’t do major roof work between November and February. It depends on the roofer, the work involved, and the weather, but if you have your system removed in the late fall it may be some time (potentially months) before your roofer can complete the roof work. And while we do install (and reinstall) solar over the winter, very cold or very snowy weather can prevent us from completing your reinstallation as quickly as we would like. (Silver lining if this happens to you anyways: you don’t miss as much solar production when your system is offline in the winter.)
4. Removal typically takes about one-half day. This varies with the size and complexity of the system, of course.
5. Make space for your panels. The safest place for your panels is a protected space like a garage. A typical system requires about one car’s worth of floor space. We are generally not able to transport and store panels. Please make sure you have cleared the space where you want the panels stored before removal day.
6. Reinstallation is similar to a full solar installation. Expect it to take about twice as long as the removal, and generally at least a full day. We will generally be using new mounting equipment. We will be working with heavy panels, at height, and we have to work carefully to stay safe and ensure your installation works as designed.
7. Reinstallation is not the same as redesign. Your solar system was designed and permitted for safe installation in its original configuration based on the construction of your roof and the specific location your system was installed on that roof. We can reinstall it in the same place without reengineering and typically without re-permitting it, but if you want to move your system from one place to another, that’s a different (more expensive) project.
8. Your electricity bills will increase. Don’t forget that your usage of grid electricity and therefore your utility bill will increase during the period your panels are not operating.
9. Don’t over-schedule. Because your electricity bill will increase and your garage will be full of panels you may be tempted to schedule removal immediately before your roof work and installation immediately after it. That’s understandable, but we’ve found it’s just not worth the stress and aggravation (for you, not us) of coordinating very tight schedules on two construction projects that are fundamentally weather-dependent. Aim to have your panels removed one or two weeks before your roof project and reinstalled one or two weeks after. Then when it rains for four days straight you won’t be pulling your hair out.
10. Choose the right vendor. Certasun has installed more residential solar than any other company headquartered in Illinois. Whether we installed your system or not, we can generally help with a solar remove & reinstall. If you are uncertain about who to call, check out this post. 

If you need more information or a quote for our solar panel removal & reinstallation services, please fill out the form below or call us at (312) 614-0763!