Roof replacement makes solar a totally false economy.
 

We're 10 yrs into a 20 yr solar lease. Now we need either a new roof or a band-aid repair. Band-aid repair will be $2300 and would easily last for the rest of the roof's life, as it's already 28 yrs old. Full roof replacement estimate is $18k, but then there's $200-300 per solar panel to R&R that whole thing, which a roofer is not allowed to do. Of course, our solar provider is out of business now, so we'd have to find someone to do that job before and after the roof replacement. For the whole thing we're looking at probably $25k. If R&R'ing the solar panels runs $7k of that, that's about twice the amount we have saved by having solar. In fact, our power bill went down more when we put in a new AC than it did with solar. Would not do this again. False economy.

....... a 20 year lease - placed upon a 10 year roof certainly didn't help. ...... bad luck.
if you do the cheap repair? - keep in mind - the roofing will cost considerably more in the future, given present trends.

Predictable, wasn't it?

I've always assumed I'd have to put on a new roof before installing solar panels - and ideally one with a longer life than the usual asphalt shingle roof. Because obviously the panels and racks will make roof replacement costly.

Do you have to put the solar panels back on?

Well, roof replacement was a long ways off when we went solar. It's still not absolutely necessary and could very well last until the end of the solar lease in 10 more years. Since I started this thread, I called the two service providers listed on the solar company's site, SunPower, which is in BK proceedings now, and one of them told me panel R&R due to needing a new roof may be covered by warranty. But, of course, there is no warranty provider until someone takes over the existing contracts. This may be worth waiting a little while on.

Sorry it isn't working out for you.

If my arithmetic is right, you put a 20 yr solar lease commitment on a roof that was already 18 years old??

When I did the research for our system, it turned out a lease made no sense. But that was only 2 years ago. A lot changed in the industry in 8 years. The carpet baggers that were only out to make a quick buck have been shaken out and buyers have some experience with the good and bad companies that are in it seriously.
Hats off to you for being an early adopter, but it can be expensive.

I really wasn't all for this, but it seemed to offer a slight savings at the time. And the value proposition then was that whatever we had to buy from the grid, those rates would be locked in for 20 yrs, while the utility co. always raises rates every few years. Of course, they're now saying solar customers aren't paying their fair share to maintain the grid. So, since they can't raise our rates, they now need to impose "grid maint" fees. Gee, never saw that coming, eh?

And at the time, I was reviewing some warranty docs that came with the house and one said the roof was guaranteed for 50 yrs. So I figured we were totally covered for longer than I'd likely be alive, let alone in this house. But the roofer who came out yesterday to give an estimate said those warranties, at best, may just drop off a pile of new materials on the driveway and it'd be on me to get it installed.

What a fool I used to be - words that get truer every day.

I think product only is a very common warranty solution for lots of products in all sorts of industries.

Probably best to hold off on getting a roof until after Florida gets rebuilt as I imagine supplies and materials will be harder to get and more expensive.

Wow Rick. What kind of roof do you have? I know Arizona is very different from Ohio.

A 30 year guaranteed shingle roof here is likely to last 20 years. Some metal roofs claim to have a 50 year guarantee, but things like color fading and installation are often shorter.

+1 on that! Shingles were unobtainable for months after Ike came through, and this double whammy is going to be much worse than Ike.

We have tiles in AZ.

Truer words were never spoken, and it's true for all of us. I've had a good experience with our solar. It paid for itself about two years ago after going online in 2016. I paid zero in electricity cost for the first four years and a very deminished amount after we bought the EV. Last year it everaged to under $45/mo. for the house (all electric) and my wife's EV. At the time I bought the system, I knew I had a wondow of time before the power company started trying to make those of us with solar pay more for the grid - just like there is a window of time with EV's befoere the state tries to make the EV owners pay more to maintain the highways. Here we pay almost $1.30/gal. in road tax, so the reasons to make EV owners pay is strong.

That explains a lot about the expense.

When I used to live in North PHX it seems all the new housing developments had the concrete tiles which is what I'm guessing you have. I thought those roofs were indestructible (well, nearly). Are you experiencing leaks?

We have a few leaks over the garage, which can be repaired - the $2300 band-aid fix. What's causing them is the giant palo verde tree dumping all kinds of debris onto the roof, which then rolls into any crevice, gets stuck and then diverts water. I never knew this until he showed me some pulled up tiles yesterday. We have that tree cut back once or twice per year, but the damage is done. And while the tiles are fine, the paper or whatever they put underneath is getting tired.

OR is totally different situation than AZ, but I have looked at rooftop solar every few years and it hasn't made sense on the cost and savings numbers, to say nothing of having to put a new roof on at the same time. I plan to "re-look" next year and maybe it will finally make sense. Our electricity rates are rising very substantially and solar tax subsidies are now also substantial from Federal and state - and my asphalt shingle roof is 24 years old . . .

If you have a contract with a company that doesn't exist, then you don't have a contract. Pull the panels yourself, then put them back yourself. It ain't rocket science. Normal boring people put their own solar panels up every single day. Whats' gonna happen, you lose your warranty? ;)

Or take the panels down, sell them on Facebook Marketplace, and wash your hands of it. You'll lose money paying the last 10 years, but probably less money than you'll loose by R&Ring everything.

I don't think SunPower's being BK court now means the contract isn't valid. Just like having a mortgage with IndyMac when they went under didn't mean you could just stop paying your mortgage. I have considered DIY'ing the R&R. But I know nothing about replacing the hardware, or if it needs to be done before new roof is completed. I will research this some more. I think Joeaksa DIY'ed his and he lives around the corner.

I didn't want to infer that you should pay anymore, a loan is a loan and not though them. But, if they're basically a non-entity, then you shouldn't be under their thumb about maintenance or modifications of the system.

The wiring is pretty standardized from what I've seen, you can get parts on Amazon even. The panels themselves are basically indestructable legos that you "snap together", the frame is basic trusswork, the wiring is connectors and cables. The only more complex part is the connection to the grid and house, but you won't be taking that apart.

The actual connection to the roof might need to be done by the roofer for them to guarantee the work, but that's only going to be mounting plates of some kind. Everything above that should be DIY-able.

I will go up there and poke around in a few days. Still really hot here, but I am open to DIY'ing the panel R&R.