Hi Everyone,

We are half way through 2025 already, and busy as ever repairing and replacing roofs across the inner-west and a bit further sometimes too!

In this issue I wanted to provide some (hopefully) useful information, it may not apply to everyone but it is a subject I get asked about a lot: “Should I put solar panels on my roof?”

I am no electrician and nor do I know a lot about solar panels but I do know a bit about roofing and I have seen the impact solar (and installers) can have on roofs. Generally though, I am of the opinion that solar panels will not damage or have any significant negative impact on a roof, under usual conditions, and if installed correctly by a reputable company. I have solar on my roof and it has caused me no issues so far. But there are always exceptions and sometimes it can be a really bad idea to get solar on your roof.

The number one mistake I see is putting solar panels on an old brittle tile roof. This is a bad idea. Most likely the installers will break a tile or 20 in the process of installing the panels and they may do their best to replace these, but the number of times I have been unable to replace a broken tile that is under solar panels is too many to count.

Putting solar on any kind of old roof (Tile or Metal) is not a great move though. Doing leak repairs is often made impossible without removing the panels first, so there goes any savings you made by installing the solar and then some. This would seem obvious to most, but sometimes a roof may not be that old, but it could be poorly installed or defective in design in some fashion. A general building inspector or Solar installer may not pick this up either as it could be a technical issue that is not obvious at first glance.

Another condition where you may want to consider not installing solar panels is where you are likely to get very large leaf build up behind or under them. If you stay on top of the cleaning, you should be alright, but who wants to spend every second Sunday cleaning their roof off or paying someone to do it! Leaf build up on roofs blocks up the channels the water travels along and on a metal roof it will cause early corrosion.

If you are considering solar for you roof and are worried about leaks or the condition of the roof you can always give us a call. We can provide an honest opinion of your roof condition. No obligations.

Let us know if we can help you.

Regards,
Julian Dirou