Does Your Home Have Leaking Solar Panels in Panama City?

The solar industry, “has adopted a number of best practices to maximize the durability of roof penetrations” says Barry Cinnamon, who host a renewable energy podcast, “but these best practices are not always followed, resulting in roof leaks and potential hazards from loosened solar panels. If these leaks happen, it’s usually a roofer who is called in to repair the damage.”

Aaron Nitzkin, CEO of Solar Roof Dynamics, has this to say, “If you talk to any roofing contractor in any market where solar has any activity and say, ‘Hey, what do you see out there?’ they will all tell you about the messed up and screwed up roofs they see. It’s much more commonplace than people realize.” How common? Nitzkin said that in one rainstorm last year in California, as many as 40% of the roofs with solar installations were leaking. “When you’re growing really fast and people have minimal roofing experience, they don’t know what they’re doing,” he said. “In a drought, you can get away with it, but when it starts to rain we see leaks.”

Some leaks are caused by solar installers treating the roof like a construction zone by dragging heavy panels and racks across a roof. “Dropped tools, panels getting dragged across the roof’s surface or other negligent use of the roof’s surface can lead to leaks and holes,” blogged Lennie Moreno, founder, and CEO of Sofdesk, which sells web apps for solar and roofing companies. “It could take years, but a careless installation of solar panels could end up resulting in huge repair bills that could have easily been avoided,” Moreno added, “junk or tools that get left behind can find their way into downspouts and gutters, which can block drainage and can cause ice dams in the winter. Improperly installed systems can also cause water to dam up and even run back up the roof.”