Path-Q Solar
How should I weigh the cost of needed roof work against the savings I expect from solar?
Answer
Separate roof work needed regardless of solar from incremental or accelerated roof costs caused by the solar project. Compare the expected net value of solar with only those roof costs attributable to installing it, while still coordinating any necessary roof work before installation and including future panel removal and reinstallation costs if the roof is unlikely to last through the planned solar ownership period.
Key points
- Obtain an independent or suitably detailed roof assessment before accepting a solar design.
- Identify which roof repairs or replacement costs are required anyway and which are added, accelerated, or made more expensive by solar.
- Model solar costs, incremental solar-related roof costs, financing, maintenance, and expected bill savings together.
- Consider whether roof work that is already necessary can be coordinated with the solar installation.
- Use a conservative production and savings estimate rather than relying on maximum claims.
What it depends on
- Remaining roof life and extent of work required regardless of solar
- Incremental or accelerated roof costs attributable to the solar project
- Solar system cost and expected production
- Electricity usage and bill structure
- Ownership period and financing terms
- Cost of removing and reinstalling panels later
Risks and trade-offs
- Installing first may create future removal, storage, and reinstallation costs.
- Charging the full cost of roof work that is needed anyway to the solar project can understate solar's incremental value.
- Accelerating otherwise deferrable roof work for solar can still materially affect project economics.
- Roof condition and solar savings estimates both contain uncertainty.
Information you may need
- Written roof inspection or replacement estimate separating necessary baseline work from solar-driven costs
- Solar proposal with production assumptions and all costs
- Recent electricity usage and bills
- Expected time in the home
- Financing terms and any removal or reinstallation assumptions
Your next step
What to do next
Create side-by-side scenarios for no solar with required roof work, coordinated roof work plus solar, solar after a later roof replacement, and no additional roof work where feasible, using the same ownership period and conservative assumptions.
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