Solar panel removal and reinstall for Jacksonville reroofs

Panels are built to produce for decades, and the shingles under them are often older than the array. When the roof reaches the end of its life, the panels have to come off, because nobody can replace or properly repair a roof through a racking system.

Each mount is a hole in the roof. Sealed with a flashing boot, it stays dry; sealed with a blob of sealant, it becomes a leak within a few summers. Much of the job is getting those mounts right, whether the array is coming off for a reroof or one mount has started leaking under a roof that is otherwise fine.

Before anything comes off, the system is shut down and the electrical disconnect is made by your solar installer or an electrician qualified for that work; we schedule around them. Then the panels are labeled, removed and stored, the racking rails come down, and the mounts are pulled so the roof can be stripped like any other.

We photograph the array layout first, so every panel goes back where it came from, and check the racking and hardware for corrosion while it is on the ground.

Not every solar leak needs the whole array off. A single mount leaking under a sound roof can often be reached by removing one or two panels, pulling the mount, repairing the deck and shingles around it, and reinstalling it with a proper flashing. Leaks along the lower edge of an array can also come from debris trapped under the panels, which holds water against the shingles.

We trace the leak from the attic first, so we open the right spot.