Home insurance and solar panels

A guide to solar panel insurance

There are several types of solar panels on the market, which means they can be fitted to most homes.

First you need to choose whether you want thermal solar panels that can heat water or photovoltaic (PV) panels, which convert sunlight into electricity that can be used to power your appliances, charge your car and for lighting and heating.

Thermal systems take up less space and tend to be more efficient unless the temperature dips. However PV panels have a greater lifespan, are easier to maintain and excess electricity can be sold to the grid or stored in a battery for later use.

Do I need solar panel insurance?

It’s a good idea to let your insurer know if you are making any significant home improvements that may affect the structure such as fitting solar panels.

This is mainly because your home may be at greater risk from damage or theft while the work is being completed, particularly if you have scaffolding up.

Things your insurer may need to know about your solar panel installation:

• the start, end date and total cost of the project
• if scaffolding is going up
• whether your home will be occupied during installation.

Can I get home insurance for solar panels once they are installed?

Many providers, including Saga Home Insurance will protect solar panels as standard, which means it shouldn’t cost you any extra to get your solar panels insured but check with your insurer to be sure you're covered.

Your home insurance should cover you for a range of solar panel systems including photovoltaic panels, solar tiles or solar thermal systems, which combine a series of panels with a heat exchanger, as long as they are attached to your home.

Will home insurance cover wear and tear of solar panels?

Wear and tear is a standard exclusion for home insurance policies, which also applies to solar panels. This means you won't be able to make a claim if your panels degrade over time.

Keeping your panels well-maintained is important for getting the best results from your system.

You may wish to add accidental damage cover to protect your panels from cleaning mishaps.

Solar panel installation and maintenance

You may choose to take out additional indemnity insurance for solar panels, which would cover you against problems that may occur during installation.

Low-income households eligible for a heating upgrade may be able to get free solar panel installation through the government energy-saving improvements ECO4 grants, along with loft and cavity wall insulation.

Choosing solar panels for your home

Advances in technology means that panels can even operate in cloudy or wintry conditions. Ideally, they should be on a south-facing surface but panels facing east or west are also possible.

Solar panel trackers can adjust the angle depending on the time of day or year but these are considerably more expensive to install.

Unless you live in a conservation area or in a listed building, you should not need planning permission to fit solar panels to your home.

Once you've made the investment, you'll want to make sure your home insurance protects your solar panel system.

Even if you have a flat roof you can reap the benefits of solar panel systems. The installer can set the angle of the pitch to around 30 degrees, so you can capture as much solar energy as possible.

Check first if your roof is able to take the additional weight and consider taking out flat roof insurance before you start work. If you live in an apartment or flat, you can fit vertical solar panels to a wall, which can often absorb more sunlight during the day than roof mounted panels.

The future for solar

The race is on to produce commercially viable tandem solar cells that capture red light through the silicon layer and also blue light by adding a layer of perovskite.

Combined, they absorb more energy and make solar electricity easier and cheaper to produce. Roll-out is expected within a year or two. If you’re looking for a sustainable way to produce energy for your home, there’s never been a better time to look to the light.