{"id":5833,"date":"2018-10-16T11:33:28","date_gmt":"2018-10-16T11:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.portal.solar.com\/learn\/solar-panel-insurance\/"},"modified":"2023-01-06T17:44:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T17:44:45","slug":"solar-panel-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/solar-panel-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Panels and Homeowners Insurance – What’s Covered?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Going solar is one of the best ways you can personally combat climate change and make a positive impact. But with climate change comes more frequent natural disasters. <\/i><\/p>\n

How do you protect your solar panel system from hurricanes and other disasters?<\/i><\/p>\n

Insuring your solar PV system: It\u2019s a part of your home!<\/span><\/p>\n

Similar to a patio or a security system, solar energy systems are a permanent attachment to your property. <\/span><\/p>\n

This means that as long as you own your solar panels and they are rooftop-mounted (additional policies may be required for ground-mounted systems<\/a>), the system will be included under a homeowner\u2019s policy and covered in standard plans without raising your premium. <\/span><\/p>\n

In most cases, there is no need to get additional insurance to cover your solar panel system.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, since solar is worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars and can add around $10,000 to $30,000 of value to your home<\/a>, we might recommend raising your coverage limit to cover the cost of your home with the solar panel system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The solar panel insurance cost will depend on various things like your location, your current coverage amount, the size and cost of your system, and your insurance company\u2019s plan. Claims for damaged solar panels would also vary based on your insurance plan, but likely follows the same process as other damaged property claims.<\/span><\/p>\n

If It’s Third Party Owned, They Cover It<\/h2>\n

If you subscribe to a PPA or lease your solar panels, a third party owns your system and is responsible for damage and maintenance. <\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/span>n this case, you will not be responsible for ensuring coverage, but you should talk to your lease or PPA provider before committing to make sure that any unforeseen damage will be covered.<\/span><\/p>\n

System Warranties Don’t Include Disasters<\/h2>\n

Solar.com\u2019s qualified installers all to provide a robust warranty that includes a Workmanship Warranty and a Manufacturer Warranty. This means your installer or the manufacturer or the system will cover most damages, malfunctions, or failures due to the installation of the system or material and processing defects. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, most warranties do not cover what is called “Acts of God,” which include natural disasters like fires, hurricanes, and the like.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your installer warranty will cover any damage that occurs to your home or solar panels during the installation process.<\/p>\n

Protecting Your Solar with Homeowner’s Insurance<\/h2>\n

The list of perils your insurance provider covers varies from company to company, so make sure to check what is covered under your specific plan. A solar panels fire insurance, for instance, will most likely be looped in with other aspects of your primary homeowner’s insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is a list of common hazards that are covered by most insurance companies, according to the <\/span>Insurance Information Institute<\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/p>\n