Solar panel removal and reinstallation in Auckland

What does solar panel removal cost?

Taking a system off for good costs less than off and back on at The Conduction Company, because nothing goes back up.

The estimates below are for standard removal of a solar system and its battery.
The Conduction Company confirms final pricing after a property assessment.

The Conduction Company prices taking a whole system down from about $1,700 including GST. That covers making it safe, decommissioning it, and taking down the panels, inverter, isolators and cabling, with everything left on the property. It does not include roof repairs or disposal.

Where the client owns the system outright, confirmed in writing, The Conduction Company can take it away as well, quoted separately. A home battery goes to a recycler that accepts lithium energy storage batteries, and its price is set by weight:
Taking the battery off its mounting: about $600 including GST.
Disposing of a battery of 100 to 120 kg: $1,250 to $1,500 including GST.
A damaged or swollen battery: assessed and quoted on its own.

Removing a SolarZero system

On a SolarZero roof the panels and battery are not the homeowner's, so The Conduction Company removes them only and disposes of nothing. They are held by Public Trust as trustee of the SolarZero Residential trusts, and SZ Servicing runs the agreements.

The Conduction Company's rules on SolarZero work:
Written agreement first: nothing comes off until the client asks in writing, and SZ Servicing has agreed in writing.
Nothing leaves the property: the equipment stays on site, undamaged.
Photos as it comes down: the condition of the equipment is recorded.

Removing the equipment does not end the agreement, The Conduction Company warns. If it is still running, taking the system off can breach it and trigger a termination sum. The usual way out is to pay that sum, and SZ Servicing then removes the system itself. The same goes for a re-roof: The Conduction Company takes a SolarZero system off and puts it back only on those two written go-aheads. SZ Servicing is on 0800 609 647 or customercare@solarzero.co.nz. The Conduction Company sets out what happened to SolarZero and where its agreements stand.

Who can remove solar panels from a roof?

An electrician with solar experience, or a solar company that employs electricians, says The Conduction Company. Jordan Statham sees the two as the same thing: some firms only do solar and employ electricians to do it, and others are electricians who offer solar. The Conduction Company is the second kind, an electrical contractor offering solar installation and servicing in Auckland.

The roofer should not disconnect or move the panels, The Conduction Company advises. A solar panel turns sunlight into electricity, and AS/NZS 5033, the standard for solar arrays, warns that an array's DC circuits are live during daylight. "Even just one panel sitting by itself in the sun is going to be live," says Jordan Statham.

The law points the same way. Under the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, connecting or disconnecting fittings to or from a power supply is prescribed electrical work. The Electricity Act 1992 says nobody may do that work unless they are authorised to. The Conduction Company reads disconnecting a solar system as that kind of work, so its team disconnects the system, takes the panels down and stores them safely on site.

Can solar panels be removed and reinstalled?

Yes. A system that is working when it comes off can usually go back on, says Jordan Statham of The Conduction Company. What stops a reinstall is damage: parts of the installation that have deteriorated to an unsafe state, or faulty cabling. Then The Conduction Company prices the repair or replacement, and the system goes back on once it is fixed.

The Conduction Company has every reinstalled system inspected. The Electricity (Safety) Regulations class installing a photovoltaic system as high-risk prescribed electrical work, and high-risk work must be inspected. The Conduction Company treats putting a system back on as installing it, and the inspection is included in its price.

The certificate at the end matters too. Under the same regulations, the person who completes the work must issue an electrical safety certificate, stating they are satisfied the installation is connected and safe to use. The Conduction Company will not sign that for a system with a known fault.

The Conduction Company allows time in its estimate to check and test the system before it runs again. AS/NZS 5033 lists the tests for an installed array, including the continuity of every string and earth connection, and each string's voltage and polarity.

Does solar panel reinstallation affect the warranty?

It depends on your warranty and on the contract with the company that installed the system, says Jordan Statham of The Conduction Company. The wording varies by installer and by system, so read it carefully before the panels come off.

The Conduction Company's advice is to ask the original installer, in writing, whether removal and refitting by another electrician affects the installer's warranty or the manufacturer's. The Conduction Company photographs the condition of the equipment as it comes down, which gives a record if a question comes up later.

How long is a house without solar during a re-roof?

About one to two weeks for a standard re-roof, Jordan Statham of The Conduction Company estimates. A quick roof or a large roofing crew can bring it down to about a week, and a busy time of year can stretch it to about three.

The Conduction Company's own work is a day or two at each end. It disconnects the system and takes the panels off just before the roofing starts, then refits, reconnects and tests them once the new roof is on. How long the roof takes in between is up to the roofer.

The Conduction Company plans the dates with the roofer, so the house is without solar for as short a time as possible. To set a date, book solar panel removal with The Conduction Company.