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Solar Panel Removal and Refit in Birmingham

Eco Solar Panel Installation Company removes and refits solar panels across Birmingham and the West Midlands for roof work, repairs and house moves. The system is made safe, the panels are stored, then refitted and tested once the roofer is done. Quotes are free.

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Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm.

Solar panels removed and stacked on a scaffold while a Birmingham roof is replaced

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Solar panel removal in Birmingham is usually about the roof underneath. Slipped tiles, a leak or a full re-roof all need the panels out of the way, and because the panels are part of a live electrical system, taking them off is an electrician’s job as much as a roofer’s. Removing and refitting properly means the system is made safe first and put back working afterwards.

Making the system safe

A solar array generates whenever light falls on it, so switching off at the consumer unit doesn’t make the roof side safe. Both the AC side and the DC side have to be isolated before anything is disconnected. The system’s output is recorded first, so there is something to compare with when it goes back on.

The panels, rails and fixings are then taken off, labelled so each panel returns to its place in the string, and stored while the roof work is done.

Working with your roofer

The best time to lift panels is when the scaffold is already up. Sharing it keeps the cost down, so the job is timed around your roofer’s dates. On a re-roof, new fixing brackets can go in as the new covering is laid, which gives the best chance of a watertight roof around them. A homeowner in the West Midlands discussing a roofing quote online was quoted £4,500 for 25 square metres of roof including solar removal and refit, which shows how often the two jobs are priced together.

Refitting and recommissioning

Once the roof is finished, the rails and panels go back on, the system is reconnected and recommissioned, and the output is checked against the reading taken before removal. If the system is old, it is a sensible time to look at the inverter too. The Energy Saving Trust says inverters need replacing after around 12 years. Solar inverter replacement covers that.

Moving house or taking panels away

Panels can also be removed for good or moved to a new roof. If you are selling, the Energy Saving Trust notes that the panels should be covered in the sale agreement, and that any Feed-in Tariff payments need transferring. Buying a house with solar panels covers the paperwork, and a service confirms everything is working after a refit.

What's included

  • System output recorded before removal
  • AC and DC sides isolated and made safe
  • Panels, rails and fixings removed and labelled
  • Storage arranged while the roof work is done
  • Timing agreed with your roofer
  • Rails and fixings refitted to the new roof
  • Panels reconnected and the system recommissioned
  • Output checked against the before reading

How the options compare

Electrical safety

Roofer does it
Depends on the roofer
Leave the panels on
n/a
Specialist remove and refit
Isolated and tested by an electrician

Roof work

Roofer does it
Done
Leave the panels on
Can't be done under the panels
Specialist remove and refit
Done

Panels and cables

Roofer does it
Risk of damage
Leave the panels on
Untouched
Specialist remove and refit
Labelled, stored and refitted

Afterwards

Roofer does it
Unknown
Leave the panels on
Roof problem left
Specialist remove and refit
Recommissioned and output checked

Related resources

Step by step

How a remove and refit works

  1. Your roofer's dates

    Tell us when the scaffold goes up and roughly how long the roof work will take.

  2. Survey and quote

    We look at the system and the roof, then give a free price for removal, storage and refitting.

  3. Make safe and remove

    The system is isolated, output recorded, and the panels and rails are taken off and labelled.

  4. Refit and test

    Once the roof is done, the system goes back on, is recommissioned and checked against the before reading.

The work

How the work looks

Illustrative photos of the methods and finish described on this page. They are not records of particular customers' jobs.

  • Solar panels labelled and stored in a garage during roof work, Birmingham
    Solar panels labelled and stored in a garage during roof work
  • Mounting rails refitted to a new roof before the solar panels go back, Birmingham
    Mounting rails refitted to a new roof before the solar panels go back

Roof work booked? Get the panels off safely.

Call with your roofer's dates for a free quote.

Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm.

0121 330 1151 Get a free quote

Where we work

Where we work in Birmingham and the West Midlands

Based at B23 6RP in north Birmingham, we work across Birmingham and the West Midlands. These towns have their own local pages:

Questions

Solar Panel Removal and Refit: common questions

How much does it cost to remove and refit solar panels?
There is no published Birmingham average, because it depends on the number of panels, the roof and how long they need storing. Sharing the roofer's scaffold keeps the cost down. You get a free quote once we know the system and the dates.

Can you remove solar panels without damaging the roof?
Yes, when the rails and fixings are taken out carefully and the roofer makes good the fixing points. On a re-roof, new fixings go into the new roof covering as it is laid, which is the best chance to get them right.

Should I get a new roof and solar panels at the same time?
If the roof is near the end of its life, yes. Doing the roof first and fitting panels onto it means they won't need lifting again for decades, and one scaffold serves both jobs. Solar panels in Birmingham covers new installations.

Do you remove panels another company fitted?
Yes. The original installer doesn't need to be involved. We record how the system is wired before it comes off so it goes back exactly as it was.

Do you cover my part of West Midlands?
We are based at 115 Sutton New Rd in north Birmingham and cover Birmingham, including Solihull, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth and Lichfield, plus Wolverhampton, Coventry, Dudley, West Bromwich, Nuneaton, Redditch, Halesowen, Stourbridge, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Oldbury, Smethwick, Rowley Regis and Willenhall. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Call 0121 330 1151 with your postcode and we will confirm. All areas we cover.

Are you open 24 hours?
No. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. If your system smells of burning, shows scorch marks or crackles, keep people away from it and call 999 if there is smoke or fire. Anything else, from a dead inverter to a drop in output, can wait for a call in opening hours.

Related

Related services

  • Solar Panel Maintenance

    Servicing and inspection for any installer's system: connections, isolators, inverter health and output checked, with written findings.

    View service

  • Solar Panel Repair

    Dead, tripping or underperforming systems traced to the actual fault: inverter, isolator, connector, cable or panel, then fixed.

    View service

  • Solar Battery Storage

    Store what your panels make in the day and use it in the evening. Batteries sized to your real usage, fitted with new panels or on their own.

    View service

Panels off for the roofer, back on and working.

Call for a free quote, or send your postcode and we will ring you back.

Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm.

0121 330 1151 Get a free quote
Call 0121 330 1151