Solar Panel Insurance in 2024

✔ Solar panels are usually included in your home insurance policy

✔ Warranties typically protect your panels for 25 years

✔ Fill in the form above to receive solar panel quotes from local experts

You want to use solar energy to lower your energy bills and help save the planet – but you don’t want the cost of solar panels to damage you financially.

After all, there’s no point buying cutting-edge green technology if it won’t last its full 25-year lifetime – and as we all know, stuff happens. Trees fall, birds target machines, and sometimes, thieves strike.

Solar panel insurance can protect you against the consequences of all physical and technological issues with your shiny new machines, and give you precious piece of mind. 

If you’re feeling encouraged to get some panels of your own, complete this form to receive bespoke quotes from local experts.

What is solar panel insurance?

Solar panel insurance is a policy that protects your solar panel system from a range of occurrences, which can help you keep solar panel costs to a minimum.

You’ll usually be covered for everything from natural disasters to theft, though probably not for accidental damage – so keep your roof gymnastics to a minimum.

The addition of solar panels may increase the cost of your home insurance, but not by much.

Are solar panels covered by home insurance?

Your buildings insurance policy will usually include the option to have solar panels, because they’re part of the fittings and fixtures of your home – in most cases, they’re literally fixed to your roof.

Contact your insurer and ask whether your policy includes a photovoltaic system, preferably before you have the panels installed.

Even if you’re absolutely sure you’ll be covered, you still need to notify your insurer. After all, attaching thousands of pounds worth of panels to your roof constitutes a major change to your home.

Will installing solar panels affect my home insurance?

Maybe! When you speak to your insurance company, you’ll either receive the wonderful news that you’re already covered, or you may have to pay a small extra fee for your new source of renewable energy.

If that’s not what the company says: get a new insurer.

The company may protest that charging you a much larger premium makes sense, because your ability to sell excess solar energy to the grid means you’re now classed as a company.

If that happens, then again: get a new insurer.

Most of you will be looking for a roof-mounted system, but if your array is ground-mounted or significantly larger than average – here’s looking at you, Glastonbury Festival’s 1,316 panels – then you may have to get a separate policy with a specialised insurance company.

How much does it cost?

Solar panels are generally included in your home insurance policy, meaning you won’t pay anything extra if you choose to save money (and the planet) by investing in a solar array.

The average annual cost of buildings insurance is £119.22, according to the AA’s British Insurance Premium Index, so make sure your provider is charging you a fair price.

Some companies will charge a little extra for solar panel insurance. The payment is generally negligible, but if it’s sizable, you could always switch to a more accepting insurer.

Why do you need solar panel insurance?

You don’t want anything to happen to your shiny new source of green energy – and with solar panel insurance, you don’t have to worry even if the worst does happen.

This is especially crucial considering the initial price of panels. For an average family of three, a network of solar panels typically costs between £5,000 and £8,000. Want to learn more about how much solar panels could cost you? Check out our page on Solar Panel Costs.

Though you’ll soon start saving money each month on your energy bills, you’ll want to insure such a valuable addition to your home.

What types of solar panels are covered?

Your home insurance package will usually cover all types of rooftop panels, from standard monocrystalline or polycrystalline photovoltaic systems, through to more modern flexible panels.

Major insurers including HomeProtect and LV= will see the panels as a standard addition to your home, and will class them as permanent fixtures – just like your walls and ceilings.

All you need to do is notify them about the new 40-pound blocks of silicon you’ve secured to your roof.

How long is the warranty on solar panels?

There are two warranties when it comes to solar panels: equipment, and performance.

The equipment warranty will cover you for physical failures, and generally lasts between 10 and 12 years.

This will protect you against defects, the panels failing completely, and environmental issues causing a halt in energy production. Getting the warranty means that if your panels break, you won’t suffer.

The performance warranty insures you against your solar panels falling below their high standards when it comes to producing electricity.

Your policy will usually guarantee you at least 90% production after 10 years, and 80% after 25 years.

Panels have a median degradation rate of 0.5% per year, according to a study by the US government-funded National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

This means your panels have a high likelihood of outliving their warranty – as long as you get high quality models.

If you’d like to receive specialist quotes for top-notch solar panels, just fill in this form.

Are solar panel warranties transferable?

Most solar panel warranties are transferable, but check ahead of time to make sure the company you’ve chosen will allow you to pass on your warranty.

If you can transfer the warranty, you’ll be able to charge more for your property. After all, solar panels can save your home’s new owners a lot of money.

And if you’re buying a home with solar panels, you’ll absolutely want to know that you can use them after you move in. If you can, your beautiful new home will look even better.

Solar inverter insurance

All parts of your panels will be covered under your home insurance policy, so you don’t need solar inverter insurance.

This is a positive, since any policy for the inverter would be pricey. It’s one of the most important parts of your solar network, turning direct current electricity into alternating current, which can then be used to power your home.

They typically have a shorter lifespan than solar PV panels, though well-made models will last up to 15 years.

Solar installation insurance

You also don’t need solar installation insurance.

Make sure you have a home insurance policy that covers your new panels, and solar warranties which insure you against equipment or performance failure, and you’ll be set.

You won’t need to worry about the installation going south, and you can sit back and watch as your energy bills go down.

Summary

The good news about solar panel insurance is that you likely won’t have to worry about buying it, since it comes as standard with most home insurance packages.

Nevertheless, make sure to notify your insurer about the panels, as you should before making any significant additions to your home. 

This will keep your policy up to date, and give you time to switch to another company if your current one reacts to the news by hiking up your premiums.

Hopefully your fears about solar panel insurance have been assuaged, meaning you can join the green wave, with our latest National Home Energy Survey showing 69% of people are likely or very likely to buy or rent a property with solar panels. 

Just fill in this form to receive solar panel quotes without worrying about additional costs.