Will solar panels damage my roof? Common worries

At almost every survey, someone in the family asks whether the panels will harm the roof. It is a fair question, since a leaking roof is expensive and miserable. Here is what we see after installing on several hundred Jaipur homes.

Leaks happen when holes are drilled into the slab and not sealed properly, or when the waterproofing layer is broken. That is why we mostly use concrete pedestal blocks that sit on the roof without deep drilling. Where anchors are needed, holes are sealed with waterproof compound, and our crew does not walk heavy equipment over weak spots.

The weight is less than people expect. Panels and structure for a 5 kW system weigh about 15 to 20 kg per square metre spread over the frame, less than a group of people standing on the roof. A roof in poor condition, with cracks or exposed steel, should be repaired before installation, and our engineer will tell you so at the survey. Many families find that panels actually help in summer. The area under the panels is shaded, so the slab beneath stays cooler, and the room below can feel slightly cooler on hot afternoons.

Dust storms and strong winds are the real test. A properly designed galvanised structure with good anchoring handles Jaipur’s storms. After any very strong storm, look at the structure from the ground for tilted panels and send us a photo if something seems out of place. If you plan to redo waterproofing in the next few years, do it before installation; moving a system later costs time and money.