Duty to report · roof fires · loss of output
Solar panels and your buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
Solar panels on the roof belong to the buildings, but only if the insurer knows about them and the sum insured has been adjusted. The risk also lies less in the panels than in the installation beneath them.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Panels fixed on or in the roof are permanently fixed and are therefore counted as part of the buildings. That means they in principle share the same perils as the rest of the building: fire, lightning, storm, hail and impact. But it also means that the rebuild value goes up. If you do not report the installation, the sum insured is too low and underinsurance follows in a large claim: payment is then made proportionately, including on the rest of the house.
The pattern of claims is specific. Fire in these installations rarely starts in the panel itself, but on the direct current side: connectors that have not been crimped properly, an overheated inverter, a failed optimiser. A roof fire with solar panels is also hard to put out for as long as light falls on the panels, which makes the consequential damage large. Insurers therefore look at the method of mounting, the make and the maintenance of the inverter.
With renting, letting or a leased installation the position is different. If the installation is owned by a third party who rents the roof, it is not part of your buildings but someone else's property; record in writing who insures what. If the installation is on a shed or carport, check whether that outbuilding is insured. See also buildings insurance and solar panels and the hub about buildings insurance.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering).
What to look out for
Four points on which claims involving solar panels come to grief.
Report them and raise the sum
An installation on the roof is a change in risk. The duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code applies on the application, and the policy conditions extend it to changes during the term. If you report nothing and it turns out the insurer would have set different requirements had the information been correct, Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code gives it scope to reduce the payout.
Inherent defect and manufacturing faults
A panel that delaminates, an inverter that fails after a few years or a connector that corrodes: that is inherent defect and excluded as standard. For those you have to fall back on the manufacturer's or installer's warranty. Loss of yield through normal ageing is not insured damage either, however visible it is on your meter readings.
Errors by the installer
If the damage arises because the panels were fixed incorrectly or the roof penetration was not made watertight, that is a failure by the installer. You hold them liable. Their liability insurance is in play, not your buildings policy. So keep the installation report, the inspection of the installation and the completion documents.
What you do not get paid for
Besides inherent defect and installation errors, lost output and lost feed-in payments remain outside the cover. That is financial loss and not physical damage. Theft of panels from a field array or from a flat roof without signs of forced entry is usually excluded, and damage caused by animals, moss or soiling falls under maintenance.
What does your premium depend on?
- An increased rebuild value: the installation counts in the sum insured
- Placement on the house or an outbuilding: a shed or carport often has a lower limit
- Roof covering and construction: panels on thatch or timber are assessed differently
- Size of the installation: more panels means more connections and more risk
- Inspection and completion: a certified installation helps with the underwriting
- Cover and excess chosen: hail and storm cover differs between companies
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Extended | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning knocks out the inverter and the meter cupboard | Yes | Yes |
| A storm lifts three panels off the roof and throws them onto the drive | Yes | Yes |
| A football from the children next door smashes a panel | No | Yes |
| Fire spreads from the cabling beneath the panels to the roof structure | Yes | Yes |
| While cleaning the panels you fall through the roof light | No | Provided that |
| The mounting frame buckles under the weight of days of snowfall | Provided that | Provided that |
All the answers assume an installation that is known to the insurer and included in the sum insured.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Do I have to report my solar panels to the insurer?
Yes. Even where the panels automatically fall under the buildings cover, the rebuild value changes and with it the correct sum insured. Without reporting them you risk underinsurance on the whole building. Some insurers also set requirements for the mounting or for placement on certain roof coverings. A short notification of the change prevents argument afterwards.
Is hail damage to my panels covered?
Under extended or comprehensive cover, usually yes, provided the panels are insured as part of the buildings. Watch the evidence: microcracks are not visible to the naked eye and call for measurement. Damage that has arisen gradually or is attributed to ageing remains outside the cover, as does the loss of yield itself.
Who pays if my installation causes a fire next door?
That is liability and not damage to your own home. As the possessor of a defective structure you can be liable for the consequences under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code, even without fault. That claim belongs on personal liability insurance (AVP). Your own roof and home fall under the buildings policy.
I rent my home and had panels installed myself. What now?
Then the installation is not part of your buildings but falls under your tenant's interest. You insure that on your home contents insurance, after written consent from the landlord for the installation. Also arrange in advance what happens at the end of the tenancy: do you remove the installation, or does it pass to the owner.
Read more
Within Opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekeringthe main page
- Opstalverzekering zonnepanelen
- Oom verzekeringen achtergebleven woonhuis verzekering
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) through a.s.r.
- Avero achmea zakelijk opstalverzekering
- Wat dekt een opstalverzekering
- Comparing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) by policy section
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