Solar After a Storm: Safety and Recovery Records

Keep away from damaged equipment and the area below loose components. For immediate danger, smoke, fire or injury, call emergency services. DOE’s storm-damaged PV safety notice says a damaged system should be considered unsafe until a qualified electrician or technician makes it safe before field inspection. This guide is for planning and records, not an electrical inspection procedure.

Source: DOE/FEMP: storm-damaged PV safety notice, page 9. Reviewed 2026-10-06.

Do not make that assumption. DOE warns untrained people against touching PV electrical components even when they are presumed de-energized. Damaged wiring can send electricity through unexpected paths, including metal components or wet surfaces. Do not open enclosures, reconnect wiring or reset faults to investigate damage.

Source: DOE/FEMP: storm-damaged PV safety notice, page 9. Reviewed 2026-10-06.

Do not climb onto the roof or handle damaged components for this checklist. DOE identifies falling-component and electrical hazards after storms. Give qualified responders the observations you already have; obtaining a closer image is not a reason to enter an unsafe area.

Source: DOE/FEMP: storm-damaged PV safety notice, page 9. Reviewed 2026-10-06.

Identify the equipment owner, installer or current service provider, your insurer and the relevant utility contact. Describe the concern and ask who coordinates the qualified evaluation. If you lease panels or have a power-purchase agreement, confirm who can authorize work. A contact list does not settle ownership, responsibility or insurance coverage; obtain those answers in writing.

Keep the event date, observations from a safe location, existing photos, monitoring messages and the time you contacted each party. Do not enter a dangerous area to complete the record. Mark a missing observation as unknown. Store account details, home photos and claim records privately rather than posting them publicly.

A photo can document what was visible at a particular time. It does not by itself establish when a defect began, its cause, electrical safety or insurance coverage. Separate what you observed from what a qualified evaluator concludes. Request the evaluator’s scope, methods, access limits and remaining uncertainty.

A monitoring reading alone does not establish a complete post-event inspection. Ask the qualified provider which questions its evaluation answers, what was inaccessible and which specialist work remains. Avoid turning one reassuring reading into a claim that every roof, mounting, wiring or equipment concern has been resolved.

Ask about the actual covered property, cause of loss, deductible, valuation, exclusions and claim procedure. NAIC explains that coverage and valuation depend on policy terms. A contractor estimate is not an insurer’s coverage decision. Keep the insurer’s instructions and unresolved coverage questions with the claim record.

Source: NAIC: Homeowners insurance consumer guidance. Reviewed 2026-10-06.

Request the agreed scope, responsible providers, equipment replaced, accepted changes, completion evidence and remaining issues. Ask the contractor, authority and utility which approvals apply to the actual work before treating the system as ready for normal operation. A paid invoice alone does not answer every safety, permit or operating-authorization question.

No. Ask our team to confirm available homeowner assessment scope, qualifications and limitations after the site has been made safe. Site evidence may help organize observations and unresolved questions within that scope. We do not promise emergency dispatch, certify insurance coverage or grant utility operating approval. Third-party status alone does not establish independence.