Post-Hurricane Solar System Checklist: What to Inspect After a Storm
Once a storm clears your area, a quick, careful inspection of your solar and battery system can catch issues before they become bigger problems.
Quick answer: After a hurricane, check your solar system’s monitoring app for production drops, visually inspect panels and mounting from the ground for obvious damage or debris, confirm your battery is charging and switching over normally, and schedule a professional inspection if anything looks off before assuming the system is fine.
Start with your monitoring app
Most solar systems include a monitoring app that shows production data. A sudden drop in production after a storm, compared to your typical output for that time of year, can be an early sign of panel damage, debris coverage, or a wiring issue — even if nothing looks obviously wrong from the ground.
Visual inspection from the ground
Don’t climb on the roof yourself after a storm. From the ground, look for obviously displaced or damaged panels, loose mounting hardware, or debris that may have landed on the array. Also check that conduit and wiring visible near the roofline look intact.
Check your battery and backup performance
If your battery was relied on during the outage, confirm it’s charging normally again now that power or solar production has resumed. If it failed to switch over during the outage when it should have, that’s worth having inspected promptly rather than waiting until the next storm to find out why.
When to call for a professional inspection
If you notice a production drop, visible damage, or backup performance that didn’t match expectations, it’s worth scheduling a professional inspection rather than waiting. Catching an issue early is usually simpler and less costly than dealing with it after further storms or prolonged underperformance.
Get your system inspected after storm season
We inspect solar and battery systems we didn’t originally install, too — get a professional check before assuming everything’s fine.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my solar panels were damaged in a storm?
Check your monitoring app for a production drop compared to typical output, and visually inspect from the ground for obvious displacement or debris, then schedule a professional inspection if anything looks off.
Is it safe to inspect my own roof after a hurricane?
It’s best to avoid climbing on the roof yourself after a storm. A ground-level visual check combined with your monitoring app data is a safer first step, followed by a professional inspection if needed.
What if my battery didn’t switch over during the outage?
That’s worth having inspected promptly, since it may indicate a configuration or equipment issue that could recur in a future outage.
Do you inspect solar systems you didn’t originally install?
Yes, we evaluate existing solar and battery systems regardless of who installed them, including after storm events.