Solar and Hurricanes in Florida

The short answer

A permitted rooftop system in Florida is engineered for your address’s design wind speed. The bigger hurricane questions are your roof’s condition, your insurance, and whether you want power when the grid goes down.

Built to code for wind

Every rooftop system in Florida must be designed for the wind speed the Florida Building Code assigns to your address. That sets how many roof attachments we use, where they go and how they’re spaced. Racking must be listed to UL 2703 and panels to UL 61730 (or the older UL 1703). The city or county inspects before the utility lets you turn the system on. The 9th edition of the code applies to permits filed on or after December 31, 2026.

What fails in storms

When rooftop solar is damaged in a hurricane, the cause is usually flying debris or a roof that was already weak, not the panels letting go. That is why we check roof age and decking before we design, and why we often recommend replacing an aging roof first. See Is your Florida roof ready for solar?

Insurance

• Tell your insurer you added solar. You may need a higher dwelling limit so the system is covered.
• Florida law bars insurers from refusing a policy just because of roof age when the roof is under 15 years old.
• If you lease or subscribe, the provider insures the equipment. Ask how a storm claim works before you sign.

Will solar keep my power on?

Not by itself. Grid-tied solar shuts off in an outage to protect line workers. To keep power, you need a battery system that separates your home from the grid. Your panels then recharge the battery every sunny day, which matters when outages last several days. See our Florida solar battery guide.

Before and after a storm

1. No special shutdown is needed. The system shuts off safely if the grid goes down.
2. If you have a battery, set the backup reserve to 100% a day or two before landfall.
3. After the storm, look from the ground. Never climb on the roof.
4. If you see loose panels, hanging wires or water stains inside, call us before turning anything back on.
5. Check your monitoring app. Production that drops sharply on a clear day means something needs a look.

Common questions

Can panels handle hurricane winds? Systems built to the Florida Building Code are engineered for local design wind speeds.

Does solar void my roof warranty? Ask your roofer. We document every roof attachment and seal it to the manufacturer’s standard.

Will my insurance go up? Possibly a little, because your home is worth more. Solar does not raise your property taxes in Florida.