Solar panels on an asbestos roof: sort the roof first
Panels mean holes and fixings, and those are the very things that disturb asbestos cement. Find out what the roof is made of before anyone climbs up.
Solar panels and an asbestos cement roof do not mix until someone has dealt with the roof. Mounting panels means fixing brackets through the sheets. And the regulator names drilling and cutting as ways to release fibres. So the first job is not choosing a system. It is finding out what your roof is made of.
Why the installer cannot just carry on
Rooftop solar means holes, fixings and people moving across the surface. Corrugated asbestos cement is brittle and weathers badly. SafeWork NSW says harmful asbestos fibres may be disturbed by cutting, drilling or water blasting, which is exactly what an installation involves.
Installers are also workers with duties of their own. They need a safe work method statement when they work on or near asbestos, and asbestos removal has to be done by a licensed tradesperson. An electrician is not that tradesperson.
Do not drill it yourself
You will find advice online that makes this sound like a fixings problem. It is not. If your roof may be asbestos cement, do not drill, cut, bolt through or pressure wash it to make room for panels. That is true even for a single bracket.
If an installer quotes for the job without asking what the roof is, treat that as a warning. A good one asks about the age of the house and the roofing material before anything else.
Find out what the roof is first
Roofs on houses built or renovated before the late 1980s are the usual suspects, but age alone proves nothing either way. The only way to confirm the material is a sample analysed at a NATA-accredited laboratory. Until then, call it compatible with containing asbestos and plan on that basis.
Do not break off a piece yourself to find out. Read how to test for asbestos for who should take the sample.
Your realistic options
- The roof is tested and it is not asbestos. Then it is an ordinary solar job.
- The roof is asbestos and in good condition. Any work that would disturb it needs a licensed removalist, and your state regulator sets the licence rules.
- The roof is asbestos and ageing. Replacing it first, using a licensed removalist, usually makes more sense than adding panels to a roof you will have to strip later.
- You cannot sort the roof. Consider ground-mounted panels on a separate structure, if your site allows it.
Replacing the roof first can feel like a detour. It is often the honest answer, because panels on an old sheet roof can mean removing them again for the roof job. For how a replacement runs, see replacing an asbestos cement roof.
Which regulator to ask
Rules differ by state and territory, so ask the work health and safety regulator where you live. And check the installer holds the right licences before they get on the roof.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put solar panels on an asbestos roof?
Not safely without dealing with the roof first. Fixing panels means drilling and fixing through the sheets, which can release fibres. Test the roof, and use a licensed removalist for any work that would disturb asbestos.
Can I drill into an asbestos cement roof to mount panels?
No. SafeWork NSW lists cutting, drilling and water blasting as ways fibres may be disturbed. Do not drill, cut or bolt through a roof that may contain asbestos.
Who can work on an asbestos roof before solar goes on?
Asbestos removal must be done by a licensed tradesperson. Your state or territory regulator sets the licence classes, so check there before you book anyone.
How do I know if my roof is asbestos?
You cannot tell by looking. Only a sample analysed at a NATA-accredited laboratory confirms it. Until then, treat the roof as compatible with containing asbestos.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- SafeWork NSW. Solar panel retail and installation