A home inspector’s visual inspection of an installed residential solar PV system: who owns it (leases and PPAs matter to buyers), modules, racking, roof attachments and wire management, the roof around and under the array, inverters and status lights, disconnects, labels and the point of connection, conduit, battery storage, production evidence and what was not tested.
Job Details
Which house, who asked, and the light conditions during the visit.
Report title
Your job or file number
Client (who ordered this inspection)
Property address
Sky during the visit — Full sun, Partly cloudy, Overcast, Raining, Snow on the array, After dark
Your company
Inspected by
Licence or certification number
Day of the visit
Time you arrived
This is a visual inspection of the accessible parts of an installed PV system. It does not include electrical testing, opening equipment, measuring output or checking code compliance unless the inspector is qualified and says so below.
System and Ownership
What the system is, who installed it, and who owns it.
Installer
Year installed
System size (kW DC)
Number of modules
Module make and model, if visible
Who owns the system? — Owned outright, Owned, financed (possible lien), Leased, Power purchase agreement (PPA), Unknown — ask the seller
Lease, PPA or finance company
How it connects — Grid-tied, Grid-tied with battery backup, Off-grid
Monitoring — App or web portal shown to you, Display or gateway on site, None found, Not checked
Permit and utility approval paperwork — Seen, Seller says it is available, Not available
Warranties mentioned or seen
Photos — labels, paperwork
Array and Mounting
The modules, racking and attachments — seen from a safe place.
Where the array is — Main roof, Garage or outbuilding roof, Ground mount, Carport or pergola
How you saw it — Walked the roof beside it, Ladder at the eaves, Binoculars from the ground, Drone, Could not see it
Modules — glass, frames, backsheets
Any cracked, shattered, burned or browned modules?
Rails, clamps and racking
Roof attachments and their flashing
Are any roof attachments sealed with caulk only, with no flashing?
Are wires hanging loose, resting on the roof or rubbing on edges?
Beneath the modules — Clear, Leaves and debris, Nests or animal activity
Shade on the array — None, Some, part of the day, Heavy — trees or buildings
Ground mount — posts, footings and clearance to grade
Array notes
Photos — array overview and close-ups
Roof Around and Under the Array
Whether the solar install has hurt the roof, and how long the roof has left.
Roof age compared with the array — Roof newer than or the same age as the array, Roof clearly older than the array, Cannot tell
Could you see the underside of the attachments from the attic?
Stains, rot or daylight in the attic below an attachment?
Clear walkways around the array for firefighters — Clear setbacks at ridge and edges, Limited, Not determined
Roof notes
Photos — roof and attic below the array
Inverters
What converts the power, where it is, and what it is reporting.
Inverter set-up — One string inverter, Several string inverters, Microinverters under the modules, Optimizers with a string inverter, Hybrid inverter with battery, Cannot tell
Inverter location
Inverter brand and model number
Status light or screen — Normal — producing, Standby — not enough light, Showing a fault or error, Blank or cannot read
Fault code or message shown
Inverter enclosure and mounting
Space and airflow around the inverter — Clear, Crowded by storage, In direct sun or a hot spot
Photos — inverter and its display
Disconnects, Labels and Connection
How the system is shut off, how it is marked, and where it ties into the house.
AC disconnect — Present near the meter, Present elsewhere, Not found
DC disconnect — Built into the inverter, Separate switch, Not applicable (microinverters), Not found
Rapid shutdown switch — Present and labeled, Present, not labeled, Not found — may predate the rule, Not determined
Where the system connects — Breaker in the main panel, Tap ahead of the main breaker, Subpanel, Not determined
Solar breaker at the opposite end of the bus from the main breaker — Yes, No, Not determined
Warning and identification labels — All present and legible, Some missing or faded, None found
Did you remove the service panel cover?
Notes on disconnects and labels
Photos — disconnects, labels, panel
Conduit and Wiring
The visible runs between the array, the inverter and the panel.
Conduit, fittings and supports
Exposed or damaged conductors outside the conduit?
Junction and combiner boxes — Closed and secure, Cover loose or missing, Damaged, None visible
Equipment grounding at the rails and modules — Seen, Not visible, Appears missing
Does conduit pass through the attic close under the roof deck without protection?
Wiring notes
Photos — conduit runs
Battery Storage
Any battery on site, where it is, and whether it is protected.
Is there battery storage?
Battery brand and model number
Capacity (kWh)
Where it is — Garage, Outside wall, Basement, Utility room, Inside the living space
Protection from vehicles and impact — Protected or out of the way, In a vehicle path without a guard, Not applicable
Status shown — Normal, Fault or alarm, Cannot read
Enclosure and mounting
Photos — battery and its label
Evidence of Production
Signs the system is actually making power.
What you saw — Inverter showing output now, Monitoring app shown by the seller, Utility bill with solar credits, Lifetime production on a display, Nothing available
Output at the time (watts)
Lifetime production (kWh), if shown
Does output look right for the size and the light? — Looks consistent, Lower than expected, Could not judge
Is there a bidirectional or net meter?
Recommendations
Who should look further, and at what.
Recommendations
What should be done
Who should do it — Certified solar professional, Licensed electrician, Roofer, The original installer, Lease or PPA company, Buyer — review the contract, Other
How soon — Before closing, Soon, Routine maintenance
Summary for the client
Not Inspected and Limitations
What you did not test or could not see, and why.
Not part of this inspection — Electrical testing of strings or inverters, Opening inverters, combiners or disconnects, Infrared scan of modules, Code or permit compliance, Review of the lease, PPA or warranty terms, Battery performance testing, Walking on the array
Did you perform any electrical testing under your own qualification?
Tests you performed, and your qualification
Areas or items you could not inspect
Area or item
Why it was not inspected — Blocked by stored items or furniture, Locked or no access given, Unsafe to enter or climb, Weather or snow, Utility or system turned off, Occupant asked us not to, Outside the agreed scope, Other
What the client should do about it
Sign-off
Who wrote this report, and the statement it rests on.
This is a visual inspection of the accessible parts of the PV system on the date of the visit. It is not an electrical test, a performance guarantee or a review of any lease, loan or warranty. Refer the items noted to a licensed electrician or certified solar professional.
Inspector signature
Date the report was issued
Home Inspection
Solar PV System Inspection (Residential)
A home inspector’s visual inspection of an installed residential solar PV system: who owns it (leases and PPAs matter to buyers), modules, racking, roof attachments and wire management, the roof around and under the array, inverters and status lights, disconnects, labels and the point of connection, conduit, battery storage, production evidence and what was not tested.
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More and more listings come with solar panels on the roof, and buyers want to know three things: who owns them, whether they are working, and whether they have damaged the roof. This solar PV inspection form is for a home inspector’s visual look at a system that is already installed — not an installer’s site survey and not an electrician’s test. It records what you can see safely, flags what needs a specialist, and lists what you did not test.
Ownership comes first
A system the seller owns outright transfers with the house. A financed one may carry a lien or a filing that has to be cleared at closing. A lease or power purchase agreement is a contract the buyer must take over or the seller must buy out, with monthly payments and terms of its own. None of that is a defect, but every one of them changes the deal, so the form asks first and puts an unknown or a lease in the summary for the buyer to follow up.
The roof under the array is the usual problem
Most solar complaints a home inspector sees are about the roof, not the panels: attachments sealed with only caulk, flashing missing at the mounts, stains in the attic below a mount, debris and nests trapped under the modules, and an old roof that will need replacing years before the array wears out. Removing and refitting an array for a re-roof is a real cost, so the form asks you to compare the two ages.
Inverters, disconnects and labels
String inverters usually sit near the meter or in the garage and show their status with a light or screen; microinverters sit under each module and report through a gateway or app. Record what you see, whether it shows a fault, and whether the AC disconnect, rapid shutdown switch and warning labels are where a firefighter or electrician would look for them. Older systems may predate rapid shutdown rules — note it, do not condemn it.
Stay inside what you are qualified to do
A home inspection does not include electrical testing of a PV system, opening inverters or combiner boxes, measuring string voltages or verifying code compliance. Unless you hold the qualification to do those things, recommend a licensed electrician or a certified solar professional, and say plainly in the limitations section what you did not do.
Common questions
Do home inspectors inspect solar panels?
Many do a visual inspection of the visible parts — modules, racking, roof attachments, inverters, disconnects, labels and conduit — and note signs of production. Full electrical evaluation is outside a standard home inspection and is referred to a qualified electrician or solar professional.
Why does it matter if the solar system is leased?
A lease or power purchase agreement is a contract that stays with the panels. The buyer may need to qualify to take it over, or the seller may need to buy it out before closing. The buyer should read the agreement early.
Should I walk on the roof around the array?
Only if it is safe and within your normal practice, and never on the modules themselves. Binoculars, a ladder at the eaves, a drone or the attic view of the mounts often show what you need.
How can I tell if the system is producing?
Look at the inverter screen or status light during daylight, ask the seller to show the monitoring app, and note the lifetime production if it is displayed. Low output on a bright day, or a fault code, is a reason to refer the system to a solar professional.
What is rapid shutdown?
A safety feature on newer systems that lets first responders reduce the voltage on rooftop conductors quickly. It is usually started by a labeled switch near the meter or service panel. Systems installed before local rules required it may not have one.