Solar detach and reset in Arizona means taking your panels off the roof so the roof can be replaced or repaired, then putting the same system back on and bringing it back up. The quote for that work uses a handful of terms that are easy to skim past. Knowing what each one means helps you compare bids and ask better questions.
Phoenix Solar Removal does detach and reset for re-roofs and roof repairs across Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and Scottsdale. Here are the words you are likely to see.
The two halves of the job
Detach. Everything that happens before the roofer starts: shutting the system down, taking panels and racking off, labeling, and staging the equipment. Some people call this removal or uninstall.
Reset. Everything that happens after the new roof is on: setting new mounting points, putting the racking and panels back, reconnecting, and confirming the system produces. You may also see it called reinstall or remount.
A detach without a reset leaves you with a new roof and a system sitting in the yard. The panel reinstallation page explains why the reset is what gets the system earning again.
Electrical terms
Inverter. The box that turns the DC power from your panels into AC power your home can use. Some systems have one inverter on a wall; others have small inverters under each panel.
DC disconnect. A switch that separates the panels from the inverter. Opening it is part of making the array safe to handle.
Lockout. Locking and tagging the disconnects so the system cannot be switched back on while the crew is working. The solar panel removal page covers this step in detail.
String. A group of panels wired together. On reset, each string has to be reconnected the way it was designed.
Roof and mounting terms
Racking or rails. The metal framework the panels clamp onto. It comes off after the panels and goes back on before them.
Mounting feet. The attachment points that hold the racking to the roof. They are the parts that pass through the roofing.
Penetrations. The holes left in the roof deck where the old feet were. Once the array is off, those belong to the roof, and your roofer details them into the new roofing.
Flashing. The weatherproofing piece that seals around each mounting point. On reset, the array goes back on with new feet and new flashing at each point, not the old ones.
Deck. The roof surface under the roofing material. A clear deck is what the roofer needs for tear-off.
Job and paperwork terms
Labeling. Marking each panel for its row and position, and tagging the wiring the same way, so the array goes back the way it came apart.
Staging. Where the equipment waits during the roof work - stacked, padded, and out of the roofing crew's way. Our post on staging during a re-roof goes deeper.
Photo documentation. Before-and-after photos of the array, organized so they can go into an insurance claim file if the roof work is tied to one.
Production check. Confirming at the inverter that the system is actually generating after reconnection. This is the line that tells you when the offline window ends.
Own line. On a roofing company's bid, the solar work priced and invoiced separately from the roof. Phoenix Solar Removal works that way whether you hire us directly or your roofer brings us in.
Questions worth asking once you know the terms
- Does the reset include new feet and flashing at every mounting point?
- Where will the equipment be staged, and is it labeled by row and position?
- Who details the old penetrations into the new roof?
- How is production confirmed before the job is called done?
FAQ
Is detach and reset the same as removal and reinstall?
Yes. Different companies use different words for the same two halves of the job.
Do the same panels go back on?
Yes. The same panels and racking go back on the new roof, on new feet and flashing.
Does my house lose power during detach and reset?
No. The house stays on utility power. Solar production stops until the system is reconnected and tested.
Who handles the roof penetrations?
Your roofer. Once the feet are off, those holes are part of the roof job.
Next step
Have a roof bid with solar on it? Send the address, rough panel count, and target date through the contact page, and Phoenix Solar Removal will tell you what the detach and reset takes.