The best way to insure that your system is installed safely and correctly and to avoid any potential problems related to improper installation is to have a professional licensed contractor do the installation for you.  Professional installers can also take care of yearly maintenance checkups and remove panels if you should need to get to the roof for any reason.  See the “Links and other Resources” for information on how to find a licensed contractor.

Some roofs are easier and less expensive to work on, composition shingles being the simplest to work with.  Some are much more difficult, slate being the most challenging.  A solar installer with experience in mounting PV systems will be able to effectively install a system on any kind of roof and should be able to install the system while avoiding any possibility of creating leaks.  Talk to your PV provider and/or insurance company about how having a PV system installed might affect your roof warranty.