Church Solar Insurance: What PCCs Need to Know

The insurance picture

UK parish solar installations require careful handling of three insurance dimensions: building insurance (the panels as part of the church fabric), public liability (during install and ongoing), and contractor insurance (the installer’s own cover). Most parishes are insured by Ecclesiastical Insurance Office (EIO — the dominant insurer of UK churches); the EIO process is well-established for solar PV.

This article sets out what PCCs need to know about insuring solar PV on a UK church, ahead of, during, and after installation.

Before installation

Notify your insurer. Standard practice before any major works to a parish building. EIO and other church insurers (Methodist Insurance Company, Catholic-specific insurers) have specific solar PV notification processes. Typical requirements:

• Description of works (system size, location, installer)
• Confirmation that the installer holds adequate public liability (typically £5m+)
• Confirmation that the installer holds adequate professional indemnity (typically £2m+)
• Confirmation of MCS commercial certification
• Estimated value of the installed system for future re-valuation of buildings cover

EIO and most church insurers will not charge an additional premium for the works themselves; they may adjust the buildings sum-insured to reflect the higher reinstatement value post-install. Typical premium impact: £30-£150/year additional after install for the increased asset value.

Confirm contractor’s insurance. We carry public liability of £10m and professional indemnity of £2m as standard, plus IWA-backed workmanship warranty. Most reputable installers carry similar cover. Always verify in writing before signing contracts.

During installation

Public liability. Our public liability insurance covers any damage to the church fabric or injury to third parties (parishioners, contractors, visitors) during install. The parish doesn’t need separate coverage for the install period — our cover handles it.

Damage scenarios. Common scenarios that we have processes for: slate damage during access (replaced like-for-like), accidental impact on stained glass (very rare, replacement via specialist glaziers), electrical fault causing fire (cover via PL + IWA), drone damage to surrounding fabric (cover via PL).

Worker injury. Our risk assessment and method statement cover Working at Height regulations, fall protection (scaffold or roof anchor systems for any roof access), confined space (electrical cupboards), and manual handling. Our PL covers any worker injury that the parish might somehow be implicated in.

After commissioning

Buildings cover adjustment. Post-commissioning, your insurer (typically EIO) will reassess the buildings sum-insured. The solar system adds reinstatement value of £15,000-£100,000 depending on system size. Premium impact typically modest (£30-£150/year).

Public liability ongoing. Standard parish PL extends to the solar system. No additional public liability cover needed for the system in normal operation.

Specialist solar PV cover. Some insurers offer specific solar PV cover for theft, malicious damage, lightning strike, etc. EIO typically includes this as standard within their parish package. Worth confirming in writing.

IWA workmanship warranty. Our 10-year IWA-backed warranty covers installation defects (e.g. leakage from poor flashings, loose fixings) for ten years. The IWA aspect means the cover is underwritten by an independent insurance underwriter, so it survives if the installer ceases trading.

Manufacturer warranties. Panels (25-year performance warranty), inverter (10-15 year warranty), batteries (10-year warranty), mounting (typically 25-year). These are separate from buildings insurance and from workmanship warranty — they cover defects in the components themselves.

What insurance doesn’t cover

Wear-and-tear degradation. Panel output decline of 0.4-0.6%/year is normal and expected. Not an insurance claim.

Theft (rarely an issue). Solar panels are difficult to steal from heights and have no secondary market for stolen components. Theft claims are very rare. Most parish insurers cover theft as standard within building contents cover.

Damage from acts of God (with caveats). Lightning damage is typically covered by buildings policies. Earthquake damage is theoretically covered but exceptionally rare in the UK. Severe weather damage (1-in-100-year events) typically covered subject to standard policy terms.

Generation income loss. Most policies don’t cover loss of SEG export income during system downtime. The financial loss from an inverter failure causing 2-4 weeks of downtime is typically £100-£400; not normally claimed against insurance.

Specific scenarios PCCs ask about

“What if a panel falls off?” Modern installations use multiple-point clamping systems with substantial safety margin. Panels falling is extremely rare. If it occurred, our PL would cover any damage to third parties or fabric.

“What if the system causes a fire?” Modern panels and inverters meet stringent fire safety standards (BS EN 61730, BS EN 62109). System fires are very rare — modern MCS installations have lower fire incidence than typical residential electrical systems. EIO/insurer policy covers fire damage as standard.

“What if water leaks through where the panels are fixed?” Reversible non-penetrative clamp fixings on slate/tile roofs almost never cause leaks. Where penetrative fixings are used, leakage is rare with proper flashing detail. Our IWA workmanship warranty covers any leak from our install for 10 years.

“What if a parishioner is injured during install?” Our PL covers this. We work to construction industry safety standards (CDM 2015 compliance), maintain risk assessment and method statement documents on site, and have site supervisors with relevant qualifications.

What we recommend PCCs do

Before signing contracts:

1. Request written confirmation of installer’s PL, PI, and IWA cover
2. Notify EIO (or relevant church insurer) of the proposed works
3. Get written confirmation of any premium implications
4. Confirm post-install buildings sum-insured adjustment process

After commissioning:

1. Notify EIO with system specification and installed value
2. Ensure post-install premium adjustment is correctly applied
3. Keep all warranty documentation (panel, inverter, battery, workmanship) in parish records
4. Annual review of insurance covers as part of routine parish governance

For most parishes the insurance picture is straightforward. The combination of standard church insurance, installer PL/PI, IWA-backed workmanship warranty, and manufacturer component warranties provides comprehensive cover. We handle the documentation and notifications as part of our standard project work.

Request a free feasibility that includes insurance briefing. See also our methodology page for the full project pathway.