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Companies refuse to insure Palm Beach County homeowner with solar panels

Cara Clark says at least 5 insurance companies said no to insuring her home
Posted at 6:38 PM, Jun 07, 2024

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — As more Floridians turn to solar panels to try and save money on energy costs, some homeowners are finding it hard to find homeowners insurance.

"Go green and now we don't have options," homeowner Cara Clark said.

She said her Tesla solar system has left her scrambling for a policy in Palm Beach County.

"It put a lot of panic," she said. "We started calling anyone we could. We reached out to many agents and the no's started coming back."

WPTV reporter Matt Sczesny speaks with homeowner Cara Clark about her difficulty obtaining insurance.
WPTV reporter Matt Sczesny speaks with homeowner Cara Clark about her difficulty obtaining insurance.

Cara says the no's came from at least five insurance companies.

"Solar panels have become an issue," Robert Norberg of Arden Insurance in Lantana said.

"One is they are subject to fly off the roof, two is the repair costs can be very extensive," Norberg said.

Norberg said some companies will offer homeowner policies but it takes some effort to find them.

Robert Norberg discusses why some insurance companies are denying coverage for homes with solar panels.
Robert Norberg discusses why some insurance companies are denying coverage for homes with solar panels.

"Some carriers say, 'We won't take solar at all,'" Norberg said. "Others say, 'We will take them if they're installed by a solar contractor, or if they are certain types, or certain number of panels.'"

In the end, Cara Clark said she did receive a policy from Kin, an online insurance company.

"It's OK, [we] didn't have much choice," Clark said. "We were going to have to take what we get."

If you have a question or comment about homeowners insurance, email me at matt.sczesny@wptv.com