Solar systems are possible on Eternit and corrugated roofs – but with older panels, one question comes before all others: do they contain asbestos? Fibre-cement panels from before the asbestos ban are delicate and must not simply be drilled. That's why a reputable company clarifies the asbestos question first, before any planning – often a roof renovation is then the cleanest route. (As of: July 2026)
Key points in brief
- Eternit is a brand name for fibre-cement panels – older ones may contain asbestos, newer ones don't.
- Before any installation on old fibre-cement comes the asbestos assessment: such panels must not be worked on carelessly.
- If the roof contains asbestos, professional renovation is usually the most sensible route – and the good moment for the system.
- On asbestos-free, intact fibre-cement and corrugated panels, installation with suitable technology is feasible.
- Anyone who offers to "just screw it on" without asking the asbestos question is a warning sign.
Why are Eternit and corrugated roofs a special case?
"Eternit" is strictly speaking a brand name that has become established as an everyday term for fibre-cement panels – the typical grey, often corrugated panels that characterise many roofs and façades from the middle decades of the last century. They are a special case for solar installation because behind the harmless-looking panel hides a question that doesn't exist with tiles: the year of construction and the associated possible asbestos content.
Until the Swiss asbestos ban of 1990 – with transition periods for individual products until the mid-1990s – fibre-cement panels often contained asbestos fibres; they made the material strong and durable. As long as the panels are intact, they pose no acute danger in everyday life. It gets critical as soon as they're worked on: drilling, cutting or breaking can release fibres, and those are hazardous to health. But that's exactly what a solar installation requires – fixing points have to go into the roof. That's why with these roofs, an assessment comes before everything else.
The asbestos question first: why it belongs at the start
A reputable company doesn't start on a fibre-cement roof with module planning, but with a single question: do these panels contain asbestos? That can be roughly narrowed down by the year of construction and, if in doubt, reliably settled by a material analysis. Before that is clarified, nothing is drilled – and anyone who skips it acts neither professionally nor responsibly.
The reason is simple and serious: if the panels contain asbestos, they must not be worked on by laypeople or in the normal installation process. Releasing fibres is a health risk, and handling them is strictly regulated – removal and disposal belong in the hands of specialist firms with the appropriate authorisation. For you as a homeowner that doesn't mean the solar system becomes impossible; it means the route there goes through the right order. And this order – asbestos question first, then the system – is also a touchstone for a provider's seriousness: anyone wanting to "just screw it on" an old Eternit roof without asking the question is among the providers to be wary of.
If the roof contains asbestos: renovation as the route to the system
If it's established that the panels contain asbestos, the cleanest route usually runs via roof renovation. What at first sounds like extra effort often fits together surprisingly well – for three reasons.
First, a roof containing asbestos is a candidate for renewal anyway: it has aged, and professional removal takes a health issue off the house permanently. Second, the moment of re-covering, as with any roof renovation with photovoltaics, is the ideal time for the system: one scaffold, one building site, and the option of a roof-integrated solution. Third, the new roof is then made for decades – matching the service life of the modules, which otherwise would eventually have to be dismantled again for the overdue renovation.
Renovating asbestos-containing panels is itself a matter for specialist firms with authorisation – that's not DIY, nor the solar company's job alone. A well-coordinated project brings the trades together: removal and disposal by the specialist firm, then the new covering and the system. Anyone who plans that from a single source or closely coordinated avoids nobody feeling responsible for the interface later.
Two points often lost in planning: if the roof is also insulated during renovation, the Cantons of Zurich and Aargau pay a supplement per square metre for the system built at the same time – provided the application is submitted before construction starts. In the Canton of Zurich, the solar system quote must already accompany the insulation application. And if a fibre-cement roof was damaged by hail, private insurers include the asbestos-related extra costs – protective measures, disposal as hazardous waste – in the compensation according to the Elementarschaden-Pool guidelines.
And if the roof is asbestos-free?
Newer fibre-cement and corrugated panels – made after the asbestos ban – are harmless, and solar installation on them is well feasible with the right technology. The special case then shifts from a health question to a pure installation question:
| Aspect | What matters with the corrugated profile |
|---|---|
| Mounting | special brackets for corrugated profiles, force-fitted into the support structure |
| Water-tightness | seal every penetration professionally – the most delicate spot |
| Condition | brittle, weathered material is better renovated than drilled |
| Load capacity | check structure and fixing as with any roof |
Simplified overview, as of: July 2026. The assessment on the specific roof is decisive.
The corrugated shape requires different fixing systems than a tile roof – the brackets engage differently, and every penetration of the panel must be sealed cleanly so the roof stays watertight. Here too, what applies to every installation applies: the condition and load capacity of the roof are assessed beforehand. A brittle, heavily weathered fibre-cement roof – even an asbestos-free one – is more a case for renovation than for the drill.
When we're called to an Eternit roof from the seventies, our first sentence is never "no problem, we'll do it" – but "let's clarify the asbestos question first". To some customers that sounds like a brake, yet it's the opposite: it's the only responsible order. We've heard too often that some cut-price provider supposedly "just screws it on" – and that's exactly what you must not do on asbestos-containing fibre-cement. Mostly it goes like this: the panels are old, the analysis confirms the suspicion, and the solar project becomes a roof project with a solar system. That's rarely the news a customer expected – but in the end they have a new, healthy roof for the coming decades and the system on it right away. Companies that skip this question save the customer nothing; they merely postpone a problem that returns expensive and delicate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I install a solar system on an Eternit roof?
In principle yes, but not without prior assessment. With older panels it must first be clarified whether they contain asbestos – such panels must not be drilled carelessly. If the roof is asbestos-free and intact, installation with suitable fixing technology is well feasible; if it contains asbestos, the route usually runs via renovation.
How do I tell whether my fibre-cement roof contains asbestos?
Roughly by the year of construction: panels from before the 1990 asbestos ban often contain asbestos, newer ones don't. Only a material analysis gives certainty. Don't rely on appearance alone – a specialist company clarifies it before anything on the roof is worked on.
Why is asbestos a problem for solar installation?
Because installation requires fixing points in the roof – drilled, cut, penetrated. As long as asbestos-containing panels are intact, the danger is low; when worked on, however, harmful fibres can be released. That's why handling is strictly regulated and belongs in the hands of authorised specialist firms.
Is a roof renovation worthwhile because of the asbestos?
In many cases yes – an asbestos-containing roof is a renovation candidate anyway, and renewal takes a health issue off the house permanently. At the same time, re-covering is the ideal moment for the solar system: one scaffold, one building site, a roof for decades. The solar project then becomes a roof project with a system.
Is installation on corrugated panels harder than on tiles?
It requires different technology: special brackets for the corrugated profile and particularly careful sealing of every penetration so the roof stays watertight. For an experienced specialist company that's routine – what matters is that the fixing is force-fitted and that the panels' condition permits working on them at all.
Free initial consultation
First the right question, then the system.
On Eternit and corrugated roofs we first clarify the asbestos question and the roof's condition – and tell you honestly whether mounting on top or renovating is the right way. If the renovation is already decided, get in touch before the roofer's appointment: then we plan the system in, coordinate with the specialist firm, and the scaffolding stands only once.
Prefer to talk? +41 78 830 83 35
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Swissolar-certified specialist company · ESTI installation authorisation (Art. 14 NIV) · in Zurich since 2017 · over 150 systems completed · a personal answer from the specialist company, no call centre
Sources: SUVA (including factsheet «Installationsarbeiten auf asbesthaltigen Faserzement-Dachplatten», no. 33068) and FOPH/FOEN (handling of asbestos; asbestos ban 1990); Swissolar (mounting on fibre cement); experience from the planning and installation practice of ecoEn GmbH, Zurich region. As of: July 2026.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
