Solar panels have no moving parts and need little attention, which is why many people forget about them after the installation. A system still benefits from being looked at from time to time, because small faults can go unnoticed for a long time.
Look at the monitoring
The easiest check is free. Most systems report their output through an app or a portal. Compare a month with the same month last year, allowing for the weather, and look for days with no output at all. A sudden drop, or an inverter message that keeps coming back, is a reason to have the system checked.
Planned maintenance
A planned preventative maintenance visit goes through the system as a whole: the condition of the panels and the mounting, the cabling, the isolators and connections, the inverter and its settings, and the monitoring. The point is to catch loose connections, damaged cabling or a failing component before it turns into a loss of output or a safety problem.
Thermal imaging
A thermal camera shows differences in temperature across the panels and the connections. A cell that is overheating, a damaged panel or a loose connection can show up as a hot spot even when the system still appears to be running. The checks are best done in good sunlight when the system is producing.
Inverters and fault-finding
The inverter works harder than any other part and often reaches the end of its life before the panels do. A fault is found by working through the system in order, from the panels to the inverter to the consumer unit, until the source is isolated. If an inverter does need replacing, the new one has to be compatible with the existing strings and, if there is one, the battery.
Cleaning
Rain does a lot of the work, but bird droppings, moss, leaves and dust can build up on panels, especially on shallow roofs and under trees. Cleaning should use a method that does not damage the glass or the seals, and the manufacturer’s instructions apply. Climbing on a roof to clean it is a work-at-height risk, so we do not recommend doing it yourself.
Planning something like this?
If your output has dropped or you would like the system checked, email us the make of the inverter and a screenshot of the monitoring. You can read more on the maintenance, cleaning & diagnosis page.