Your Guide to Solar Panel Maintenance

While solar panels do not require much upkeep and maintenance, they should be cleaned a few times per year. You should also regularly monitor your panels to stay up to date on their efficiency and performance, and inspect your panels seasonally or every few months for signs of damage. Here is your guide to proper solar panel maintenance and upkeep.

The Importance of Solar Panel Upkeep and Maintenance

Like any other exterior structure on your home, your panels are exposed to wind, rain, bird and animal activity, and other elements. While they are incredibly durable and designed to withstand extreme environments, it’s still crucial to properly maintain your solar panels. Doing so will offer a wide range of benefits:

Increased Efficiency and Performance – Regularly cleaning removes debris that could affect the performance of your solar panels.
Longer Lifespan – Checking your panels for signs of damage and cleaning them regularly can reduce the risk of damage and wear and tear. You can maintain their expected lifespan or even increase it.
Reduced Energy Bills – By improving the panels’ efficiency, you can increase energy production. This will result in lower energy bills.
Early Detection of Problems – Regularly inspecting your solar panels allows you to catch early warning signs of problems and repair them quickly. This makes repairs less expensive and lowers your risk of major issues.
Lower Risk of Costly Repairs or Premature Replacement – You are less likely to encounter costly problems or need to invest in premature solar panel replacement if you keep them in good working order and inspect them regularly.

Scheduling Maintenance of Solar Panels

Schedule solar panel maintenance to make sure you don’t forget to do crucial tasks to protect your panels and energy system. Here is a general timeline for the most important tasks:

Monthly – Inspect your solar panels each month. Look for signs of animal damage, debris, broken parts, and damaged cells, such as chips, burn marks, discoloration, water spots, or fogginess under the glass. Use your solar monitoring app to stay up to date on energy production and usage.
Seasonally – Every three months, do a light cleaning of your panels to remove dust and debris.
As-Needed – After major storms, check your panels for signs of damage.
Annually – Schedule a professional inspection and tune-up to make sure your system is operating at peak performance and efficiency.

Most Important Solar Power Maintenance Tasks

The most important solar power maintenance tasks are regular inspections and cleaning. Here is a closer look at the tasks. Don’t want the bother of doing them yourself? We can cover them with our residential solar maintenance and monitoring plan.

Use a solar monitoring app to check energy production and contact your solar provider if you notice sudden drops.
Inspect the panels for debris, animal activity or bird droppings, cracks, chips, loose wires or connections, corrosion, missing hardware, or damaged cells.
Clean the panels with a hose and a soft brush or sponge to remove all dirt, dust, bird droppings, and other debris.
Keep all trees and shrubs trimmed to prevent them from touching the solar panels or casting shade on them.
Inspect panels carefully after storms or severe weather.
Schedule a professional inspection each year.
Address damage immediately to prevent it from getting worse.

Proper Solar Panel Care and Cleaning Methods

Never use abrasive tools or chemicals to clean your solar panels, as they could damage your system. If you need to climb on your roof to clean your panels, follow all safety measures and use proper equipment to prevent a fall or injury. Here’s how to clean your panels:

Turn off your solar panel system.
Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe off stubborn dirt and debris.
Spray the panels with a garden hose.
If debris remains, use a microfiber cloth and mild dish soap, or a mix of one part white vinegar and one part water to clean the panels.
Rinse thoroughly after cleaning.
If the weather is mild, let the panels air dry. If it is cold outside, dry the panels with a soft cloth or towel.

Signs You Need Solar System Maintenance

Be aware of the warning signs that it’s time to schedule solar panel service. If you notice any of these issues, inspect your system right away:

Reduced energy production or a significant, sudden drop in daily or monthly energy output
A sudden increase in your home’s electricity bills
Warning lights or error codes on your solar inverter or monitoring app
Visible damage on your panels
Loose connections or wiring
Major accumulation of debris on or around the panels, like dirt, dust, leaves, animal nest materials, or bird droppings
Strange noises, like a buzzing or crackling sound, from the inverter
A discrepancy between what is shown on your monitoring app and what you’re experiencing in your home

Call ACE Solar Today for More Solar Panel Maintenance Tips

ACE Solar offers comprehensive solar system services for home and business owners. We handle each step of the process, from design and engineering to procurement, construction, and maintenance. We have experience in large-scale, complex commercial solar system installations as well as smaller residential solar panels. Our ACE Value Plan makes it easy for you to maintain the performance, efficiency, and lifespan of your system. We offer residential solar maintenance and monitoring plans throughout New England. We also offer comprehensive commercial solar operations and maintenance services. Call us now or contact us online to learn more.

About Solar Panel Maintenance