Undertaking regular checks and maintenance is recommended for all solar panels and inverters, just as it is for other parts of your home or commercial building. While there is little maintenance required, it remains important that you know what is required and when. We're explaining the little things you can do which can help keep them working at their best efficiency and keeping your power bill down.
UNDERTAKING MAINTENANCE FOR SOLAR PANELS AND INVERTERS
After professional installation of your solar panels and inverter, there will be little to do initially. But understanding what you will need to do right from the start helps you establish a regular maintenance schedule. The frequency will vary, but can include:
- Cleaning of panels - solar panels have a large surface on which dust, foliage, moss and other debris can gather. While the rain does a great job of keeping your panels clean, regular checks will ensure you keep them clear. For specific advice on or assistance in cleaning your panels, please contact us directly.
- Visual inspection of panels and inverter - in Taranaki, it is important that you check your panels and inverter often for signs of rust and other salt spray damage including weathering. If you notice any, get in touch with us for advice.
- Inverter maintenance - like all electrical appliances, all maintenance and servicing of your inverter needs to be done by professional installers such as ourselves. An annual inspection can involve checking the electrical system, a system clean, fault identification and any required remedial work completed. As the building owner/user, monitoring the inverter display can help you quickly identify and take action if issues do arise.
- Shade prevention - keep a close eye on any tree branches or other items that cast constant shadows over your panels. When sunlight cannot be absorbed, energy product is inefficient. Reading the performance data can also help you identify if there are issues here.
- Weather dependent - while Taranaki rarely gets low snowfalls, if it does occur, you will need to remove this from your panels. A visual inspection of your panels and inverter after heavy wind, rain and hail is recommended also. Take a read of our article Are Solar Panels Suitable for New Zealand Weather for further information about this.
- Pest damage - insects, rats and possums can cause damage to parts of your solar energy system. Chewed wires, infestations, bird nests and cracked panels do occur, and should be remedied by professional providers only.
Our team are more than happy to discuss any maintenance queries you may have both before and after installation of your system. We look forward to hearing from you.
