Taking care of solar panels is an essential task that every homeowner who owns one should know. This is especially crucial since a number of factors can cause problems to these solar systems.
Besides that, regular wear and tear due to environmental factors will eventually cause solar panels to break down. When you keep your solar installation system in check regularly, you’ll know when some part of it will require repair or replacement before things get worse.
In this post, we’ll discuss solar panel services, how proper maintenance can impact efficiency, and if hail can cause problems to your solar system.
How Often Do Solar Panels Require Maintenance?
According to the Clean Energy Council (CEC), solar panel owners should set up a yearly maintenance schedule for their systems to make sure they are safe and working as intended. However, a quality solar panel system has a significantly low risk of experiencing problems early on.
Some experts suggest having these systems serviced once every 5 years or so. If you don’t feel confident that your solar panels were installed correctly, then you’ll need to have them inspected frequently by an expert.
A couple of red flags that should prompt an immediate inspection include the following:
- Experiencing a sudden change in the solar panel system’s output
- Seeing an alert or warning from monitoring software or the inverter
If you encounter any of these situations, you should call your installer promptly and let them know that you need to have your system checked.
Are your solar panels working? If you’re unsure, read our blog on how you can check.
How Often Should Solar Panels Be Cleaned?
You should clean your solar panels once you notice significant dirt accumulation on them to cause a major change in their output.
Fortunately, advanced monitoring systems available today will allow you to easily compare solar panel production. These systems will help you identify dirty panels or when the entire system isn’t producing the energy it’s expected to generate.
How Much Can Cleaning Solar Panels Impact Efficiency?
Cleaning your solar panels can improve the energy efficiency of your system by about 5 to 10%. However, for small residential solar panel systems where savings can only be by tens of dollars, it’s best to just let rainwater clean them naturally.
However, a 5 to 10% reduction in solar panel energy production can be significant for utility and commercial-scale solar farms. This might be the only situation where you can benefit from hiring a professional solar PV panel expert to clean your systems.
Can Solar Panels Be Damaged By Hail?
Hail falling down from the sky can travel at speeds of up to 140 kilometres per hour. Although quality solar panels are made using a thick layer of tempered glass, they can still be damaged by fast-moving hail.
Even if the system appears to not have been harmed by a hailstorm, its internal components and solar cells might be damaged due to the impact of the hailstones hitting the panels.