Complete Guide to Solar Panel Maintenance: Recommendations and Tips
Buying solar panels is a long-term investment. When you install a solar system, you expect it to produce electricity for 25 to 30 years. But to use it for that long, you must perform solar panel maintenance.
Solar panel maintenance cost depends on the type and degree of maintenance the solar panels require. The cost is higher for solar systems with a greater capacity. We shall discuss everything about solar panel maintenance on this blog.
Solar panel maintenance can be broadly categorised into 3 categories:
- Preventive Maintenance
- Corrective Maintenance
- Module Deep Cleaning
Let’s understand what each of them means:
1. Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance involves check-ups of the solar panels to ensure they don’t suffer any serious damage. Even if a solar panel has a problem, timely preventive maintenance will ensure that it is solved before it becomes a major issue.
It covers testing the technical, electrical, and mechanical aspects of solar panels. The process also includes the wiring checks of the solar panels and how they are set up on the mounting structure (panel orientation check).
2. Corrective Maintenance
Corrective maintenance is also called on-call break-down service. Corrective maintenance is called for if you find any problems with the solar panels. For example, if you spot cracks in the solar panels or the nuts and bolts fixing the solar panels to the mounting structure are not tightened properly, you can ask a solar professional for PV panel maintenance.
3. Module Deep Cleaning
The performance of solar panels can fall by 30% if they are not cleaned for 6 months. This is because dust, pollution, and bird droppings on solar panels can drastically reduce their capacity to absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity. With deep cleaning, you can clear your solar panels to ensure smooth and efficient power generation.
You can read our blog on solar panel cleaning to learn about it in detail.
How Do You Maintain Solar Panels?
It depends on the type of solar system you have.
If you have solar panels at your home, you could make efforts such as cleaning the dust and pollution on the solar panels on your own with soft cloths and running water. But we recommend that you hire a professional to clean the panels to avoid any damage to them.
If you are talking about solar systems in a factory, it will be difficult for you to look after the maintenance of your solar panels. The number of solar panels in a commercial and industrial set-up is too big. It is impractical for you to make efforts to maintain such a large number of solar panels.
The maintenance of solar panels can be taken care of by an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC). You can visit our website to get the best AMC in India.
Dos of Solar Panel Maintenance
Here are some of the dos of solar panel maintenance:
- Check the connections of your solar system and ensure there is no corrosion.
- Ensure there is no debris, leaves or any other objects on the solar panels.
- All the switches of the solar system must be in proper condition.
- Secure all cables to ensure they stay in the right position.
Dont’s of Solar Panel Maintenance
Here are things you must avoid to get the maximum results from your solar system:
- Don’t let shadows cover your solar panels. It reduces the output of your solar system. If there is something causing shadow, you need to remove it.
- Don’t use high-pressure water to clean the solar panels. The water must be applied gently to the solar panels.
- Never use any abrasive chemicals or materials to clean the solar panels. It can damage the solar panels.
- Don’t use very strong chemicals to clean the solar panels.
Tips for Maintaining Solar Panels
Here are some tips you can follow for maintaining solar panels:
- Schedule regular maintenance of the solar panels.
- Regularly inspect the solar panels visually to check for any cracks, scratches or damage to the solar panels.
- Always shut down the entire solar system before performing maintenance on the solar panels.
- When you bought the solar panels, you may have received a manual with instructions on how the solar panels are to be maintained. Follow those instructions while maintaining the solar panels.
- Track the output of your solar panels. If you notice any sudden dips in output, your solar panel may need a check-up.
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How Often Should Your Solar Panels Be Maintained?
The frequency of solar panel maintenance depends on the type of maintenance you want to carry out.
Here’s a table which shows the frequency at which solar panels need maintenance:
| Type of Maintenance | Frequency of Maintenance |
| Preventive Maintenance | Once in 3 months |
| Corrective Maintenance | Whenever the solar panels are damaged |
| Module Deep Cleaning | Once a month, 10-12 times a year |
How to Know When Your Solar Panels Need Maintenance?
The best thing you can do to know if your solar panels need maintenance is to track their output. A decline in power production is an indicator of something being wrong with your solar panels. In such a case, you should contact a solar professional to check your solar panels.
How Does Extreme Weather Impact Your Solar Panels?
For the most part, the average Indian weather condition does not have too much impact on solar panels. While windy weather can lead to dust accumulation on the solar panels, clouds can hinder the electricity generated by solar panels.
However, you must ensure the mounting structure is robust enough to hold the solar panels strongly during storms. The mounting structure must be made of galvanised iron or zinc and withstand strong winds. You read our blog to learn more about solar mounting structures.
When Should You Repair or Replace Your Solar Panels?
A solar expert must evaluate your solar panels and decide if your solar panels need to be repaired or replaced.
Most solar panels are covered by product and performance warranties. The panel manufacturer could replace your solar panel if the damage is covered by a warranty. Solar panels usually have a product warranty of 10 to 15 years and a power output warranty of 25 to 30 years.
If you see a decline in power output from your solar panels, you can hire a professional to check whether they need cleaning, maintenance or repair service.
To sum up, solar panel maintenance is crucial for the longevity of a solar system. It is important to schedule regular maintenance of solar panels. You must track the power production of your solar system and check if the output is consistent. A drop in power output could mean that your solar panels need maintenance. At the same time, you must ensure that the solar panels remain clean. You should ideally clean solar panels at least once every month.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of maintaining commercial solar panels depends on the type of maintenance you want, and the type, number, and condition of the solar panels.
You should ask a skilled and experienced technician to repair your solar panels. Refrain from doing it yourself as you could end up damaging the panels.
While the panels should be cleaned at least once every month, preventive maintenance can be carried out every 3 months.
PV panel maintenance is necessary to ensure they work at full efficiency and to prevent any damage to the panels.
2 Comments
Charles Stewart
I have learned everything I need to maintain my solar panels.
Ajay Mishra
I love the research you have put into this.