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Maintenance And Upkeep Following Solar Panel Installation

As a homeowner, it’s a matter of responsibility to secure proper maintenance and upkeep of the various components of the home. The functionality of the appliances and various systems ensures the health, safety, and well-being of those living in the home. This includes the solar panels installed to source the electricity. 

Upon initial installation, the system will be at peak performance with optimum efficiency, remaining a viable resource for as long as decades. But this is only possible if they receive care, giving them the capacity to generate effective output. 

You can either do this as homeowner maintenance or allow a professional to service the system periodically. The benefit when the panels are taken care of by experts, potential defects are detected and repaired before they can turn into considerable damages worthy of great expense.

Upkeep Of Solar System Follow Panel Installation

The maintenance of your system after you install solar is merely about cleaning. When dust, dirt, or debris accumulates, there is a reduction in efficiency. The sun is better able to power through when these are clean and the rays can be stored, considering they are positioned correctly with little to no shade interference.

In Australia, the suggestion is, for the most part, to keep the cells positioned facing to the north. Roof pitch will also play a role in how you are able to place the panels. If north facing is not possible, there is still relatively decent efficiency in all the directions with the least favorable being south.

How often you clean the units will depend on your location. Rain will be sufficient in keeping them clean, but if you live in a dry area, you will need to take care of them more regularly than those with more rainfall. If you live in areas like these, cleaning will need to be done often:

  • Close to the freeway
  • Near heavy industrial locations or work plants
  • In dusty areas
  • By the ocean

The recommendation is to try not to climb on the roof to take care of the maintenance due to the danger. Most suggestions indicate the first cleaning should be taken care of by a professional service as an example of how to handle the process so that you are better able to do it in the future. This is due to the level of hazard involved. 

It is possible to DIY cleaning, but it’s strongly encouraged to avoid climbing on the roof. Instead use an exceptionally soft sponge and squeegee with an extended pole along with a bucket of water and soap. Harsh chemicals have the potential to damage the system. Some tips when performing upkeep:

  • The early morning is the best time of day to wash the panels before the sun is the most powerful for charging. The dew at this point in the morning will create a softness for any grime on the surfaces allowing simplicity when attempting to remove dirt.
  • Using a garden hose might make quick and easy work of the process. But it will still be necessary to “squeegee” the water off. You don’t want the water to dry on the surfaces. Tap water use will leave minerals behind which ultimately leave deposits on the cells once dry. You need to eliminate this possibility by wiping the water clear.

Even if you decide to DIY the upkeep and do so successfully, a skilled solar expert should be employed annually or every other year to inspect and clean the panels professionally. With servicing, you can learn what to do with your homeowner’s maintenance to better care for the system, so it endures an extended lifespan. Learn what happens at the end of a panel’s lifetime at https://solartrustcentre.com.au/solar-panel-end-of-life-what-happens-to-old-panels/.

Tasks For Extended Life Of The System

Once the solar system has been installed, the panels are basically maintenance-free with the exception of cleaning. While washing the units, you should inspect to make sure there are no defects or damages that will prevent optimum efficiency. These should give you an exceptional return on your investment and will do so if you engage in proper upkeep. 

Panels : Check the panels regularly for problems, or hire an expert who can gauge

  1. Moisture penetration level
  2. Cracks/damages 
  3. Sturdiness/alignment of frame
  4. Corrosion of frame
  5. Integrity of Cable
  6. Connection in the junction box
  7. Damage to inverter
  8. Reliability of seal
  9. Accumulation of water
  10. Measurements in voltage

When you’re washing the system down, you can look over the units for glaze fogging, discoloration, leaks, or any delamination. Flaws need documenting so they can be corrected.

Incorporating Time For Regular Upkeep

Homeowners have busy schedules outside the house making maintenance and upkeep challenging. Fortunately, inspecting your solar panels is not an “every-day” chore. It is a task that you need to put on your schedule for one time per week. In that timeframe you want to look at :

  • Wiring components
  • Miscellaneous connections
  • Lights
  • “Vaccine” freezer
  • Battery along with the charger/inverter
  • Charger control

The solar units should be washed approximately every three months or more often depending on location and condition. If you’re not in a congested area or near a bunch of trees in an area where there is sufficient rainfall, cleaning can be done one time a year, or six months, depending on condition. For batteries, clean those and top up each month. 

You should keep a calendar of all the maintenance you perform not just on these panels, but on the entire house so you have records in the instance of resale, and also so you don’t lose track of what you’ve done and when you did it. It’s also very convenient when an expert comes for servicing to have any potential defects documented for inspection.

Final Thought

Participating in household upkeep ensures that your home operates efficiently and effectively for the optimum safety, health, and wellness of you and your family. One of the main components is the solar panels responsible for powering your home. Take this for details on how more Australian solar service providers are professionally installing systems in houses throughout the country. 

Without proper upkeep of these units to keep them functioning, the homes come to a standstill.

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