If you are reading this article then you may have recently installed solar panels in your home and are interested in ways in which you maintain your new solar panels. There are lots of factors like weather that can cause damage to your solar panels so what should you do to ensure safety of your solar panels?
Read on to find out about some maintenance tips that will ensure your solar panels are kept in good condition and serve your power needs for a long time.
About solar panels
These systems are built to be incredibly durable. They need no or very little maintenance during their productive lifetime. This is likely to span around 25 years or even more. However, there might arise unwanted situations when things might go wrong. In such a case, the warranty offered at the time of purchase will cover the solar panel components.
You do not have to worry about the expenses incurred in repair and replacement costs. Leasing the solar panel system will mean, the company take care of the maintenance and repairs of the solar panel system.
Basically, these systems are do not require any kind of maintenance during their lifetime. They are manufactured using quality tempered glass and designed to withstand rough weather including hail. They do not have any movable parts with the exception of a few tracking mounts. Thus, the problems arising from its installation is reduced to a large extent.
When maintenance is concerned, you just need to clean the debris accumulating on the panels. Issues generally arising with the panels’ performance usually are associated with electricity production. Hence, most installers recommend users to monitor the system’s production. Therefore, by paying adequate attention to potential production changes, you will be in a better position to identify the issues. Accordingly, they can be addressed proactively.
Solar panels generally do not require any cleaning. The rooftop panels kept at an angle is likely to clean off by itself with rainfall. But if you reside in areas experiencing lots of dirt, dust or smog, there are chances of witnessing dip in production. This becomes more prominent if there is low rain. However, cleaning the panels can help derive remedy to this issue and ensure better electricity production.
What if you have roof mounted panels, something you are not able to reach yourself? This will require calling in the professionals to clean the panels on the roof. It is essential to protect the panels from unwanted damage. You can get good reference from your installer.
A malfunctioning, untidy or damaged solar system is likely to leave behind a breadcrumb trial with regards to its energy output stats. You may install a good solar monitoring system, or monitor the system software or electricity bill.
Doing so can help narrow down the issues faced if the system experiences faster than normal degradation. Identify as well as address protectively the issues by checking constantly the changes taking place in production. This way, you can ensure that issue does not blow out of proportion and become a major one.
Before investing in solar panel systems, do remember to check out the different types of warranties, offered by the manufacturer. Comprehensive warranties do offer adequate protection to issues taking place during its lifetime. It also assures of providing coverage and support to tackle unlikely events like falling tree branches or hail.
Warranties are also provided on power output. This type of warranty assures that panel performance will be as promised at the time of purchase until the specified term. Usually solar panel is for a period of 25 years. The manufacturer, for example, may offer a warranty as an assurance that peak power output will be above 85% for about 25 years.
A few reputed manufacturers might also offer additional warranty on their solar panel systems. This warranty assures higher output level in a short time period. Secondary warranty, for example, might assure 90% for initial 10 years of initial power output.
Panels are also offered with workmanship warranty. It provides protection against defective panel parts for initial 5 years. Solar inverters also are offered with 10 year warranties. Such warranties, in some cases, require you to pay a small amount or do not involve any maintenance costs during the system’s lifetime.
This is the very first and most important step to undertake when planning to buy a solar panel system for your house. You should get a comprehensive quote from different companies that you have narrowed down for the purchase. The quote should clearly mention the guarantee on the product and the kind of protection and coverage they will provide. It should also include the tenure for which they will provide protection.
