Solar Panel Maintenance: Everything you need to know

 Solar panels may need regular cleaning and maintenance throughout their life cycle. This is because dust, debris and weather effects can impair the performance of photovoltaic cells over time. Maintaining your solar panels ensures they always work at maximum efficiency.

But what exactly does "maintenance" mean to solar panels, and how often do you need to clean them? Is there an easy way to reduce the maintenance cost of solar panels?

That's what this blog is about: How to maintain your solar panels with minimal stress and cost. Read on to learn more.

Do solar panels need maintenance?

Your panel doesn't need regular maintenance like a boiler: it's more "fit and forget." However, annual cleaning is useful to keep the panel in tip-top shape. For anything else, our extended insurance support warranty coverage can help.

Most solar PV cells work most efficiently when they are clean and free of debris. In some cases, the dust gradually covers the cells themselves, reducing the amount of sunlight they absorb over time.

So the focus of maintaining and cleaning solar panels is to remove accumulated dust and any other debris that may have accumulated on them.

However, your panels do not require regular mechanical maintenance. They have no moving parts, which means your panels don't have frayed wires, frayed surfaces, broken mechanisms, etc.

How often should I clean my solar panels?

After installing the panels, you need to know how to make them work properly. There really is no right or wrong answer. In general, we believe there is enough rainfall in the UK to clean the panels for you. In most cases, you should not clean the panels yourself, but rather ask window cleaner to clean them regularly with water and a soft brush.

However, some people clean the panel twice a year, others once a year, and others don't clean the panel at all -- although we don't recommend doing so. More than twice a year is probably a waste of your time.

Keep an eye on yours to see how quickly they get dirty. Maybe you live in a place where it rains a lot, which prevents the panels from getting too dirty; Maybe there are many birds. Do what's right for you. If you live in an area with a lot of rainfall, you may find that you don't need to clean them at all.

How to install and place solar panels properly?

Another thing to keep in mind is that you may want to avoid installing solar panels in the shadow of trees or nearby birds.

Shadows not only reduce the effectiveness of panels, but may also encourage birds to fly over and land on trees, which you don't want. This is the basic thing that any solar installation engineer will keep in mind. You can discuss any potential concerns about the installation with the Solar Together installer during the survey.

Working with professionals to install them is critical on this topic. While solar panels don't have any moving parts, a few things can go wrong:

Improper roof anchor installation can damage your roof tiles or make panel connections unsound.

The panel must be connected to the inverter. The panel itself has been pre-wired but should still be wired by an MCS certified installer; Problems include dangerous grounding or bare cables.

If the support leg is mounted too low on the panel, an Angle that causes wind load stress may occur.

Therefore, a poor installation not only means higher maintenance requirements, but can even be dangerous.

Install bird nets for solar panels

A good way to prevent birds from causing problems to your solar panels is to install netting, "bird barriers" or bird deterrent kits.

These are different names for roughly the same thing. After installing the panels, you can install mesh, netting, or metal ribbons to keep birds out from underneath the solar panels. These also help prevent environmental "hazards" such as tree branches piling up around the panels.

How do you clean solar panels on your roof?

Although we think the AMOUNT of rain in the UK is enough to clean your solar panels, if you do choose to clean them yourself, here are some ways you can do it safely.

From the ground, spray the panels with water as if they were Windows. This will remove most of the accumulated dust and dirt.

If you have more severe caking on your solar panel, you can try increasing the water pressure by pinching the end of the hose or connecting a nozzle and then spraying with it. If that's not enough, try using a sponge or spatula. You don't need any special tools or cleaners, which can actually damage the protective film on the surface of the solar panel.

If you clean the panels yourself, you should be very careful about your safety and not damage the solar panels.

How does extreme weather affect solar panels?

Like all kinds of electronics, solar panels can be affected by extreme weather.

In cold weather, solar panels are great. When covered in snow, your panel can't convert light into energy, but its surface means the snow should melt and slide off.

In very hot weather, the voltage generated by the panel is reduced and so is its efficiency.

Solar panels work well in stormy weather. They come with waterproof surfaces that keep them clean and clean. They don't increase your chances of your house being struck by lightning.

On windy days, solar panels work fine. If properly installed, they are safe even in strong winds.

This means that even if you live in an area that experiences extreme weather, your panels should not have additional maintenance requirements.