What Kind of Maintenance do Solar Panels Require?

Great news! Solar panels require very little maintenance. Since there are no moving parts involved in residential rooftop solar there are very few things that could affect your energy production. Solar panels will dependable produce energy for 25 years, and a lot longer in many cases. There are only a couple things you'll want to keep an eye on:

1. Panel Cleaning. Most of the time nature will take care of this, and rain will wash away all the dust and debris off of your solar panels. If it's been awhile since a good rain, you may want to gently wash your solar panels to ensure there is nothing blocking the sun rays from powering your home.

2. System monitoring. While it's very rare, you may notice a drop in power. Check your system monitoring application. It may look like a solar panel has gone dead, but it's more than likely the inverter. The inverter is the component of the system that converts the panel's DC electricity to AC electricity your home uses. If an inverter fails, it may simply need to be restarted. Call your installer for troubleshooting help, and if all else fails inverters are covered by amazing warranties so you'll never have to go without or pay for fixes.

3. Extreme Weather. Solar panels are rated to take a whole lot of hard hits. Most panels surviving some of the worst hail storms and wind you can imagine. Even if a hurricane blows through, solar panels are already included in a lot of people's homeowners insurance policy.

4. Winter Snow. Since solar panels absorb light that makes it through the snow, the panels will heat up and most of the time snow will simply slide off the smooth glass before noon. If there is too much snow you may want to clear your panels to get back to powering your home with clean solar energy. We suggest using a brush, or squeegee to simply push the snow off. If you find yourself wanting to use water make sure that it's lukewarm at the hottest. Solar panels have a top layer of tempered glass, and the extreme temperature difference when using hot water will probably crack the panels. Your panels will still work alright... but we want your house looking great at the same time, so let's skip the hot water on cold days.

Conclusion

Maintaining your solar panels is incredibly easy. There really isn't anything to it. For years to come your panels will be sitting in the same place making sustainable energy that's wallet friendly. If something ever looks funny, just contact your solar professional and utilize your amazing warranties. Seriously, 25+ year warranties, it's amazing the panel makers are able to offer that. Other than the exceedingly rare issue, just hit your panels with a hose from time to time and enjoy the sunshine.