Switching to solar to meet your energy needs is a great choice from both an environmental and economic perspective. Most systems are built to last a few decades, during which time they can allow you to take advantage of government incentives and become energy-independent. That doesn’t necessarily mean they can just be left alone for the entire time during which you have them, though. Though they’re typically designed to need very little maintenance, it’s possible your system will have some maintenance needs for you to stay on top of. The extent of these needs will vary depending on a few different things.

Solar Switch is a San Diego solar panel company handling these needs for residents every day. Through our experience working with a range of different people in different areas, we’ve identified a few concerns that come up frequently for people thinking about installing solar panels on their property, which we’ll address in this blog post.

Is solar panel maintenance difficult or complicated?

For the most part, maintaining your solar panels mainly involves keeping them clean and unobstructed to receive as much sunlight as possible. The biggest challenge with this for most people may be accessing the panels. Residential installations usually take place on the roof of a home, which makes getting up close to them more dangerous than with ground-level panels. This is especially the case if you’re inspecting the panels after harsh weather conditions which make surfaces more slippery, like rain or snow.

Some specific tips for maintaining your panels include:

• Focus on the panels during a dry or snowy season: Most of the time, panels are placed on an incline, even if they’re standing panels placed on a flat roof. This means that rain will often wash away any debris that’s covering the panels. It’s when rain is absent for extended periods of time, or other precipitation like snow hits your area, that paying closer attention to your panels and keeping them clean becomes more important.
• Clean your panels properly: Hosing your panels down or using a leaf blower will typically be enough to clear away anything that might interfere with their ability to receive sufficient sunlight. Make sure you don’t use hot water when you’re clearing away snow or ice, though, as this can damage the tempered glass most panels are constructed with.
• Install a solar panel monitoring system: Having a system in place to monitor the condition of your panels may prove tremendously helpful for catching any damaged or under-performing panels quickly.

You can read more about these points in detail in this article from Solar Reviews.

How much does it cost?

If your system sustains damage from debris or weather events like hail storms, you should hire professionals for repairs, as they’ll be experienced, trained, and certified to handle the kind of work that’ll be necessary to fix or replace any of your panels. The potential costs of this work make it essential that you purchase a warranty for your solar system before installation.

According to Fixr, the cost of repairing small-scale issues with your panels like broken glass, obstructions from trees, and loose wiring range from $20-$400. Bigger repairs range from $150-$2,000.

More expensive repair jobs include fixing a broken inverter, which can cost between $1,000-$2,000, or repairing roof damage underneath the panels, which can cost between $2,000-$3,000. Replacing panels carries the biggest maximum cost of all, ranging from $1,400-$6,000.

Trust a professional San Diego solar panel company with your maintenance needs

If your maintenance needs go beyond the tasks you can handle on your own, trust us to get your solar system up and running quickly at its highest possible level of energy production. Book a free consultation with us now to learn more about this, or about installing a system on your home.