Solar Panel Repair and Maintenance
Solar panel systems are one of the best ways to go energy independent and reduce your carbon footprint on the environment. With rising energy prices, thousands of people are going solar every year and installing solar systems around the world. But owning a solar panel comes with a lot of responsibilities, chief of which are repair and maintenance.
Buying Your Solar System is the First Step
Buying a solar panel system is like buying any other electric product- they need to be maintained and repaired properly over time due to wear and tear. This applies to solar installations as well as they're mostly made up of electronic components starting from the batteries, and converters to the solar panels themselves.
Solar systems are robust and durable, but still require a certain level of maintenance as they're made up of many moving parts. You can easily understand when you need to pay attention to maintenance or repairs when your solar panels start acting up and produce less energy than they were supposed to.
Potential Causes of Solar Panel Malfunctions
Residential solar panels are often more prone to solar malfunctions compared to commercial solar panels. Damaged solar panels can start producing less energy or stop working entirely due to a multitude of reasons.
These include:
Micro-cracks and Hotspots
Since solar panel systems are exposed to the outside environment to collect energy from the sun they're exposed to rough weather which over time starts creating cracks on the surface of the panels. These cracked panels get worse over time, leading to reduced performance of your solar energy system. One way of determining if performance has been reduced is to hire your local solar company to do a home energy audit.
PID Effect
PID stands for Potential Induced Degradation which happens when the voltage fluctuation between the earthing and the panel causes damage to the internal components, primarily the main circuit.
Internal module damage
Several components of the inner module of a solar panel can be damaged from snail trails, delamination, PV cell staining, burning of the panel's front or back, and more. These kinds of damages require repair and replacement.
External module damage
Rough weather conditions such as snow storms, sandstorms, hail storms, and heavy rain can significant damage to the exterior modules of the solar panel, leading to broken panels. They can be caused by other external factors such as animal bites, broken ranches, lightning, etc.
Solar Panel Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance of solar panels there are two types- maintenance actions you can take and maintenance actions that have to be taken by a solar installation expert. On your part keeping the solar panels clean on a regular basis and monitoring the health of the panels using the monitoring system is the best you can do. For solar panel cleaning you can use a garden hose and a piece of lint-free dry cloth. This type of maintenance works well for any solar panel design.
Your panels should also be checked by a solar panel expert on a frequent basis (at least one annual inspection), usually from the solar installer company that installed your panels. These routine maintenance checks will prevent long-term damage build-up that might render the panels useless, requiring you to replace them.
Solar Panel Repairs and Expenses
Solar panel repair costs can vary significantly depending on which part of the panes or the solar energy system has been damaged. All good solar panels come with a panel warranty, so if your panels need to be replaced within that period, then your solar panel repair cost will be significantly lower.
A solar power system will usually require minimum repair and maintenance if installed and positioned strategically. The replacement process of solar panel systems is often done quickly, ensuring your system returns to optimum power output in no time at all.
Choosing the Best Solar Repair and Maintenance Service
Local Solar is not only one of the best local solar companies but one of the best solar panels repair companies in Southern California. Led by solar installation veteran Joe Mendez, our crew of expert and experienced solar panel installers will take care of all your solar panel repair and maintenance needs.
Whether it be periodic cleaning or additional maintenance we will take care of it all! For all your solar system maintenance and repair needs, call us at 949-662-3167 or fill out our contact form to get in touch with our sales reps who'll answer all your queries!
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