Do you need maintenance on solar panels?
Although Solar PV systems and arrays are generally low maintenance, there are still a number of checks that should be carried out periodically by a competent person to ensure the systems are at maximum efficiency and avoid any potential faults. A Solar PV system has a life-expectancy of between 25 and 30 years, with regular maintenance on the system and all its components this expectancy can easily be met.
Is solar system maintenance a legal requirement?
In a nutshell, no it is not a legal requirement- however there are some regulations that do need to be taken into consideration such as mentioned below.
Domestic
The term domestic refers to a solar array on a person’s own home/property. While there are no legal requirements for solar system maintenance on domestic properties, regular maintenance is neccessary to reach and maintain optimum performance. Although some forms of maintenance can be carried out by the homeowner, there are a number of methods that require a qualified person.
Commercial & Landlord Properties
Commercial and Landlord properties fall under different legislation to that of domestic ones. Maintenance on these properties and the electrical components such as Solar PV installations is a fundamental requirement of the 1989 Electricity At Work Regulations. The Duty holder is under legal obligation to “ensure electrical systems are maintained“ Involved in these regulations is keeping records of any maintenance undertaken; this is essential as it keeps information on the Solar PV system up-to-date and accurate.
Types of Maintenance
There are two types of maintenance on solar pv systems and arrays- maintenance the homeowner can carry out and is responsible for, and that of the installer/ qualified person. There are different levels of intensity and frequency to these as can be seen below.
What you can do
On a monthly basis, it is advised that you take a meter reading in order to obtain data that can be used to analyse any trends and anomalies in the PV array and energy performance.
Regular visual checks should also be carried out to ensure the panels are clean and free from dust; the panels should be rinsed with water once a month for optimum performance- full care instructions should be provided by your installer.
Another visual monthly check is for shade excess, any obstruction to the panels acquisition of UV rays (sunlight) i.e. tree branches. Any obstructions should be safely removed by a capable person.
What we can do
In addition to basic monthly checks, thorough annual and 3-4 year inspections and maintenance on solar pv systems should be completed... this is where we come in.
Annual Solar PV array maintenace
In summary, annual checks exist to check the system integrity and the array performance. These maintenance checks can involve, but are not limited to:
- PV Junction Box- this involves inspecting the connections and fuses, removing any debris and recording current levels.
- PV Array Surface Area- the panels and earthing connections are checked for any damage.
- Inverter- a number of checks will be carried out at the inverter including DC input voltage and the AC output, LED functionality, the state of the equipment and kWh production since initial operation.
Triennial Solar PV maintenance (every 3 to 4 years)
Every 3 to 4 years the annual checks and array maintenance should be carried out as normal with some additions.
- Inverter check- in addition to the annual inverter check, every 3-4 years a thorough inspection should be carried out for water penetration and humidity etc.
- Re-commisioning- we will repeat the comisisoning measurments to ensure everything aligns and the Solar PV array is perfomring to the best of its ability.
- Measurements- Peak ouput measurements should be taken, especially if a fault is suspected.
Bison Electrical Services team of electricians offer our solar system maintenance services throughout Suffolk and Norfolk, including the towns and cities of Norwich, Lowestoft, Beccles, Bungay, Harleston, Diss, Halesworth, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Southwold and beyond. To find out more about our solar system maintenance services, or to ask for a quote, call us on 01502 512219 or email info@bisonelectrical.co.uk.
