How Much Maintenance is Required for Solar Panels?

Are you a DIY? If you’re a part of the do-it-yourself crowd, you’re not alone. We are an independent country. We like to do things ourselves. Many Americans think independence, ownership and DIY go hand-in-hand. Ownership provides us with the financial independence we seek and the freedom to make changes when and where we want.

Sunrun™ understands that there is nothing better than a job well done, and owning your home and everything in it. This includes solar panels. Recent statistics indicate that many homeowners want to own their solar system rather than lease.¹ With the price of solar going down and many financial options now available, solar ownership is becoming increasingly popular.

We want to help everyone go solar. But whether you lease or buy – you must take care of your solar system. Maintaining the health of your panels will ensure your energy savings over the next two to three decades. And that’s a long time.

So, How Long Do Solar Panels Last?

Your solar panels should last 20-25 years, and will often produce the energy you need a good ten years longer.² Solar companies usually offer robust maintenance packages over the length of their products. They want to keep you as a client for a long time, which means taking care of your solar panels precisely because they last a long time.

If you have a maintenance agreement you can buy a solar system and forget about it – simply enjoy your savings – while you help save the planet from harmful greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. Your solar company will take care of all the nuts and bolts of maintaining your system and keeping it in good shape.

But if you don’t have a maintenance plan, keep reading. We’ll cover the necessary considerations and cleaning tasks below to keep your solar panels in shape and the energy flowing.

Solar Maintenance Safety Tips

Sunrun™ can’t stress enough how safety should be your #1 concern. This is a roof and ladder we’re talking about. And you are the most important factor. Don’t engage in these tasks if you’re not comfortable or if you don’t have the right equipment.

Sometimes all you need is a hose to clean your panels from your yard. However, many homeowners must get on the roof to clean their solar arrays by hand. Remember, safety first.

Conduct Periodic Maintenance Checks & Visual Inspections

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to facilitating widespread adoption of safe, reliable and cost effective solar.³ Part of its effort is to fund the “Solar ABC” organization to improve access to standard solar codes. Routine, scheduled maintenance is part of this program. You can find more details in the report “PV System Operations and Maintenance Fundamentals.”⁴

Bottom line? You should conduct periodic maintenance checks and visual inspections to keep your solar system problem-free. Adequate roof drainage, loose wires, animal infestation… remember, your solar system will last a long time and it needs consistent and continued care. (Just like your car.)

Bird droppings, dust, grime, sand, leaves – these need to be washed off from time to time. Cleaning your panels is something you can probably do yourself to ensure your panels stay in good working order.

Mark your calendar for your hands-on solar inspections, and stick with a plan to keep your solar system clean and healthy all year round.⁵

The Best Way to Clean Your Solar Panels

Remember that your panels need light. The more sun that hits your solar panels, the more power they will produce. And because your panels are angled toward the sun – this allows for more dirt to collect. And even a small amount of grime can reduce the amount of energy collected.

Depending on where you live will determine how often you need to clean your solar panels. Do you live in a rainy climate? Then the rain could do much of the cleaning for you. Do you live in the desert? Expect sand and grit and more washings. Snow? Usually your panels are hot enough during the day to melt the snow. But even though Mother Nature can do a certain amount of cleaning – there are other elements that can dirty up your panels as we mentioned above.

You should clean your panels in the morning or later in the day. Panels collect the sun’s energy and they can be hot. Again - avoid cleaning during the hot parts of the day.⁶

The first thing to try is your garden hose. Often that will do the job. If not, you may have to clean more thoroughly. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water (you don’t need chemicals) and clean the surface by hand with a soft cloth. Check out the website “wikiHow” for a visual tutorial.⁷It may be a pesky, tedious task - but it’s important.

If you have a maintenance agreement, your solar technicians should come out and expect your panels at designated times throughout the year and would do this cleaning for you.

How Much Does Solar Power Maintenance Cost?

Maintenance costs can vary, depending on your solar company. Not all solar systems are alike, and are geared toward your individual energy needs.

Sunrun’s BrightSave Monthly™ and BrightSave Prepaid™ products come with a full service maintenance package. For those DIYers wishing to own their own Sunrun solar system with BrightBuy™ or BrightAdvantage™, Sunrun lets you receive warranties on equipment directly from top manufacturers in the industry. However, seek professional help when maintaining your solar panels.

^Sources:

^{1 - https://www.computerworld.com/article/3178342/sustainable-it/tectonic-sh...}

^{2 - https://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/...}

^{3 - http://solarabcs.org/}

^{4 - www.solarabcs.org/about/publications/reports/operations-maintenance/pdfs...}

^{5 - https://www.solarpowerauthority.com/maintain-solar-system-year-round/}

^{6 - http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_30061421/solar-panel-fires-c...}

^{7 - https://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-a-Solar-Panel}