Solar Panel Maintenance Guide,How to maintain your solar panels?
Solar panel maintenance is a critical step in ensuring proper operation and longevity of your system. Here are some recommended solar panel maintenance guidelines:
Another type of maintenance you’ll want to perform on your solar panels is an annual inspection. During a solar panel inspection, a professional (usually your solar installer) comes to your home and inspects your panels to make sure everything is working properly.
Solar panel maintenance includes regular cleaning, inspection, and maintenance to ensure proper operation and maximum efficiency. Here are some recommended solar panel maintenance steps:
Cleaning: Clean the solar panel surface regularly using a soft brush or cloth to remove dust, bird droppings, leaves and other debris. Keeping panels clean helps improve energy conversion efficiency.
Check connections: Regularly check your solar panel’s cables and connectors to make sure they are not damaged or loose. Loose connections may affect current transfer.
Monitor performance: Use a monitoring system to regularly check the performance of your solar panels. If any abnormalities are found, take timely measures to repair them.
Repair damage: If you find any broken or damaged solar panels, they should be repaired or replaced promptly. Damaged parts may reduce the efficiency of the entire system.
Trim surrounding plants: Make sure surrounding plants do not block sunlight from reaching the solar panels. Prune branches and plants regularly to maintain optimal sun reception.
Check brackets and frames regularly: If solar panels are mounted on brackets or frames, check their stability and integrity regularly. Make sure the brackets and frame are not rusted or damaged.
Prevent ice and snow from accumulating: In cold climates, take steps to prevent ice and snow from accumulating on your solar panels to ensure proper operation.
Standard solar panel warranty
The standard warranty for solar panels is usually provided by the manufacturer. Warranties typically range from 10 to 25 years, depending on the manufacturer and product model. During the warranty period, manufacturers typically promise to repair or replace defective solar panels to ensure their performance and quality.
For example, a 300 watt panel must be able to produce at least 240 watts of power until the warranty expires. There are some manufacturers that offer a 30-year warranty and claim that their solar panels will provide 85% efficiency during the warranty period. In addition to performance and output, solar panels come with a workmanship guarantee. This type of warranty covers various types of manufacturing defects, such as frame failure or damaged junction boxes. Typically, a 10-year warranty on workmanship is provided, which is enough to require customer service or even a replacement.
Why do solar panels degrade?
Crystalline silicon solar panels can experience high rates of degradation when exposed to extreme weather conditions. For example, panels subjected to heavy snow loads, wind and heat will indeed lose their structural integrity and efficiency. Conversely, panels installed in a favorable climate will show minimal degradation rates.
Some other factors that lead to solar panel degradation are given below.
Installation issues
If you want to extend the life of your solar panels, there are some basic aspects you need to consider. Typically, solar panels are not fragile or prone to defects.However, you need to be careful when connecting them to the solar system and arranging them in arrays.In fact, installing solar panels requires considering not only the safety of the solar panels, but also the safety of the connected systems. Although solar panels are durable, they are still susceptible to threats during installation. For example, if the installer mistakenly steps on the panel, it could break the built-in circuitry.
Although manufacturers use tempered glass for extra protection, solar panels cannot withstand constant stress. This can lead to microcracks in the PV cell, which often leads to accelerated degradation.
External factors causing degradation
Dirt is the most common factor affecting the lifespan of solar panels. Tiny dirt particles begin to accumulate on the surface of solar panels, reducing the amount of sunlight the photovoltaic cells receive. NREL research has shown that solar panels have a median degradation rate of about 0.5% per year but the rate could be higher in hotter climates and for rooftop systems. A degradation rate of 0.5% implies that production from a solar panel will decrease at a rate of 0.5% per year.
Additionally, these panels are more likely to lose power due to soiling when mounted on a flat surface. Although it is very easy to install solar panels on a flat roof, this can cause more dust to accumulate on the panels.
Weather also plays a role in panel degradation, which in some cases can be catastrophic.
Storms have the potential to damage your solar panels. After breaking off a tree, branches can fall onto the panels and initiate the degeneration process. Therefore, solar panels must be installed at a considerable distance from trees.
In addition, birds can pose a threat to the structural integrity of solar panels. They prefer dry areas under panels for nesting. They even drip different materials onto the glass, which inhibits the efficiency of the panels to a great extent.
Factors affecting the life of solar panels
1. PN binding degree
The degree of combination of PN and the purity of the silicon wafer determines the intensity of electrical energy generated by the solar panel under the same light. As time goes by, the PN junction will continue to break, so the efficiency will continue to decline. After 15 years, the conversion efficiency will be more than 90% , will drop to about 85% in 25 years. This leads to a continuous decline in luminous efficiency, and the loss is its service life, so the life of photovoltaic modules is basically more than twenty years.
2. Working environment
As time goes by, the solar panels will also be covered with a lot of dust, so the conversion efficiency of electrical energy will also decrease. Because the solar panels accumulate a lot of dust, the charging capacity of the battery will also be reduced, which will lead to a shortened lighting time. Gradually shorter.
3. Silicon wafer quality
In the early days, due to the poor quality of the packaging materials used for solar panels, the quality of the silicon wafers was substandard. The substandard quality of the silicon wafers will directly affect the service life of the solar panels, so solar panels need to be repaired in time.
4. Photovoltaic module output power
In the early stage, the output power of photovoltaic modules will reduce the life of the solar panel, mainly because the output power will drop significantly during the first few days of use. In the later stage, due to stable use, light and current injection into the silicon wafer will also reduce the life. .
5. Hot spot effect
During the use of solar street light panels, under the sunlight, some parts of the solar panels are blocked and cannot obtain solar energy, causing the temperature of the parts to be too high, causing burns and dark spots. Such heat The fatal problem is that the entire solar cell module is directly damaged, so the solar panels must be maintained and cleaned frequently.
How often do solar panels need maintenance?
Since solar panels require minimal maintenance and the most common problem is dirt and debris buildup, the frequency depends on where you live, climate, environment, and weather. If you live in an area that has a storm season, you may need to clean your panels more frequently during this time of year. Alternatively, if you’ve experienced a period of no rain, it might be a good idea to get on your roof (or hire someone) to inspect the panels for dirt that’s built up.
Solar companies recommend cleaning your solar panels at least twice a year, regardless of weather conditions and where you live. This will reduce the likelihood of excess dirt and debris accumulating on the panel. The longer it goes, the more buildup will build up and the harder it will be to clean.Cost of maintaining solar panels
While the cost of solar panel maintenance is usually fairly low, it may be worth taking any costs into consideration. This can help you figure out how long it will take for the panels to pay for themselves. This includes annual inspections, which are typically not included with your home solar system. Fees vary, ranging from $150 to $300 per visit.
Additional maintenance or repairs resulting from this inspection should also be considered. Some solar panel companies offer free mobile apps to monitor usage. If not, you can buy it yourself. There may be a small fee for these solar monitoring apps.
For example, if you spend $300 a year to have your panels cleaned twice a year, plus $200 for annual maintenance inspections, factor that cost into your equation when considering your break-even point for getting solar annual cost.
Knowledge about solar panel maintenance and warranty
A warranty is a solar company’s promise that if your home solar panels don’t work properly or are defective, it will repair or replace them. Manufacturer warranties typically cover solar inverters, solar cells, and defects in workmanship and materials. A panel warranty, also known as an equipment or materials warranty, covers the actual equipment.
Installers are also guaranteed. A solar panel company’s workmanship warranty covers any damage or defects during the installation of your home’s solar panel system. A production, performance, or power output guarantee guarantees that your solar panels will produce a certain amount of raw energy (or output) over time. A weatherproof warranty protects your roof and solar panels from leaks or damage caused by wind and rain. Manufacturer and installer warranties are limited, usually ranging from 10 to 25 years. They vary depending on the manufacturer or installer, the type of panel, and where you live. There are caveats and restrictions. Read the fine print.
Your solar panel warranty may state that your panels are only covered if they are properly maintained. For example, if you don’t clean your solar panels regularly and debris builds up that shortens their lifespan, your warranty may not cover them.
Solar Panel Maintenance FAQS
Are solar panels easy to maintain?
Solar panels maintenance are still relatively easy to maintain because they are angled, which allows debris, snow, and ice to slide off easily. Spraying solar panels with a garden hose is a simple task, but don’t try spraying them with a pressure washer as the force can damage the panels.
Do require solar panels maintenance?
Solar panels typically don’t require much maintenance other than periodic cleaning and keeping them free from obstacles that can cast shadows over the panels. Solar panels need an unobstructed path to the sun to operate optimally.
How should we care for and solar panel Maintenance?
First: In terms of time, solar panels are generally cleaned when the sunlight conditions are not good, such as in the morning or evening.
Second: Before cleaning the solar panel, you should first check whether the solar panel is damaged, and whether its connecting wires and related components are damaged or adhered;
Third: Do not use hard and sharp tools or corrosive solvents and alkaline organic solvents to wipe solar panels. Try to choose soft tools such as sponges and cotton towels.
Fourth: Pay attention to the cleaning of the entire panel, especially the corners where dirt is prone to accumulate, to avoid load resistance caused by partial shielding, which affects power generation efficiency.
Conclusion
solar panel maintenance cost more than many of your home appliances. But the good news is that they also require less maintenance and have a significantly longer lifespan. The only regular maintenance for solar panels is cleaning and annual inspections. Otherwise, as long as your panels are functioning properly, they won’t require any additional maintenance throughout the year.
