Are Solar Panels Difficult to Maintain?

The system on your home can be refreshing, but with every new technology, it comes with new ways to ensure maintenance. While it can be exciting to save money and provide a clean source of energy for you and your family, how much does it cost to maintain these systems?

Once solar panels are installed, there are a couple of factors to consider and some of them can be easily performed on their own or outsourced to professionals.

Over the years, as solar panels are becoming more popular, the cost of maintaining solar panels has dropped significantly due to a better understanding of energy-generating panels. The general maintenance of the solar panels is actually quite low and this is due to a couple of factors:

First, solar panels don't have many moving parts that reduce the risk of breakage and cracks and general wear and tear on the equipment. That said, I'm out all day every day, from 40 degrees to winter chills.

Dust and debris occasionally fall on the panels over time, but usually, slip away due to the installation angle of the panels, however, some of these particles can remain on the panels and obstruct the rate at which sunlight is absorbed by the panels. This will result in a general reduction in energy production.

Pro tip: most of this can be avoided by regularly checking the panels, removing any particles with a simple soap and water solution. An easy way to monitor this is from the comfort of your living room by occasionally checking the monitoring software on your phone. The most modern systems allow the user to control the average output for the day or week. If that output has been decreasing over the course of a few months but the time is the same, you may need to clean the system.

Before cleaning

Before doing this, however, check the direction of the manufacturer for cleaning. Special instructions or warnings for cleaning the panels may be present. Another thing to consider if you've ever chosen do-it-yourself is to choose a nice day to clean your panels. The panels may be too hot if you choose to clean it around noon. It is advisable to clean it first in the morning or later in the evening.

In colder regions where snow often falls, maintenance is also relatively easy as most of the snow that lands on the panels will slip away due to the tilt of the panels or simply melt away from the sun or the internal heat generated by the panels when they absorb sunlight. However, it is still advisable to check the panels and manually remove any excess snow.

Do-it-yourself or professional cleaner

Despite the do-it-yourself nature of most maintenance, it is also advisable to occasionally request professional help to verify solar panels, especially if the panels are installed on a very high roof that is not easily accessible, these professionals can analyze and evaluate any internal faults that may have occurred inside the solar panels. They can also evaluate overall power and efficiency and advise you on how to ensure that solar panels last for an even longer period.

In addition, when it comes to ensuring when properly installed and maintained, solar panels can last up to 20 years. In these 20 years, you would have cut your bills significantly, generated a large amount of electricity and provided enough clean energy for the benefit of your community.

How often should I clean my panels?

It is recommended to clean the panels once or twice a year. Properly cleaned solar panels have been reported to result in up to 3-5% higher efficiency. In addition, you can simply determine if your panels need cleaning or maintenance if you check your power supply. If you notice that there is a decrease in efficiency, it means that your panels need cleaning and maintenance. If you choose to ignore it, there is a great chance that the life of the panel will drastically decrease, so be sure to take the time to clean and maintain the panels.

Conclusively, solar panel maintenance isn’t a very expensive or difficult venture, as long as you follow simple guidelines, then you can power their house efficiently for years without much stress.

Cost of maintenance of a solar system

Solar panel systems are simple and inexpensive to maintain. In practice, you have to clean them every 6 - 12 months depending on the climate or the region where you live. The cost will depend on whether you choose to do the job alone or to go with a professional. The use of a professional panel cleaner will cost around $ 225 for a 5 kWh system (16-20 panels) each time they go out to clean the panels.

Since you will need to do this every 6-12 months, you can calculate an average of around $ 350 per year for cleaning costs. If you choose to do the job yourself, you're looking for $ 35 for a special detergent (although most manufacturers suggest high-quality dishwasher liquid) and other cleaning tools. They will cost around $ 125 as a one-time purchase.

Conclusion

Solar panel systems are not difficult or expensive to maintain. The biggest outlay is the initial purchase and installation cost. The amount saved on energy production will significantly offset the tiny system maintenance costs with clean light every year.