Well, you take care of your car each year, right? It’s also wise to have your solar system in Sydney inspected annually. We don’t notice them easily, but dirt, dust, and grime can affect your solar panel’s performance, and it’s a good idea to get them cleaned. Usually, a solar installer in Sydney will inform you about this. We are here to help you understand what exactly you should pay attention to.
What are the important factors for solar system maintenance?
The best solar panels in Sydney, installed by experienced and qualified electricians, are designed to operate with low maintenance requirements in the long run. As they are still an electrical asset, it is mandatory to have a qualified electrician yearly to inspect the following components of your solar system in Sydney to ensure they are working efficiently:
- The system is performing as designed
- Any factors that are leading to the poor performance of your solar panels
- All components are operating safely and are not at risk of falling or causing more extensive damage to your site.
How often should we conduct solar panel system inspections?
For a residential solar system in Sydney, we recommend a full electrical inspection every two years. However, it is recommended for larger commercial systems (over 40kW) to schedule a maintenance inspection annually to ensure the system is operating efficiently and safely.
The monitoring systems are a crucial element of your solar power system.
They are providing insight into performance.
- Issue diagnostics.
- Identifying if you need maintenance earlier than scheduled.
Do the solar panels need cleaning?
You must have noticed some dust and dirt on your roofing material. A solar panel will also collect dirt, debris, and other obstructions throughout a period. In most areas in Australia, if your solar panels are installed at a tilt of 5 degrees or higher, heavy rainfall can help you clear the collected dirt from your panels and keep your solar system operating without material soiling losses.
The improvements in solar panel technology and inverter technology, such as Half-cut silicon cells or panel optimisers, have made solar systems more resistant to shading and dirt buildup. An experienced electrician can advise whether there is a need to clean the solar panels through a thorough inspection of the solar panel system.
Solar panels installed flat on a roof or exposed to unusual conditions, such as large local bird populations, numerous trees around your house, industrial area pollution, or near coastal areas, will need to be cleaned more regularly.
Do hail and extreme weather patterns affect solar panels?
The Solar System Sydney is designed and rated according to the environments in which it is installed. An experienced solar installer in Sydney will ensure that the mounting system and roof substructure are designed to meet the wind rating and survive the usual and unusual weather conditions in your area.
Each of the solar panels is designed and tested to withstand ice up to 35mm (approximately the size of a golf ball), as approved by Australian Standards. This almost covers 99% of weather conditions. In scarce circumstances, some suburbs in Australia are expected to get bigger hailstorms.
A solar system in Sydney is a valuable asset for your house, with an expected lifespan of 25 years. To optimise and maximise your return on investment, we recommend having a yearly inspection and adopting a maintenance plan to ensure your solar system’s efficiency.
Ideally, it includes a regular health check for the system performed by an experienced and qualified electrician to identify any issues and proactively preserve the asset’s value. Still, it could also include regularly checking the system’s monitoring software and reactively resolving issues onsite as and when they arise.
