Maintenance for Solar PV Systems in Ballarat and Surrounds
Solar panel cleaning plays a crucial role in your system’s ability to capture sunlight and convert it into energy. Any obstruction preventing sunlight from reaching the silicon on your panels can negatively impact your system’s performance.
Panels installed at a steep angle typically self-clean during heavy rainfall, but when is it necessary to clean your solar panels, and just how important is it?
Many Australian homeowners wonder how to properly clean their solar panels and whether cleaning impacts their system’s efficiency.
Once installed your solar power system is low-maintenance and will provide power for many years with rain providing most of the cleaning required.
Get a high quality system from Ballarat Solar Panels and Effective Electrical to avoid future issues.
We’re here to look after our customers for at least the next 25 years.
Signs your solar panels needs cleaning
- Visual Inspection: If you notice any visible obstructions preventing sunlight from reaching your solar panels, or if they appear discolored, it’s a good indication that it’s time for a cleaning.
- Reduced Performance: If your monitoring system shows a drop in performance (for example, generating less power than usual, even when accounting for sunlight differences from last year or last month), it may be time to contact a professional solar service technician, such as a Ballarat Soalr panels Technician.
- Insect or Pest Activity: An increase in insects or pests around your solar panels can signal that they are attracted to the accumulated dirt, pollen, or organic matter. Cleaning the panels soon can help prevent further damage.
- Panels with Minimal Tilt (Flat or Less Than 5 Degrees): Solar panels with little to no tilt lose the benefit of rainfall to naturally wash them off. As a result, dirt builds up more quickly, requiring more frequent cleaning.
Costs of cleaning your solar panels
Ballarat Solar Panels and Effective Electrical offers a Solar PV Systems Maintenance service for grid connected, hybrid and off grid installations.
Grid connected maintenance package for an average size residential system is $350.00 inc GST for up to 20 panels, single story building in Ballarat.
This includes
- Cleaning the panels
- Checking array structure
- Checking array cabling – mechanical
- Checking array cabling – electrical
- Checking array output – voltage and current
- Checking inverter functionality
- Checking inverter cable connections
- Checking circuit breaker operation
- Checking all electrical connections
- Checking cabling and conduits
We will also review isolators, CB’s and plugs to check if they are compliant and in good condition.
If there are parts that require replacement we will replace these during the maintenance visit as long as the work is able to be completed in the allocated time. If the work is extensive we will arrange for a revisit to replace any parts that are either non compliant or or in need of replacement. e.g DC isolators, circuit breakers, MC4 connectors
Off grid systems maintenance covers additional items and will be charged on a per hour rate.
Please contact our office to discuss your requirements.
If we change parts during the maintenance visit we will only charge you a materials cost for these items.
We provide a written report for all items checked.