The need for home-generated renewable energy is greater than ever as gas and electricity costs soar and our awareness of our carbon footprint grows.
For property owners, solar panels offer a variety of benefits. They produce clean, renewable energy, can reduce your energy bills and are low maintenance.
The solar system will eventually slow down due to wear and tear, and once it abruptly stops, it’s time to consider purchasing a brand-new system.
This article will examine the typical solar panel maintenance cost in the UK. Keep reading!
What Signs Point to a Need for Maintenance on a Solar System?
Solar panel systems are designed to be quite low maintenance. From ground level, check your panels for any dirt build-up or problems with the mounting system.
Checking the output of your solar system is also an excellent place to start if you suspect that something is amiss and that you might need solar PV system maintenance.
Be sure to monitor how much energy your solar system is generating each week. Numerous utilities break down your monthly electricity usage and how much you pulled from the grid.
Your system may malfunction if you use more electricity from the grid one month than you usually do.
You ought to be able to access previous production statistics if your solar installer configured system monitoring for you.
Only if the solar panels are at ground level and you are confident in your ability to maintain solar panels may you clean them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
This five-day course on Solar PV Installation includes battery storage.
ADVICE: Avoid attempting to repair any issues yourself because doing so could void the warranty that all trusted installers will provide you. It could be dangerous, as you’ll be working at a height and risk damaging the unit.
Typical Solar Panel System Damage Causes
Even though we will emphasise that solar systems normally need little maintenance, problems do happen. Here are some of the most typical examples.
- Damaged Solar Panels: These can happen in extremely severe weather and by freak accidents.
- Arc Faults: These occur when heat-produced high-power electricity is discharged between conductors.
- GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruption): GFCIs can be caused by excessive moisture in the junction box, broken panels, or damaged wiring.
Maintenance Cost of Solar Panels
The bad news is that the price of maintaining solar panels might vary depending on a few things. This entails doing frequent inspections, replacing worn-out components, and cleaning.
Depending on the solar company, homeowners might expect an annual service cost between £100 and £200.
- Maintaining solar panels – per panel | Low cost: £4 | High cost: £15 | Average cost: £9.50
- Replace the inverter (once every 25 years) | Low cost: £800 | High cost: £1000 | Average cost: £900
- Annual service | Low cost: £100 | High cost: £200 | Average cost: £150
Factors That Affect Maintenance Cost
One of the easiest to get renewable energy sources is solar energy.
Property owners are becoming increasingly aware of the many benefits of utilising the sun’s limitless power, including significant electricity cost savings and environmental preservation.
Given the rising popularity of solar energy, solar panel maintenance costs have been a topic of discussion. Your installation’s design will depend on a variety of factors.
Here are a few examples:
Type of Solar Panel
It’s crucial to put solar panels at an angle to give them the most exposure to the sun possible. This is not an issue when the ceiling is angled, but it might be if it is flat.
The installation cost will increase since the contractor must construct scaffolding to angle the panels.
The sort of ceiling you have will also be important because different roof materials require different panels’ holds. Check out these solar panel grants if you’re interested.
Solar Panel Age
It makes sense to replace your ceiling before installing solar panels if it is old and needs replacing.
This is because the solar installer will need to return to remove the system so that the roof may be replaced and then reinstall them when the time comes to cover it.
It would be simpler and less expensive to rebuild the roof while installing solar panels. A guide on how to install a solar panel is provided here.
Frequency of Maintenance
Over their 30-year or longer lifespan, PV solar systems require little maintenance.
There isn’t much PV system maintenance required to keep your solar panels working unless they have defective parts, were installed improperly, or are harmed by an external force.
The same holds for maintaining solar panels. Most of the time, cleaning your panels is not even a concern! There is a valid explanation for this, too.
Solar systems feature fewer moving parts than more complicated devices like HVAC technology, automobiles, and wind turbines.
Nevertheless, the inverter, the system’s most intricate factor, is most prone to problems.
There’s no need to worry, though. Any problems that develop within the first 10 to 25 years should be covered by the warranties offered by all major inverter manufacturers.
Location of Solar Panel
Your savings will be greater if you reside where energy bills are higher.
Most solar panels will generate more electricity and save money if you reside in an area with favourable sun conditions. Make sure that no debris on them could be blocking sunlight.
Solar panels are less expensive during their lifetime. The quicker you start to save money, the quicker you recoup your investment.
Average Cost of Solar Panel Maintenance
The typical solar panel setup doesn’t require a lot of upkeep. You will undoubtedly end up paying at least £100 per year for the service and any expenses for cleaning supplies.
The savings you’ll see from solar panels over time will make it a good investment, even though these maintenance costs cannot be ignored.
Cost of Annual Maintenance
Depending on the installer, an annual solar panel service might cost between £100 and £200.
Your solar panels shouldn’t require yearly solar panel maintenance to function well. Maintaining your packages in good working order shouldn’t cost you extra.
You typically don’t need to clean your solar panels because the UK gets enough rain for that to happen naturally.
Cost of Repairs and Replacement
Depending on what type of repair, the costs of the solar panel repairs will change.
The system frequently lasts between 20 and 30 years; however, many manufacturers will offer a guarantee of at least ten years.
However, a few components might need to be replaced along the way.
Make sure the inverters are flashing green. When the light on your inverters is flashing green, there are no glitches or faults in your energy system.
Every ten years, the inverter typically needs to be replaced.
However, several factors, such as the inverters’ potential power output, conversion efficiency, and your chosen type, will affect how long it lasts.
Replacing the old one with a new inverter, you should budget between £500 and £1,500.
Fortunately, you should only pay for this once every ten years if you take good care of your solar panels installed.
Having your solar panel system serviced at least once a year is one way to maintain it.
Benefits of Solar Panel Maintenance
- Improved Efficiency: Solar panels generate power by converting sunlight. If the solar panel’s surface is dirty, it can shade the panels, lowering efficiency. Clean solar panels can increase performance by removing dust, bird droppings, snow, debris, and other pollutants like leaves and insects. If you perform routine solar panel maintenance, you will also eliminate any accumulation of dirt that might otherwise impede your solar panels’ efficiency from increasing over time.
Reduced Risk of Damage: Cleaning your solar panels will extend their longevity and lengthen the entire system’s lifespan. You can also use some cleaning chemicals to safeguard them against dust and other material that could shut them down. These solutions can also be used for cleaning tasks outside the home because they function just as well on surfaces like wood, asphalt, and concrete.
