What maintenance do solar panels need?

What maintenance solar panels need

The reassuring answer is: little, but not none. A well kept self-consumption installation produces what was expected for many years; a neglected one can lose output without you noticing, because it keeps working even while it underperforms.

The maintenance tasks

1. Watch production. The inverter app tells you how much the panels produce. An unexplained drop on sunny days is the first sign of a problem.
2. Clean the panels. Dust, pollen and bird droppings reduce output. In the dry summers of Seville, Spain, dirt builds up.
3. Check the inverter: errors, ventilation and temperature.
4. Check the protective devices on the DC and AC sides, the fuses and the surge protector.
5. Tighten connections and inspect cabling exposed to the sun.
6. Check the mounting structure and its fixings to the roof.
7. Thermal imaging of the panels, to detect cells or connections with hot spots.

How to clean them without damage

• With water and a soft brush, ideally early in the morning or at dusk, when the panels are cool.
• No abrasive products and no strong pressure washing.
• If they are on a roof, do not climb up yourself: the risk of falling is real and you could damage the panel.

How often

We recommend a professional service once a year and keeping an eye on production in the app all the time. Cleaning depends on the dirt: when output drops on clear days, it is time to clean.

What it costs

A service for a home installation has a guide price of 120 to 300 euros, depending on size and whether it includes cleaning and thermal imaging. The checks follow standard UNE-EN 62446 for photovoltaic systems.

Signs something is wrong

• Production drops sharply or gradually without the weather changing.
• The inverter shows errors or switches off.
• A protective device trips in the solar board.
• You see broken panels, dark patches or damaged cables.

When to call an electrician

Call if your installation produces less than expected, if the inverter shows errors or if it has never been serviced. In Seville, Spain, we carry out solar panel maintenance and extend or renew installations through solar panels.