Your Warranty May Be Voided
Solar companies can be tricky with their warranties, giving them plenty of outs should there be issues with the panels. Having your panels regularly cleaned and maintained may be a condition of the warranty in some cases
It Can Limit Your Solar Energy Production
Solar panels work by transferring solar radiation to usable energy, in this case, electricity- hence the more light available on the panel cells, the more energy it will generate for you.
Solar panels do have a protective film to help keep them clean but this is no silver bullet.Your panels must be maintained in order for you to get the most out of your system, all year round.
The angle of your solar panels, the location, the environment, the humidity (creating mould), the amount of birds that are around ect – all have an effect on how much dirt and debris will build up on your panels. This is known in the industry as dirt depreciation, as the film of dirt, mould etc gets thicker, less and less usable solar energy is transferred through to the cells under the glass cover.
The dirt depreciation on your panels will really affect their performance and the rated output of panels up to 30-40% in some cases.
The reduced solar output can affect daily production and your feed in tarrif return, so it is proven that regular cleaning of your panels will protect your investment and ensure they keep performing well over the life of your system.
Catching Solar Panel Problems Early
An experienced solar serviceperson who is good at their job will identify handling, installation and manufacturing problems early.
Which means that you can hold the installer and manufacturer to account for their workmanship and product while they are still operating and in business.
Unfortunately, we see a regular occurrence of installers going out of business after a period of time.
Manufacturers, who may seem to be well marketed and bigger than Ben Hur, disappear from Australia once there starts to be major issues with their products.
Then what happens is that you start having issues with your solar, only to find that your installer has gone out of business and there is no one around to honour your warranty.
You are then left high and dry, with a faulty system that is very costly to fix but caught earlier, could have been replaced or fixed under warranty or under installers obligation to rectify issues.
Having your solar system regularly serviced and cleaned by a reputable and proven solar service company protects your investment.