Frequently Asked Questions
What Homeowners Should Know About Solar Maintenance and Repair
What Solar Maintenance Can the Homeowner Perform?
We do not recommend the homeowner address any concern with the functioning of the solar panels, solar power inverters, or electrical components of any kind. However, awareness and monitoring of the solar energy systems is a big part of keeping the investment maximized. For example, here are a few items you may feel comfortable trying:
- Routine review of your bills for any unexpected increases.
- Regularly checking any monitoring system reports and paying close attention to any monitoring or inverter alarms.
- If access allows, quickly inspect your solar system hardware after significant storms.
- Stay aware of pests such as birds or squirrels.
How Do I Know My Solar Energy System Needs Maintenance?
Should Solar Panels Be Cleaned?
In New Jersey, rain and snow can be your friends. Dust and small debris often are rinsed by rain or melting snow.
However, we always recommend you keep track of your solar system monitoring. Films and residue can cause slow and and sometimes minor performance degradation.
Large debris, including leaves, limbs, and other trash should be removed.
What Are the Costs of Maintaining a Solar Energy System?
A 2022 study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) suggests homeowners on average should budget $31 per kW per year. The study was based on historical costs, and it covered systems with solar power technology that is now 10 and 20 years old. Still, at less than $250 a year, the study results are affordable.
Actual repair costs in 2024 vary depending on the nature of the damage, the applicability of warranties, and the quality of those warranties. EPC Solar offers a free first phone consultation. During this call we may be able to advise you on warranties, and we will at least collect the information to help make that determination.
Do Solar Warranties Cover All Repair Costs?
There are two types of warranties applied to solar energy systems - those which cover components and those which cover workmanship from the original installation. Here are a few tips about solar warranties:
- Depending on the original manufacturer, component warranties may cover manufacturer's defects and replacement labor.
- Older systems with solar panels and inverters manfactured a decade or more in the past tend to have shorter warranties. Modern practice is to warranty solar panels for 25 years up to 40 years. Inverster are typically warrantied against defects for 10 years.
- Only your original installer can address your workmanship warranty, if any.
- Generally, component warranties against defects do not cover damages due to poor workmanship at installation. EPC Solar will give you a fair assessment during our inspection about any condition related to workmanship.
