Solar PV systems require very little maintenance, but we are here if things do go wrong. We suggest you have a PV safety inspection every 5 years so that any signs of trouble can be detected early. Apart from electrical testing, we can also check the panels using our thermal imaging camera to detect localised hot spots.

Top Tips

  • Keep an eye on your system and the amount of electricity it’s generating. This will familiarise you with what to expect and alert you to when something might be wrong.
  • If your panels are mounted at an angle less than 20 degrees they will tend accumulate dirt, pollen, sap and algea. We suggest having them cleaned every year at the end of March.
  • If the inverter stops working the first thing to check is the circuit breaker (in your fuse box).
  • If you notice birds nesting under panels have pest netting fitted as a matter of urgency.

Sussex Solar offer the option of a monitoring and maintenance package in order to ensure their Solar PV system will perform to its optimum year after year.
The cost of the package varies depending on the size and complexity of your Solar PV system. Please Contact Us for a quotation for this service.

Jackdaw nest under PV panels will lead to damage and inverter shutdown Birds nest on the PV cables and connectors Nesting birds and chicks can destroy insulation, causing inverter shutdown. Overheating DC connection causes plug to melt. Overheating cell on a PV panel is visible using our Flir infrared camera. Electrical junctions within a cell causing localised hot spots. Faults in the PV cells cause hotspots and burn through the back-sheet.

Jackdaws nest under PV panels

Birds shred the PV cables causing earth faults.

Nesting birds damage DC cables and connectors.

DC connector plug melts at the inverter.

Thermal imaging identifies manufacturing defects and PV panel flaws.

Faulty junctions in this PV cell creates heat and burns the back-sheet.

Flaws in the manufacturing process cause localised overheating.