Do Long Island Solar Panels Need Maintenance?

Residential solar panels don’t need any significant maintenance outside of occasional cleaning. Solar panels and high-quality microinverters are designed to run reliably for at least 25 years.

Power Solutions installs the most reliable residential solar panels on Long Island. Learn the essentials of solar panel maintenance as you prepare to switch to clean energy.

What Should I Do to Keep Home Solar Running Smoothly?

The only solar panel maintenance needed for a residential system is occasional cleaning, system monitoring, and visual inspections. This is a significant difference from what you might expect with other major home features like your heating system or air conditioner.

Here’s why each aspect of solar panel “maintenance” matters:

• Solar Panel Cleaning: Cleaning is necessary to remove surface dirt that can reduce efficiency. The average home needs solar panel cleaning every one to five years, depending on local conditions. Most homes are on the longer end of the range, thanks to Long Island’s clean air with low particulate contamination.
• System Monitoring: Your Long Island solar installer will set you up with solar monitoring apps for your smartphone and other devices. You should regularly check your system’s output so that you can detect any performance dips that might suggest a problem.
• Visual Inspections: Solar panels are almost always visible from the roadside, so you can perform a quick inspection without getting on to your roof. Check for any obvious surface damage, like cracks, and ensure there is no debris on your solar panels.

Do I Need to Have Solar Panels Professionally Inspected?

Generally, you won’t need a professional solar panel inspection unless there’s a problem with your system.

The best solar installers on Long Island offer long-term support and 24/7 availability. At Power Solutions, our team actively monitors your system for reliability, so if something goes wrong, there’s a good chance that we will notice it before you do. We will contact you if we need to visit on-site. This is all included with our SMART Solar Program.

In most cases, problems are related to system reporting rather than anything physical. A simple reset of your internet connection is usually enough to get everything working as normal.

In the rare case that a panel or inverter fails, a technician will visit your home to replace any necessary components, check the electrical connections, and ensure everything’s running smoothly.

If a Solar Panel Dies, Will the Whole System Go Down?

One faulty panel can potentially take the system down if every panel is connected to a single string inverter. In some cases, the string system will dramatically lose efficiency rather than go completely offline.

String inverters are wired in series, creating a “string” of solar panels. This type of system is less efficient overall and not the preferred option for Long Island homes.

At Power Solutions, we believe that reliability and performance outweigh the slight cost increase of microinverters. Microinverters are wired individually to each panel, meaning that one faulty panel won’t affect the whole system.

Microinverters are also more efficient because partial shade will only affect a few panels, rather than the whole system.

Choose an Experienced Solar Installer for Low-Maintenance Residential Solar

Power Solutions is Long Island’s best solar panel installer and one of the highest-rated solar companies in New York. We install dependable solar panels with microinverters to make maintenance and upkeep as simple as possible.

Solar will save you money by reducing the amount of electricity you take from the grid. With no significant solar panel maintenance necessary, there are also no ongoing costs outside of occasional cleaning.

Start with your free home solar estimate and get ready for your energy independence.