Commercial solar panel maintenance from Colt
Colt is a reliable partner for the service and maintenance of solar panel systems for businesses across the UK. Our services include both preventative and reactive maintenance for commercial solar panel installations. Our engineers are trained to service solar panels from a wide variety of manufacturers and installers.
We recognise that different technologies require different levels of testing and maintenance, and we discuss this with you as part of the project schedule. We can create a customised package tailored to suit the unique requirements of your business.
Do solar panels need maintenance?
Although your commercial solar panel system is designed to be low-maintenance and operate productively for years, unforeseen issues such as environmental factors, third-party interference, or component failure can arise in any complex electrical equipment.
As time goes on, system faults, pest damage, or component issues like inverter failure can result in lost energy generation, which could end up costing your business thousands in the long run.
To avoid losing out on valuable income and savings, we suggest periodically checking your equipment, including your inverter, for signs of faults and monitoring your production.
We recommend scheduling a professional maintenance visit for your solar panel system once a year, as outlined below. This will help detect any intermittent faults that you may have missed and safeguard your equipment against possible breakdowns, ensuring any warranties on the equipment you have purchased are upheld.
If you're interested in learning more about how we can customise a package to fit your business requirements, please don't hesitate to contact us.
How to maintain solar panels:
At Colt International we thoroughly inspect all aspects of your commercial solar system to ensure it is performing to its full potential. Below is an overview of the tests, checks and maintenance tasks we undertake:
- Visually assess the pollution and shading of the PV modules.
- Random check of PV mounting structure.
- Random check of DC connectors and DC cabling.
- Asses grounding connection points for corrosion and integrity.
- Inspect the condition of the PV modules for discoloration, delamination and hot spots.
- Take electrical test readings from PV modules, strings.
- Check inverters are running in normal mode and also check fault logs.
- Clean the internal parts of the inverter.
- Asses all warning signs/labels.
- Confirm covers and door locks are in acceptable condition.
- Confirm inverters fans / cooling function is operational.
- Visually asses all fuses, circuit breakers and disconnection devices.
- Check all communication cabling.
How frequently should solar panels be serviced?
There are no legal requirements or official recommendations for how often solar panels need to be inspected or tested, so it is often left up to the company to decide. We suggest you seeks advice from your insurance provider or compliance department.
We suggest a yearly review for certain items, a biennial review for others, and as needed for the remainder. However, the AC electrical aspect of your network is an exception, as this must comply with the latest Wiring Regulations, which we can also assist with.
For more information on best practice for your particular situation, contact us.