Solar maintenance

Rain handles most cleaning. Paying for a recurring panel-washing subscription is usually a waste of money unless you live somewhere with heavy dust, pollen, agricultural activity, or long dry seasons — and even then, compare the cost against the production you are actually losing in your monitoring data.

Do not clean panels with a pressure washer, abrasive brushes, or harsh chemicals, and think hard before climbing on a roof at all. Falls are a far bigger risk than a few percent of lost output. If cleaning is warranted, hire someone insured for roof work.

The maintenance that matters most is watching the numbers. Look at monthly production against the same month last year. A meaningful unexplained gap is your early warning for a failing inverter, a shading change, or a dead microinverter — well before you would notice it on a utility bill.

How to choose

Check monitoring monthly

Five minutes a month catches faults that would otherwise go unnoticed for a year.

Trim trees on a schedule

Shade is the most common cause of quiet, gradual production loss. Trees grow faster than people expect.

Skip the cleaning subscription by default

In most climates rain does the job. Buy cleaning only when your production data shows soiling is costing you more than the service.

Inspect penetrations and conduit periodically

Have a qualified installer or roofer look at flashing, mounts and wiring — ideally while the workmanship warranty is still live.

Keep your paperwork together

Warranties, model numbers, monitoring logins, permit and interconnection documents. You will need them when selling the home or filing a claim.