Need to Know: Solar Maintenance and Upkeep
If you own a solar home or you’re considering a solar home purchase, you may be wondering what it’s like to maintain a solar home. What is it that you need to do in order to ensure that your solar is operating correctly and running efficiently?
It is human nature to want to improve something when we get it. When someone buys a new truck, they might run out and put a lift on it or put bigger tires on it. When someone buys a new home, they might remodel the kitchen or replace the flooring or add window dressings. When someone gets a new cell phone, they run out and get a nice screen protector put on it, complete with a cool case and a car charger. We love to accessorize and improve our new gadgets and toys.
While you can certainly add to your solar system that you now own, for many there will not be any need to make changes after the solar home is purchased. In the future, you may want to add or adjust the solar system if it is not adequate for your electricity needs and household size, or if your electricity habits are different or larger than the previous homeowners. To find out if your solar home is adequate, contact spark@sparkhelp.com to have an energy audit conducted to ensure that your new solar system is the right size for your household.
Once you have verified that you have the right system size for your specific household needs, the ongoing maintenance necessary for solar, and ongoing things that you may need to do for solar, are very minimal.
The number one thing that you will need to do on an ongoing basis is monitor your system production.
Surely, you keep an eye on your bank account on a regular basis to make sure you don’t overspend and that there are enough funds for your bills and other purchases. You may also check it to be sure you haven’t been the victim of fraud. Many banks offer online banking or mobile apps to do this. Well, you can think of your solar system monitoring as being similar to your bank account in the beginning. You will probably check it multiple times a day or week. So, make a habit of checking your monitoring system at least once per month.
This is the most critical ongoing maintenance thing that you will need to do. If the system production drops unexpectedly – when the sun is shining bright – there may be a problem. Of course, you can expect production drops during the night, during a thunderstorm, and other events. If you require more than a very basic check-up, you should contact the installer of the solar system to find out why the system is not producing as it should. There are common issues that might arise but these kinds of issues are rare.
The best part about solar is that the only movement that happens to produce electricity is at the electron level. There are no other moving parts to worry about; there is no need to oil or lubricate or swap out worn-out parts. So, you can sit back and relax and let the sun do its thing.
