Solar System Maintenance: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Investment

Investment of a solar system is one of the most popular and conventional renewable energy generation methods in the country. Not only does it provide clean energy with the assistance of the sun, but it also helps to reduce electricity bills and is guaranteed to last for over two decades providing energy to your houses and businesses. However, the biggest question that arises is how to maintain your solar system to perform at optimal levels for over 20 years. This blog post explores the importance of maintenance procedures of solar systems and how to protect your investment over the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) period. If solar panels and other components such as inverters are installed adhering to standards and regulations, they require very little maintenance. The solar EPC company should provide scheduled regular maintenance checks as well as plenty of unscheduled visits to ensure the system has very minimal downtime to provide the customer with the highest energy and financial savings possible.

A standard maintenance check involves a licensed and experienced technical team washing the solar panels to remove dust and soiling effects, checking for obstacles that affect shading of panels and testing all connections and switches to ensure there aren’t any loose connections between contact points. Solar panel washing and cleaning is essential to allow the solar panels to absorb sunlight as much as possible without any obstructions to produce the maximum power conversion output. Here the washing should be carried out by soft bristle brushes and subsequently wiped off so the residual stains do not remain on the panels. The technical team will also test the inverters, switch gears and cables for water damage, corrosion as well as no power or low voltage issues. Cable connectors are monitored to verify gaps between connections so accidental fires do not occur. If required, IR Thermography tests should be carried out in the contact points to identify fault connections.

In addition to the regular cleaning procedure of solar panels, there are other important reasons why solar system maintenance is important. Without proper maintenance, there can be potential energy generation losses and other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the solar system. For example, shading from trees, buildings or any obstructions can significantly reduce the amount of energy produced by a solar system. The maintenance checks can help identify such issues and address them by trimming trees or repositioning panels to improve the overall performance of the system. Also, components such as inverters and cables can encounter wear and tear. These checks can ensure the components last longer before they turn into major problems. Electrical systems are known to be hazardous if they are not properly maintained. Maintenance procedures can help identify the safety hazards such as loose connections, cable damage and water damage. The inverter is the most important component in the system that converts the DC power generated by solar panels into usable AC power and having a proper maintenance schedule can improve inverter efficiency and eventually improve the overall efficiency of the solar system. Another unforeseen benefit of having a well-defined maintenance schedule is that it can reduce the downtime of the plant while ensuring the energy yield is maximized.

The Sino Lanka Power Gen team conducted extensive research on drop in performance of solar systems and eventually found a few issues that affect system performance. The lack of effective system optimization, lack of performance analysis and lack of maintenance are the core issues for the drop in performance of existing solar systems in the country. To overcome this issue, SLPG introduced a comprehensive solar system maintenance procedure to ensure all clients signing an Annual Maintenance Contract with us to experience minimum downtime and optimal performance of the solar plant. Our Maintenance team has the required technical competency and experience to identify potential issues before they turn into major problems. The team further leverages advanced analytic tools such as AI, Performance Analytics and Resource Modelling to provide real time performance data to monitor the system performance at acceptable levels. The team is comprised of expert Engineers and Technicians who are trained to identify issues to ensure the solar plant performs at its best. SLPG works with each customer to develop a personalized solar maintenance plan based on their specific requirements and location. This ensures that the maintenance is tailored to the needs of the system and maximizes its longevity. By signing up for an AMC with Sino Lanka Power Gen, you can ensure that the solar system is regularly checked and maintained to perform at its best, increasing the yield of the system. The maintenance services cover predictive maintenance where this can help identify potential issues before they occur and can take proactive measures preventing downtime. Underperforming components are hereby identified and help optimal performance. This also can help you save money in the long run by eliminating the need for costly repairs and component replacement. Overall, signing up for AMC contract with SLPG can ensure your system performs exceeding your expectations. Contact us to find out how we can help you optimize your solar system with our comprehensive maintenance services.