Installing solar PV panels on the roof of your home or business is a great way reduce your carbon footprint which also saving yourself money. But one aspect people often don’t consider is the maintenance costs than creep in every year. For large businesses, this may mean having what the industry calls an O&M (Operations & Maintenance) system, which is a set schedule of maintenance. But what about small businesses or home owners? What can they expect, and is there anything that can be done to keep maintenance costs down? Lets take a look.

For a start most solar PV panels have a 25 year warranty, so if they break or fail in some way, you won’t be liable to replace them. There is of course the matter of labour though, and if you are unable to carry out the swapping of panels on your roof, you may need to get an electrician or handyman in.

In terms of actual ongoing maintenance, the first bit of good news is that most of the time they don’t require much maintenance at all. For most people, keep the panels in direct sunlight is the hardest part, as tree branches can cast the panels into shadows. Similarly, the panels are placed in an area which gets a lot of dirt, dust, bird droppings or other debris, a light clean with warm water will often be required. Again, if you’re not comfortable getting on top of your roof, a handyman or a window washer or roofer may be able to help you.

In terms of keeping your maintenance down, make sure your panels are at around 15 degrees, meaning that any rain water will likely wash at least some debris off of your panels.