Solar Lane Maintenance Services

Regular monitoring is required to maintain the output and efficiency of your solar system. While

solar systems are very reliable, disruption to their electricity production can arise unexpectedly.

Whether it’s as simple as dust build-up on your solar panels, or damage to the inverters, Solar

Lane is here to help. Solar Lane Maintenance Services cover businesses, agricultural enterprises, non-profits, and large-scale utility solar systems. Regardless of whether Solar Lane installed your system, or not, you can rely on Solar Lane’s expertise as your maintenance expert.

Routine inspection and monitoring can catch most of these harmful issues before they affect your bottom-line. A Solar System Check List of major items requiring routine inspection includes:

• Dust, grime, bird and other forms of soiling that reduce your array’s efficiency.

• Loss of energy production

• Whether any solar panels have sustained damage – environmental, e.g. hail, or other.

• Corrosion or water intrusion into the panels or electrical equipment.

• Poor condition or deterioration of electrical wiring and other electrical material.

• Loss of electrical ground continuity that would cause a safety or electrical surge issues.

• Animal, bird, insect or rodent nests or infestations or physical damage.

• Condition of electrical panels and switches.

• Overall electrical system operation and potential onset of incipient electrical faults.

Additionally, proper maintenance includes keeping a complete log of performance and

maintenance history. Maintenance records must also include a full record of the system’s

installation data, e.g., model/serial number of each component, warranty, installation dates, etc.

Careful attention to correct operation is the only way your solar system be kept at peak

operational condition and efficiency. Fortunately, routine maintenance of solar systems is very

economical and represents very inexpensive insurance that maximizes your investment and ROI.

Solar systems typically require little maintenance. However, routine inspections and cleaning of

your solar power systems are a must. Dirt, dust, bird and environmental soiling can reduce the

efficiency of your solar panels by up to 15% or more. Then there are warning signs to watch out

for and catch early that indicate your solar system needs maintenance immediately. Reduced

energy performance is the clearest sign that your solar power system requires maintenance.

Professional solar energy performance monitoring and maintenance is your very best insurance.

Solar Lane Maintenance monitors your solar system then reports and identifies whether the

solar energy system is generating the energy it is projected and guaranteed to produce. Without

this service, your company would have to rigorously monitor all increases in your energy bills

— and even then, if you caught the increase immediately (because utility bills are rendered in

arrears), your company would have lost an amount at least equal one month’s utility bill.

Moreover, Solar Lane Maintenance orders repairs immediately – well before you become aware

you need the service. This is peace of mind for you in operating your company’s energy services.

Keep Your Solar Panels Clean, Secure and in Good Condition

Clean solar panels should be integral to your regular annual maintenance routine to maximize

efficiency. Solar panels should be thoroughly inspected at least quarterly because dirt build-up

impacts performance. Solar cells can become coated with dirt, bird droppings, pollen and tree

sap — sticky substances which adhere to the solar panels and lower their energy production.

If panels have a dirt coating, professional cleaning will gently remove any tougher or sticky

particles of dirt to softly clean them to keep the panels safe. It’s crucial to clean panels only when

the panels are cool. Therefore, Solar Lane maintenance experts clean the panels only in the late

afternoon or early morning. At the same time, we also inspect the panel supports and

infrastructure to ensure they are firmly in place and free from damage.

Baseline and Measure Solar Electric Power Generation

Solar Lane carefully calculates the expected in-situ performance of your installed solar array to

establish a performance baseline by running an hour-by-hour simulation of the key factors

affecting energy production. These include, among others, the effects of shading, installed

orientation of the array, and solar irradiation due to weather by back-testing against the past 40

years of weather data. These in-situ and back-testing calculations determine actual expected

performance versus an ideal situation on a sunny summer day. In general, solar panels provide

15% to 25% less energy compared to the ideal.

Once this baseline has been established, monitoring the performance of your solar array each

and every day against this standard is the best way to determine whether performance is on

target or has declined. This is the check-up that allows Solar Lane to monitor the health of your

entire solar system every day and take corrective action just as soon as warranted. In this way,

it is very straightforward to note trends and make the required, necessary corrections.

Track the Performance Specifications of Your Solar Panels

Solar panel manufacturers test their panels and provide a complete, detailed list of performance specifications for each of their models. Models which can number in the thousands with performance specifications that vary widely for each model they make. Solar Lane engineers use a variety of specialized test equipment to find and identify any panel that may no longer be meeting the specification for that specific model. Any such solar panels are flagged for immediate replacement.

Check Solar Arrays for Damage

Solar Lane conducts on-site inspections to discover if solar panels have sustained any physical

damage that may impact performance in the future. This helps to prevent power loss and

increases the lifespan of the panels and system components. Damage may be as simple as

mowing equipment striking a solar panel. Lightning, hail, snow and other meteorological events

may cause damage. Animals, birds and rodents can damage critical parts of a solar system,

including the panels. Solar Lane inspects all elements of your solar system for these causes of

damage as well as degradation due to rust, corrosion and aging twice a year.

Although commercial-grade solar panels are built to survive through a 25-to-30-year life cycle,

they need to be kept in proper condition to perform optimally. If butyl seals fail, for instance,

water and dirt can spread through tiny spaces and corrode the panels inner circuits. Corrosion

is also likely if the vacuum-sealed rear sheet of a solar panel has fractured, and water or dirt is

allowed to contact the panel’s operational substrate. Unless caught quickly, these mechanical

failures can quickly result in irreparable damage. These can lead to various issues, from

decreased output or device failure to potential safety risks and short circuiting, any of which

require immediate action.

Check Electric Panels, Inverters and Wiring for Damage

Checking the wiring of solar systems is vital to ensure their proper functioning and to detect

any faults or potential safety hazards. Regular inspections also help to identify and resolve

issues before they cause more significant problems, saving time and money in the long run.

It is important to ensure that there is no damage to the commercial solar panel. If water seeps

into any of the gaps or ports of the panels, this can cause short circuiting. Maintaining your

wiring so it is in excellent condition is crucial since a shortage might harm your safety. Never

attempt to repair a damaged wire on your own as the very high voltage can cause severe injury

or death. Call your installer right away if you need help.

Ensure Correct Operation of the Disconnect Switches

Verify the operation of all power disconnects, fuses and circuit breakers — these are

mechanical devices which need their operation checked to confirm proper working condition.

Also, a clear path to the commercial isolator switch is crucial in an emergency. Make sure this

region is accessible because this is the only location where you can manually disconnect the

solar power system. The switch is activated when maintenance experts upgrade, repair, or

complete maintenance on commercial solar panels.

Inspect the System for Electrical Fault Checks

Solar Lane inspects your commercial solar system regularly to ensure everything is operating

as it should and that there are no electrical issues with the inverters. All electrical grounding is

inspected to see that it is in good shape and that there are no issues. Solar Lane has the

engineering expertise to fix any potential grounding problems and restore your system to safe

operation. This is crucial because, if neglected for an extended time, it may result in electric

shocks.

It might be time to upgrade if you discover that your panel is less effective or if the light in the

inverter has turned from green to red. Find out what a Fault Code is to determine where there

are electrical and installation issues.

Maintain a Log and Record all Maintenance Activity

Maintaining your commercial solar panel logbook to record maintenance work and repairs is a

essential to correct operation and provides the record to address maintenance and

performance issues that arise. It includes inspection schedules and a list of component

replacements as they occur.

Repairing Commercial Solar Panels

If you discover any concerning issues in your commercial solar panels, it is always

recommended to contact your solar panel contractor. They can immediately arrange an

assessment, repair, or replace the damaged components.

Avoid letting a minor issue become severe by purchasing new solar product when necessary.

Contacting your commercial solar panel provider is also the right option if you have questions

regarding panels or how their damage coverage works.

Inspect Your Commercial Solar Panels Monthly

Monthly inspections of commercial solar panels are recommended to ensure optimal

performance and promptly detect potential issues. Solar panels are exposed to various

environmental factors such as wind, rain, hail, and temperature fluctuations that can cause

wear and tear or damage over time.

Regular inspections can help identify these issues and prevent them from becoming more

severe or costly. It also helps to ensure that the panels produce the expected amount of energy,

maximizing their efficiency and return on investment.

Cost of Maintaining a Solar Power System

Most firms employ a professional solar power inspector annually to examine and clean their

solar panels. Hiring a qualified specialist is safer because of the life-threatening danger of

contacting high voltage equipment and that many solar power systems are on the roof.

Additionally, only a thoroughly trained, professional inspector has the knowledge of all of the

systems that comprise a complete solar system and the skill to inspect and maintain them.

Without this expertise, something will be missed. The good news is that your maintenance

costs will be low if you hire an expert.

Solar Lane provides three levels of service, depending on your needs. Pricing depends on the

level of service selected and the size of the solar array:

Silver Level 1 Service. Solar Lane’s entry level service includes the following:

• Daily or, depending on the system, real-time performance monitoring & fault detection

• Concurrent notification of any malfunction and Required Maintenance

Price: $100 plus $2 per Watt per year.

Gold Level 2 Service. Solar Lane’s Gold service includes Silver service, plus:

• Annual remote analysis of the system level performance, and

• Report with analysis, recommendations and Recommended Maintenance

Price: $200 plus $3 per Watt per year.

Titanium Level 3 Service. Solar Lane’s Titanium service includes Gold service, plus

• On-site Inspection, analysis, performance and SREC reporting,

• Full engineering report with recommendations and Recommended Maintenance.

• Option: SREC Sale (5% fee)

Price: $300 plus $6 per Watt per year.

Cost of Required Maintenance and parts shall be quoted and billed at then current rates. All

services require connection to a real-time reporting system installed at the solar site. If none

exists currently, Solar Lane can quote a suitable installation. If the installation was not installed

by Solar Lane or if there has been a gap in maintenance coverage, an initial maintenance

inspection and remediation report is required.

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