The Solar Design Book

Maintenance

With the exception of a battery powered systems, solar systems do not require very much maintenance. The main task is to keep the modules clean and to keep shadows off the modules. Usually rain will provide enough cleaning. If you live in a dry, dusty, or polluted environment, you may need to hose off the modules from time to time.

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Battery systems will require more maintenance. Water must be checked in the batteries on a regular basis. If you are adding water more than once every other month, the charging voltage is too high. The terminals must be kept clean. The acid mist that accumulates on the battery and terminals must be cleaned off with water and baking soda, then rinsed and dried. Use 4 ounces per quart of water. The acid specific gravity must be checked on a regular basis, just after charging. An equalizing charge should be done, only on flooded cell lead-acid batteries, if the specific gravity is low or unequal in the battery cells. Do not equalize a sealed (VRLA) battery.

Battery terminals are a common source of system failure. Keep them clean and covered with battery grease.

Battery maintenance and safety is covered in the Solar Basics book.

Keeping inverters and charge controllers happy means keeping them dry and cool. Some inverters are made to be mounted outdoors and some must be mounted indoors. In any case, inverters and charge controllers should be mounted in a shady place with lots of air circulation. The manufacturer will provide mounting instructions. Most inverters and charge controllers will cut back or shut down if they get too hot.

Output can be checked using the display on the inverter or charge controller. An initial test should be done when the system is first installed, called a benchmark test. The benchmark is used to check the output against design and to compare the output later on to see if things have changed. All tests should be corrected to standard test conditions (1000 Watts per square meter insolation rate and 25°C cell temperature). If output is low, modules can be shadowed one at a time to check them. A broken module will not change the system output when shadowed. You can pay someone to test your system and repair it. Check with the local installer.

Solar system will provide many years of service with minimum maintenance. The quality of the installation, to a large extent, will determine how long the system lasts. Wires should be supported, proper connections made, and modules attached correctly.

Maintenance, testing, and installation is covered in the Solar Basics book.