Our customers at Sound Heating are often looking for ways to reduce their energy bills as well their impact on the environment. The best way to do both is the choose to have a photovalic (PV) solar panel system installed on their roof or other part of their property to harness the free energy of the sun. Solar panels will soon pay back their installation cost through their highly energy-efficient performance.
A solar panel operating with repair needs, however, won’t give you the savings you want—or the power. But it can be difficult to tell when PV panels need repairs because they do not use mechanical parts and show no display outwardly that they are working at all. Here are some things to look for to tell that you may need solar repair service in Olympia, WA for your PV panels.
Watch for these signs that your solar panels need repairs
- Broken glass casing: Solar panels are built to withstand most weather conditions, but can still sustain damage from debris, such as falling trees, stones hurled in the wind, and hail. If you notice any cracks in your solar panels, from small factures to a web of shattered glass, don’t ignore it or hesitate with calling for repairs. Water getting inside the panels can cause fogging and eventually other serious damage to the panels.
- Power from the cells cuts in and out: An issue that can afflict solar panels is loose solder connections or other problems with the wiring such as corrosion and oxidation, which can lead to the panels cutting in and out when they are heating and cooling. If you rap your hand against the panels and their power cuts in or out, then you should call for repairs to fix the connections and locate any other panels that may have similar problems.
- Drop in power production: You should keep close track on the power meter for your solar system to see how it performs on average (measured in killowatts per day) as compared to the manufacturer’s expected average. If drops occur that you cannot account for because of weather conditions such as clouds or rain, then the panels may be losing their capacity for some reason and will need repairs.
- Error message on the inverter: Check the inverter once a week to see that it is operating correctly or displaying an error message. The problem may actually be with the inverter itself, but it could also be a problem with the panels. Record the error code on the inverter and then call professionals to see what can be done.
Solar panels need precision repairs, and you can only get this through experts in solar power technology. Trust to the solar repair experts in Olympia, WA at Sound Heating to take care of your sun-powered needs.