Solar Panel Maintenance & Repair

Keep Your Solar System Performing at Its Best

Solar panels are remarkably low-maintenance compared to most home improvements, but they are not maintenance-free. Over the years, dirt accumulates, connections can work loose, inverters age and wildlife can cause damage that quietly reduces your system's output without you realising. A solar panel system that generated strong returns in its first year can gradually decline in performance if small issues are left unchecked.

ALPS Electrical provides comprehensive solar panel maintenance and repair services across the North East. Whether your system was installed by us or by another company, we can service, diagnose and repair it. We are MCS certified and work with all major brands of panels, inverters and battery storage systems. If your solar system is not performing as it should, or if you simply want to keep it in peak condition, we can help.

Annual Solar Panel Maintenance

An annual maintenance check is the best way to ensure your solar PV system continues to deliver the performance and savings you expect. Our annual service includes a visual inspection of all panels, mounting hardware, cabling and roof penetrations. We check for physical damage such as cracked cells, delamination, snail trails and micro-cracks that can reduce output. We inspect all DC and AC isolators, ensuring they operate correctly and show no signs of overheating or water ingress.

On the electrical side, we test the system's performance against its expected output for the time of year and weather conditions. We check inverter operation, error logs and generation data to identify any patterns that suggest a problem. For systems with optimisers, we check individual panel-level performance to identify any underperforming modules. String voltage and current measurements help us verify that all panels in each string are contributing as expected.

We also inspect the consumer unit connection, generation meter and any export meters to ensure everything is functioning correctly and your Feed-in Tariff or Smart Export Guarantee payments are being accurately recorded. For systems with battery storage, the annual check includes battery health diagnostics, charge and discharge cycle analysis, and firmware updates where applicable.

At the end of the visit, we provide a written report detailing the condition of your system, any issues found, and recommendations for remedial work or improvements. This report serves as a useful record of your system's ongoing health and can be valuable when selling your property or making an insurance claim.

Solar Panel Cleaning

Dirty panels produce less electricity. It is as simple as that. While rain does wash away some surface dust, it does not remove bird droppings, tree sap, pollen, lichen or the general grime that builds up over months and years. Studies consistently show that dirty panels can lose between 5 and 25 percent of their output depending on the severity of soiling.

Bird droppings are the worst offender. A single bird dropping on a solar panel can cause disproportionate power loss because of how panels are wired internally. In a string of panels, the output is limited by the weakest cell. A bird dropping shading even a small section of one cell forces the bypass diode to activate, effectively reducing the output of an entire section of the panel. Over time, persistent hot spots caused by shading from droppings can also cause permanent cell damage.

We clean solar panels using purified deionised water and soft brushes, working from the roof or using telescopic poles from ground level depending on the property. We never use pressure washers, abrasive materials or chemical cleaning agents, as these can damage the anti-reflective coating on the panel surface or compromise the frame seals. Our cleaning method is safe for your panels and effective at restoring them to full output.

For properties surrounded by trees or in areas with high bird activity, we recommend cleaning every 6 to 12 months. For most other installations, an annual clean is sufficient. We can combine panel cleaning with your annual maintenance visit to keep things simple and cost-effective.

Inverter Replacement and Repair

The inverter is the component most likely to need replacement during the lifetime of your solar panel system. While panels typically last 25 to 30 years with minimal degradation, string inverters have an expected lifespan of 10 to 15 years. If your inverter fails, your entire system stops generating electricity, so prompt replacement is essential to avoid losing weeks or months of potential savings.

Common signs that your inverter is failing or has failed include the system generating less power than expected, error codes on the inverter display, unusual buzzing or clicking noises, the inverter shutting down during the day and restarting, or a complete lack of generation despite sunny conditions. If your monitoring app shows zero generation or significantly reduced output, the inverter is the first component to investigate.

We replace and repair inverters from all major manufacturers including SolarEdge, Enphase, Solis, FOX ESS, GivEnergy, Fronius, SMA and Growatt. Where possible, we carry out warranty claims on your behalf with the manufacturer. If your inverter is out of warranty, we can advise on the best replacement option, which may include upgrading to a hybrid inverter that supports battery storage if you are considering adding batteries in the future.

Inverter replacement typically takes half a day. We handle the electrical isolation, removal of the old unit, installation and commissioning of the replacement, and update the DNO notification if required. We also verify the system is generating correctly before leaving and ensure your monitoring is reconnected.

Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis

Modern solar installations come with monitoring systems that track generation in real time through a phone app or web portal. If you are not regularly checking your monitoring data, you could have a fault that has been quietly reducing your output for months without your knowledge. We have attended properties where systems had been underperforming by 30 to 40 percent for over a year before the homeowner noticed.

If your system does not have monitoring, we can retrofit it. Adding a monitoring solution such as a GivEnergy dongle, FOX ESS cloud monitoring or SolarEdge monitoring platform gives you visibility of your system's performance and alerts you to any issues as they arise. This small investment can save you significant lost generation over the lifetime of your system.

For fault diagnosis, we use a combination of monitoring data analysis, IV curve tracing, thermal imaging and electrical testing to identify the root cause of underperformance. Whether the issue is a faulty panel, a degraded string, a failing inverter, a wiring fault or a shading problem that has developed since installation, we have the equipment and experience to find it and fix it.

Bird Proofing for Solar Panels

Pigeons and other birds quickly discover that the gap between solar panels and the roof is a warm, sheltered spot that makes an ideal nesting site. Once birds establish themselves under your panels, the problems multiply. Nesting material can block ventilation, causing panels to overheat and lose efficiency. Droppings accumulate on and around the panels, creating hygiene issues, blocking gutters and causing the soiling problems described above. The noise of birds under the panels can also be a significant nuisance, particularly in bedrooms directly below the roof.

We install galvanised steel mesh bird proofing around the perimeter of your solar array. The mesh clips securely to the panel frames and sits flush against the roof surface, creating a barrier that prevents birds from accessing the space underneath while maintaining the airflow that your panels need to operate efficiently. The mesh is durable, weather-resistant and virtually invisible from ground level.

Before fitting the bird proofing, we clear any existing nesting material and debris from underneath the panels and clean the panels themselves. If there is significant nesting material, we remove it carefully and dispose of it responsibly. We recommend having bird proofing fitted as early as possible, ideally at the time of panel installation, to prevent birds from establishing in the first place. However, it is never too late to have it done.

We Service Installations by Other Companies

If your solar panels were installed by another company that has since gone out of business, stopped trading in your area or simply does not offer a maintenance service, we can take over the care of your system. This is more common than you might think. The solar industry has seen numerous companies come and go over the past decade, leaving homeowners without support for their investment.

We work on systems from all manufacturers and installers. Whether your panels were fitted last year or fifteen years ago, and regardless of the brand of panels, inverter or mounting system used, we can service, repair and maintain them. We will assess the current condition of your installation, identify any issues and bring it up to the best possible standard.

For systems that were installed without proper documentation or where the original installer did not complete the DNO notification or MCS certification, we can advise on your options for retrospective compliance. This is particularly important if you are receiving Feed-in Tariff payments, as your energy supplier may request evidence of MCS certification or system compliance.

ALPS Electrical is MCS certified, NAPIT registered and covers the whole of the North East. Call us on 01642 790 489 or use the contact form to book a maintenance visit, report a fault or request a quotation for bird proofing or panel cleaning.