Solar Panel Inspection in South Australia

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? But have you had your

solar panels inspected and

cleaned?

Energy costs reduced

Carbon emissions

reduced

Feed-in tariff received

You’ve had solar panels installed...

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You’ve taken the plunge and had solar panels installed, and are now one of the more than 1 million households in Australia to have done so. As well as reducing your carbon emissions, you’re benefiting from the feed-in tariff from your electricity supplier and slashing your home energy bills.

However, it’s important to understand that regular inspection, as well as cleaning and maintenance of your solar panels, is vital.

There are three important reasons why you need regular inspection and cleaning of your solar panels:

ϐ to ensure that you are meeting the manufacturer’s warranty conditions (if applicable)

ϐ to ensure that you are meeting South Australian legislation

ϐ to ensure that your solar panels are working as efficiently as possible

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Warranty ConditionsThe warranty documentation that came with your solar system may specify how frequently you need to have it inspected in order to be able to meet the warranty conditions, so it’s important that you adhere to these guidelines in order to protect your valuable investment. However, it may be the case that your warranty does not stipulate regular inspection intervals; if not, we recommend that you have your system inspected every two years.

South Australian LegislationUnfortunately, not everyone who has a solar system installed is aware of the South Australian government legislation regarding their inspection and maintenance.

SA Power Networks Small Embedded Generation Technical Guidelines stipulate that your solar system either needs to be inspected and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or, if this isn’t specified, within five years of the system’s installation, and then every five years after that.

Operating efficiencySolar panels that aren’t clean don’t operate at maximum efficiency; however, like the windows on your home, or your car windscreen they can get dirty quite quickly. Dirt, dust, bird droppings, air pollution—all can conspire to keep your solar panels from being in pristine condition and so operating at full capacity.

Why you should have your solar panels inspected and cleaned...

Our ServicesWe specialise in carrying out solar

panel inspection and cleaning that enable you to meet both your

manufacturer’s warranty conditions, and state government legislation.

Additionally, our cleaning services ensure that your panels are able to

work at their very best.

• Six-Month Solar Panel Cleaning

• Two-Year Maintenanca Test and Check

• Five-Year System Overhaul

Six-Month Solar Panel CleaningA regular service to keep your solar panels clean and working efficiently. By having your system checked and cleaned regularly, you can be sure that everything is in good working order, and the weather conditions, pollution or other factors are affecting the efficiency of your system.Our six-month cleaning service includes:

ϐ cleaning your solar modules ϐ checking whether your solar panels are

being shaded and for any other potential obstructions

ϐ a visual inspection of the module mounting components

ϐ the checking and logging of inverter data ϐ a summary report of your service

Two-Year Solar Panel Maintenance Test and CheckIf your warranty conditions don’t specify a time frame within which your solar panels should be inspected and cleaned, we highly recommend that you don’t leave it any longer than two years.

Our experienced and skilled staff are able to identify and rectify issues before they become serious and costly problems. When we complete a Two-Year Maintenance Test and Check, we issue a new Cetificate of Compliance.

Our Two-year Maintenance Test and Check service includes:

ϐ inspecting modules for defects or damage

ϐ checking the module mounting system components for corrosion or damage and verifying the tension of clamps and brackets

ϐ checking the array cabling for heat, uv, vermin or mechanical damage and securing of any loose or hanging cables

ϐ inspecting all cable connections and checking the integrity of all conduits and cable entry points

ϐ checking the integrity and operation of rooftop and wall DC isolators and the AC solar main switch, and checking that your system is correctly labelled

ϐ checking string (array) voltages and currents

ϐ checking that the system is earthed ϐ measuring the integrity and performance

of each string of modules with use of IV Curve test equipment

ϐ logging inverter readings and comparing production to date against design (or expectation)

ϐ providing a detailed report of the system inspection, including a list of actions taken, system measurements, and any issues that may require further action.

Five-Year System OverhaulThe SA Government has stipulated that all owners of PV solar systems in the state are required to ensure that solar panels are inspected within five years of installation, and

every subsequent five years. The regulations also state that this work is required to be carried out by an appropriately qualified and licensed tradesperson.

We are specialists in carrying out the requisite inspections in order to satisfy these important guidelines, and can carry out maintenance and a system overhaul at the same time.

About UsSolar Fix Network is a group of independent businesses that have come together to pool their expertise, knowledge and abilities to deliver high quality monitoring, maintenance, analysis, inspection and repair services for residential and commercial PV solar installations.

We specialise in providing the full range of cleaning and maintenance services and our staff are qualified and licensed to carry out mandatory SA Power Networks compliance inspections. We can meet your solar panel maintenance, servicing and repair needs wherever you are in South Australia.

Call us on (08) 8185 1552admin@solarfixnetwork.com.au

www.solarfixnetwork.com.au