Aftercare
Solar panel maintenance and annual health checks
Solar panel maintenance is mostly about catching small problems early. Our own team carries out a one-hour Annual Solar Health Check that tests and inspects your system, whoever installed it, and The Solar Owners Club adds support between visits. We look after systems across Devon and Cornwall from our base near Okehampton.
Or call 07441 369 505
- Workmanship
warranty10years - Family run
since2022 - The Solar Owners
Club included1year
Low, not none
What solar panel maintenance involves
A solar PV system uses photovoltaic panels to turn daylight into electricity. There’s no fuel to top up and nothing to service from week to week, so it’s genuinely low maintenance. It isn’t no maintenance.
Dirt, dust, bird droppings and shade from growing trees can all affect panels over time. The inverter, which converts what the panels generate into electricity your home or business can use, is the part of a system most likely to fail. A professional look once a year helps spot warning signs early, while they’re still small.
As solar technology moves on, older systems can lack the efficiency of newer ones. A yearly check is also a good moment to look at what’s worth upgrading, and what isn’t.
We’ve written more on why solar PV needs a little looking after.
Once a year, someone should look at it properly.
That’s what our Annual Solar Health Check is for.
The health check
What the Annual Solar Health Check covers
A visit to your property by our own team. We test and inspect your system, make sure it’s working at its best and share tips on getting more from your setup. You can book an Annual Solar Health Check online.
- Panel output, to see whether the array is generating as it should
- The inverter, checked for faults and warning signs
- System wear, looking at how the equipment is ageing
- Faults or issues, identified and explained in plain terms
- How you use energy, so our advice fits your home or business
- A plan for your system, with tips on getting more from what you have, including whether storing daytime electricity in a battery would make sense
On the day
How a health check works
Straightforward, and about an hour of your time.
Book a time
Choose a slot online or call us. Tell us what you know about the system: who fitted it, roughly when, and anything you’ve noticed.
We visit and test
Our team comes to your property, then tests and inspects the system, from panel output to the inverter, looking for faults, issues and wear.
We talk it through
We explain what we found, ask how you use your energy, and leave you with a plan for getting more from your system. If you’ve had your eye on a battery or an upgrade, it’s a good time to ask.
You decide
If anything needs fixing or upgrading, the choice of what to do and when is yours. No sales people, just our best advice.
Two ways to book
A one-off health check, or ongoing membership
You can book a health check on its own, or have one every year as a member of The Solar Owners Club. Here’s how the two compare.
| At a glance | Annual Solar Health Check | The Solar Owners Club |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A single visit to test and inspect your system | Membership for solar owners, with an annual system health check |
| Cost | £395 | Included for a year with every installation we carry out; after that, by system size |
| Between visits | Contact us whenever your system needs attention | A dedicated support line through The Hub, WhatsApp, web chat and email |
| Upgrades and labour | Not included | Discounted upgrade products and fixed, discounted rates for labour |
| Members’ community | Not included | The Hub: guides, and other solar owners to compare notes with |
| Systems we didn’t fit | Yes | Yes. Ask us about joining |
Warranties
Product warranties and workmanship, kept separate
Your panels, inverter and any battery carry the manufacturers’ own product warranties. Each manufacturer sets its own terms, so check what your manufacturer’s warranty asks for.
Systems we install also carry our 10-year workmanship warranty. It covers our installation work and sits alongside the manufacturers’ warranties rather than replacing them.
Neither is a reason to wait if a system isn’t performing. If something looks wrong between checks, our solar panel repair service looks for the cause, whoever fitted the system.
Between visits
Simple checks you can make yourself
None of these needs a ladder. Many early signs show up in your system’s app, if it has one, or on the inverter itself. Our guide on how to tell if your solar panels are working covers them in more detail.
Follow it in the app
If your system has an app, glance at it now and then. When we install a system, we show you how to follow it in the app at handover.
Compare with last year
Daily generation lower than at the same time last year, or bills creeping up despite sunny weather, can mean your system is trying to tell you something.
Keep it online
The warranty terms Fox ESS, Sigenergy and EcoFlow publish all shorten cover if a system doesn’t stay connected to the internet. If yours goes offline, reconnect it.
Check the inverter
Status lights mean different things on different models, so check yours against the manual. Red or flashing lights, an error code or a blank screen in the middle of the day are worth telling us about.
Look from the ground
Moss, heavy dirt or birds nesting under the panels can sometimes be seen from the garden. Many problems can’t, and that’s where the annual check comes in.
After high winds
High winds can loosen the mounts that hold an array to the roof, and mounts can rust over time. After a storm, a look from the ground and a glance at the app are worth a minute.
Reviews
In our customers’ words.
-
Excellent service. Polite and friendly while carrying out the work. Very knowledgeable about their trade. After care five star too. Very helpful for helping me set up the app. I can't recommend them enough. Thank you for stress free and a lovely service.
Andrew B. Customer -
Adam and Ellie are great to work with; they use sensible technology and are reasonably priced. Very pleased with everything they have done for me.
John K. Customer -
They fitted my panels, kept me informed about the process and Ellie and Adam are passionate about all that they do, great service at a great price.
Chris & Debbie G. Customer -
I couldn’t rate the quality and professionalism any higher.
Jon H. Google -
Finally, someone who responds, listens and helps in the solar world. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
M&J, Somerset Owners Club member -
Chuffed to bits with our upgraded system - working better than ever! Thanks guys.
P&M, Devon Owners Club member -
We've already saved the full membership cost in our battery upgrade alone! Great value for money.
I&N, Cornwall Owners Club member
Swipe, or use the arrows.
Where we work
Maintenance near you
From our base at Lewdown, near Okehampton, we work in every part of Devon and Cornwall: Launceston, Tavistock, Okehampton, Bude, Plymouth, Exeter and Truro among them. Launceston, Plymouth and Exeter have their own pages below, as do both counties, and every town and county we cover is on one map.
Related services
From the blog
Read before you decide.
AftercareDoes Solar PV Need Maintenance? Why Future-Ready Solar Starts with The Solar Owners ClubSolar PV is low-maintenance, not no-maintenance. Why dirt, shade and inverter faults matter, and how an annual health check keeps your system working.
AftercareWhy Join The Solar Owners Club? Support, Savings and CommunityWhat The Solar Owners Club includes: annual system health checks, discounted upgrades and labour, a dedicated support helpline and a members’ community.
AdviceFrom False Promises to Hidden Fees: Your Complete Guide to Solar Panel Scams in the UKFree-panel offers, pressure selling, fake firms and hidden fees: how UK solar panel scams work, the red flags to spot and how to check an installer.
Yes. We’re MCS certified for solar PV and battery storage (certificate NIC-601527), and our TrustMark registration (licence 3428547) covers installing, maintaining and replacing both.
Solar PV systems require very little maintenance. However, to ensure optimal performance over time, we recommend occasional cleaning of the panels and a professional inspection once a year. This helps spot any potential issues early and keeps your system running efficiently. Our Solar Owners Club membership includes annual health checks for added peace of mind.
Yes. If you can’t find your original installer, or your system isn’t performing like it used to, we can carry out an Annual Solar Health Check for you.
Every installation we carry out includes a year of membership. After that, membership continues by system size, banded by the size of your inverter in kilowatts (kW), a measure of power: up to 20 kW, 20 to 50 kW, and over 50 kW. Solar owners whose systems we didn’t fit can ask about joining.
An app shows what your system is generating, and newer systems can alert your phone when something goes wrong. It can’t show you moss on the panels, a loosening mount or a nest under the array, which is why a hands-on check once a year is still worth having.
Next steps
Book your system health check
Whether we fitted your system or someone else did, good solar panel maintenance starts with a proper look. Arrange an Annual Solar Health Check, or ask us about The Solar Owners Club, and we’ll test and inspect your system and tell you plainly how it’s doing.
Call us07441 369 505
- Lines open
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- Find us
- Allerford Farm, Lewdown, Okehampton, Devon EX20 4PU
Power your own.
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