A solar system is a long-term investment in your home, so it makes sense to keep an eye on how it is performing. Most systems do not need constant attention, but they can still be affected by dust, storms, heat, shade, ageing parts or small faults over time.
For homeowners in Perth, Peel and the Wheatbelt, local conditions can make regular checks especially useful. A dusty summer, a strong storm or new shade from nearby trees may all change how much energy your system produces.
Now, you don’t really need to climb onto the roof or attempt assessing electrical equipment to detect early warning signs. In fact, those jobs should be left to a qualified solar professional. Many useful checks can be done safely from the ground, through your solar monitoring app, from your inverter display or by reviewing your electricity bills.
In this post, we will walk through a simple solar system maintenance checklist, explain which checks you can do safely yourself, and show when it is time to book professional solar panel servicing with Volt Air.
Why is Preventative Solar Maintenance Important?
Solar system maintenance is less about constantly fixing things and more about noticing when something has changed.
Your system’s output naturally moves up and down with the season, weather, and available sunlight. What matters is spotting an unexpected change rather than worrying about every lower-generation day.
Routine checks can help you:
- Catch performance problems earlier
- Keep track of your system’s normal output
- Spot damage after storms or other events
- Keep warranties and service information organised
- Decide when professional solar panel servicing may be worthwhile
Worth knowing: over one third of Western Australian households already have a solar PV system installed, according to the WA Government’s electrical safety guidance, so this is a genuinely common maintenance question, not a niche one.
The Australian Government’s solar guidance recommends monitoring your system and checking its documentation for an appropriate maintenance schedule, noting a solar system could be serviced every two years.
Safety First
There is an important line between checking your solar system and working on your solar system.
As a homeowner, you can look at your monitoring app, check the inverter display from a safe location, and look for obvious changes around the property. You should not climb onto the roof, open equipment covers, handle cables or attempt electrical repairs.
Solar panels can continue producing voltage during daylight, even when other parts of the electrical system have been switched off. This isn’t a minor technicality; the WA Government’s electrical safety guidance is explicit that even if the main power switch is off, the cables running from your panels to the inverter stay live and energised whenever the panels are generating.
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Safe homeowner observation |
Leave it to a professional |
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Checking your monitoring app |
Testing electrical components |
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Comparing generation figures |
Inspecting or repairing cabling |
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Looking at panels from the ground |
Roof access and panel cleaning |
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Checking your inverter display |
Working on isolators or inverter components |
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Reviewing electricity bills |
Electrical fault diagnosis |
When in doubt, don’t touch it. Take note of what you have seen and contact a qualified solar professional.
10 Point Solar Maintenance Checklist
You don’t need a toolbox for the steps in this solar system inspection. In many cases, your phone, electricity bill, and a few minutes of observation are enough. Here’s a 10-point solar maintenance checklist for every solar owner:1. Review your solar monitoring app
Look for unusual drops, missing data or repeated alerts. Your system’s daily output will vary, so look for a pattern rather than one isolated figure.2. Compare output with previous sunny days
A sunny day producing noticeably less energy than similar days could be worth investigating. Avoid comparing completely different seasons, as sunlight hours change throughout the year.3. Check the inverter display
Look from a safe position for solar inverter warning signs, which usually include warning lights, messages or fault codes. Do not open the inverter or attempt to reset equipment that appears damaged.4. Look for visible panel damage
From ground level, look for obvious cracks, chips or other changes after severe weather. Never climb onto the roof to get a closer look. If a storm has come through, the Bureau of Meteorology’s warnings page is a useful way to confirm what actually hit your area before you go looking for damage.5. Watch for dirt, leaves or bird debris
Heavy build-up may affect generation. Most panels are installed on a slope of at least 10 degrees specifically so rain can help keep them clear, but according to Australian Government solar guidance, solar panel cleaning may still be worth arranging in dustier locations.
Don’t clean rooftop panels yourself; professional cleaning can be included as part of a solar system service.
6. Notice new shading
Trees, new structures or vegetation can change how much sunlight reaches your panels. Shading can vary throughout the day and across seasons, so keep an eye out for changes around your property that could reduce solar generation.7. Look at accessible equipment
From a safe location, note any obvious physical damage, corrosion, water ingress or other unusual changes to accessible solar equipment. Don’t remove covers or touch wiring.8. Review your electricity bills
If your household habits have stayed roughly the same but your bills have started creeping up, look back at your previous bills and compare them with your solar generation records. A change in household consumption may explain the difference, but a noticeable fall in solar output could also be part of the picture. You don’t need to work out the cause yourself. The useful thing is spotting that something has changed. If the numbers don’t seem to add up, a professional can assess whether your solar system is producing as expected.9. Keep your records together
Solar systems come with paperwork that is surprisingly useful years down the track. Installation details, product warranties and previous service reports can help a technician understand the history of your system if something needs attention. Rather than leaving these documents scattered across old emails, receipts and folders, keep them in one place. Include your inverter and panel information, installation records, warranties and any invoices or servicing reports you receive.10. Know when to book professional servicing
If performance has changed, warnings keep appearing, or your system has not been inspected for some time, professional solar panel servicing can provide a more thorough assessment.Signs Your Solar System Needs Professional Attention
Some changes are easy to dismiss because the system may still appear to be working. Here are some such signs:
Inverter Warning Signs
The inverter is one of the easiest parts of a solar system to monitor because it will often tell you when something isn’t right.
Take note if a warning light appears, a fault message keeps returning, or the display shows something you haven’t seen before. Record the message or code if you can do so safely, then check your system documentation before contacting a qualified professional.
Performance Changes
If your solar system is not producing enough power compared with its usual performance on similar sunny days, there may be an underlying problem. Weather, shading and household usage can all affect the numbers, so a professional assessment may be needed to identify the cause.
Physical Changes
Cracked panels, visible storm damage, water ingress, corrosion or other deterioration should not be treated as a DIY repair job. WA guidance specifically lists water seepage, damaged cable insulation, corrosion, vermin damage and storm damage as recognised solar maintenance concerns worth flagging early.
Strange Sounds or Smells
Unusual noises, burning smells or anything that suddenly looks or sounds different deserves attention. Don’t investigate electrical equipment yourself. Move away from the equipment if necessary and contact a qualified electrician or solar installer.
How Often Should Solar Panels Be Serviced?
There is no single servicing schedule that suits every solar installation. The age of the system, its environment, manufacturer recommendations and any previous faults can all affect what is appropriate. Systems exposed to dust, vegetation, severe weather or other environmental conditions may need closer attention.
The Australian Government says homeowners should check their system documentation or ask their installer what maintenance schedule is suitable, noting a solar system could be serviced every two years. A proper service, per that same guidance, should include cleaning the panels, testing electrical components, inspecting cabling and isolator switches, and reviewing the inverter’s fault history.
For homeowners in areas such as Wandering, Boddington, Pingelly, Williams, Cuballing, Narrogin, Wagin and Dumbleyung, local conditions can also make regular visual monitoring particularly useful, and having local solar installers who know the region makes booking a proper check that much easier.
Common Solar Maintenance Mistakes
These are the common mistakes most solar owners make with their maintenance:
- Ignoring Small Warnings: A single warning does not necessarily mean your system has a major fault. Repeated warnings, however, are worth recording and discussing with a professional.
- Comparing The Wrong Periods: Summer and winter generation will not look the same. Compare similar conditions where possible rather than assuming every drop in output means something has failed.
- Attempting DIY Repairs: Opening an inverter, handling solar cabling or climbing onto a roof is not a sensible homeowner maintenance task. Electrical repairs should be handled by an appropriately qualified professional, one who holds current accreditation through Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA), the body now responsible for ensuring solar installers and designers meet national training standards.
- Losing Important Records: Installation paperwork, warranties and previous service reports can make future troubleshooting much easier. Keep them together rather than having to search for them when something goes wrong.
Book Your Solar System Service With Volt Air
Your solar system may still be producing power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean everything is working as well as it should. Small changes in generation, recurring inverter warnings or damage that goes unnoticed can become more difficult to deal with when left for too long.
The good news is that you don’t have to diagnose the problem yourself. Volt Air provides professional solar inspections, maintenance and servicing for homeowners across Perth, Peel, the Wheatbelt and South West WA. Whether you’re in Wagin, Narrogin, Pingelly, Boddington, Wandering or a surrounding regional area, having your system properly assessed can give you a much clearer picture of its condition and performance.
If your solar system is showing warning signs, producing less than usual, or simply hasn’t been checked in a while, now is a good time to arrange a professional inspection. Volt Air can identify issues that aren’t always obvious from the ground and advise you on the right next step. Book your solar panel servicing with us today and get your system checked by a qualified professional.