Solar Panel Maintenance Costs: Cleaning, Repairs & Servicing

How Much Does Solar Panel Maintenance Cost?

Before installing solar panels, it's important to understand that there are ongoing maintenance costs associated with them. 

These can slowly eat into your annual savings, which come from utilising your own free energy and payments from the Smart Export Guarantee scheme (whereby you sell energy back to the grid).

Expect solar panel maintenance costs to be £100-£150 per year on average. That said, it's likely you could go several years without any maintenance or repair costs at all. 

Below we'll explain the 3 most common costs associated with owning solar panels which include: 

• Cleaning
• Repairs
• Servicing

This page is a 5-minute read but in summary, your annual costs are likely to look as follows:

• Average maintenance cost: £100–£150/year
• Cleaning: £30–£150 every 1-2 years
• Servicing: £100-£200 every 1-2 years (not essential)

Cleaning Costs

Cleaning is the most frequent maintenance cost to account for. Expect solar panel cleaning to cost in the region of £30-£150 per visit. Prices that a solar panel cleaning company will quote is likely to depend on: 

• System size
• Frequency of the clean
• How dirty your solar panels are
• How easy they are to access

A small 5kW solar panel system that’s easy to access is likely to cost £30-£60 to clean. On the flip-side, a 16kW system that has panels that are hard to reach and are incredibly dirty could be £100-150 to clean. 

Determining the most cost-effective cleaning frequency isn’t exactly easy. However, aiming to get your solar panels cleaned every 18-24 months is usually advisable.

Things that affect how dirty your solar panels get and therefore, how often they need to be cleaned include: 

• How often it rains in your area
• Proximity to busy roads (which tend to kick up a lot of dust)
• Proximity to trees (leaves and small twigs can reduce solar panel efficiency)

Overall, cleaning costs (averaged per year) are minimal. 

We fit solar panels that are easy to clean, with most window cleaners using a reach and wash system being able to clean them in the £30-£60 range.

Get quotes on solar panel systems using our quote form here.

Repair Costs

If you’ve read horror stories about owners of PV systems shelling out £1000s in repair costs within just a few years of ownership, it’s likely because they bought a system with a poor warranty.

A high quality MCS installer will only fit inverters, solar panels and batteries from brands that have a long warranty. If you’re being quoted on a system that has a low warranty on PV units, the battery or inverter, simply walk away.

An example of a quality setup with a long warranty would be our popular system utilising JA solar panels which comes with: 

• 25-year product warranty on JA solar panels
• 10-year warranty on a 3.6kW Sigenergy battery
• 2-year workmanship warranty

If you buy a setup like this, you’re guaranteed not to spend anything on your inverter for 10-years and solar panels for 25-years.

Most solar panel manufacturers (such as JA Solar and LONGi) come with a 25-30 year performance warranty. Essentially, if your panels fail completely or lose efficiency above what’s covered in the warranty, they’ll be replaced for free. 

That said, there may be times (admittedly, over a decade from now) where you may need to pay for repairs.

One of the biggest repair costs is an inverter replacement. Expect to replace an inverter every 10-20 years, with a typical installation cost (including the inverter) being in the region of £1,000-£1,500.

To ensure you purchase a system that incorporates components from leading brands offering a long warranty, we’ve got specific guides worth checking out including:

• Most efficient solar panels
• Best solar panel batteries
• Solar inverter cost guide
• Solar panel installation guide

Alternatively, feel free to contact our solar panel experts here if you have any questions. 

Servicing

Solar panel systems don’t need to have an annual service, by law.

Companies offering annual servicing generally: 

• Do a full system check
• Performance check
• Check wiring

If you choose an annual or bi-annual service plan, expect to pay £100-£200 per visit.

Solar Panel Maintenance Guide

Solar panels - by design - are low maintenance. Maintenance of any household appliance or system is expensive, so their low maintenance design helps to keep costs to a minimum. 

Essentially, all you need to do is: keep them clean, monitor output and complete regular visual checks. 

1. Keep Your Panels Clean

A cleaning frequency of 18-24 months is usually enough for the average system. 

Any dirt or debris build-up will reduce the efficiency of your panels, so a regular clean helps to keep your system productive.

2. Monitor System Output

Most solar panel systems come with an app whereby you can track performance. 

Noticing huge drops in performance? There might be an issue, so it's worth contacting an MCS solar panel engineer to figure out which component is at fault.

3. Complete Visual Checks

Regularly check your system for signs of loose wiring or cracked panels. Cracked panels in particular can cause efficiency issues. 

For systems using a string inverter, one cracked panel can drop the efficiency of the whole system. If your system utilises microinverters, only the faulty panel will see an efficiency drop.

Given most solar panel manufacturers offer a 25-year performance warranty, you'll be able to get faulty panels fixed for free!

FAQ

How much does solar panel maintenance cost?

Expect to budget £100-£150 per year for solar panel maintenance. This includes the likes of cleaning and basic repairs, although some years, the cost is likely to be £0.

How often should I clean my solar panels?

A cleaning frequency of 1-2 years is suitable.

For those that live near busy roads (lots of dust) or trees (lots of debris), leaning more towards an annual clean would be advisable. 

How much does solar panel cleaning cost?

Expect to pay £30-£150 per visit.

Most local window cleaners using a water-fed-pole system can clean solar panels and are generally much cheaper than specialist solar panel cleaning companies.

Can I clean solar panels myself?

Solar panels can be cleaned on a DIY basis. But, bear in mind they are extremely fragile. 

Use a soft brush and water; not a jetwash. The power of a jetwash could ruin your panels.

For the minimal cost of £30 (in some cases), it’s worth using a cleaning company that has a specific soft brush for solar panels and uses a reach and wash system.

Do I have to service solar panels, by law?

No, there is no legal requirement to service solar panels. However, it’s worth having a professional check your system every couple of years. 

If they find the likes of a cracked panel, replacing it could bump efficiency dramatically (and the panel is likely covered by warranty).

Ready to get your quote on a solar panel system with a long warranty and a low maintenance cost? 

Use our free solar panel pricing tool here.