Solar maintenance
Most solar problems are preventable. Regular maintenance is how you prevent them
A solar system that is looked after performs better, lasts longer and costs less to own over its life. Most of the faults we see on older systems in Townsville, burnt isolators, corroded connections, degraded panels and underperforming strings, were preventable. They developed gradually, and a routine check at the right time would have caught them before they became failures.
In Townsville’s tropical coastal environment, systems age faster than most parts of Australia. Salt air, high humidity, intense UV and seasonal heavy rain all take a toll on components that were not always designed with North Queensland conditions in mind. That is not a reason to avoid solar. It is a reason to maintain it properly.
We carry out routine maintenance inspections on all makes and brands, not just systems we installed. Every inspection is documented with a professional digital report produced using our proprietary Solar Inspection App, so you have a clear record of your system’s condition and what was done.
What we find
Common issues we find during routine maintenance checks
After we visit
What happens after a maintenance inspection
You receive a professional digital report the same day, produced using our Solar Inspection App. The report details every aspect of the inspection, the current condition of each component, any issues identified and the recommended course of action.
Where we find something that can be made safe or corrected quickly during the visit, we do it at no extra charge. For anything that requires parts, further investigation or a follow-up visit, we provide a written quote before any additional work proceeds. Nothing happens without your approval.
If the inspection shows your system is in good health, that is also valuable to know. You walk away with a timestamped, professionally documented record of your system’s condition, which supports manufacturer warranty claims and can be useful for insurance purposes or when selling your home.
We are also your ongoing point of contact after the visit. If you have questions about the report or want to discuss the recommended work, you speak to the same technician who attended.
Townsville
Maintenance matters more in Townsville than most places
Over 95% of solar systems installed more than 10 years ago in North Queensland have been left without any ongoing support because the installing company has closed down or exited the industry. Homeowners with these systems have no one to call when something goes wrong. We service and maintain these systems every day.
Townsville’s tropical coastal environment is one of the most demanding in Australia for solar equipment. The combination of salt air, UV intensity, heat cycles and seasonal rain accelerates the degradation of components faster than in most other cities. A system installed here 10 years ago has faced conditions that the same system in Brisbane or Sydney simply has not.
Regular maintenance is not about finding excuses to charge you for things. It is about catching real problems early, keeping your system safe, and making sure you are getting the generation you paid for across the full life of your investment.
Common questions
Solar maintenance questions, answered
How often should a solar system be professionally maintained in Townsville?
We recommend an annual maintenance inspection for systems in the Townsville region. The Queensland Electrical Safety Office and most inverter and panel manufacturers support regular professional servicing, and Townsville’s tropical coastal environment means components degrade faster here than in most Australian cities.
Do you service systems you did not install?
Yes. We carry out maintenance inspections on all makes and brands, regardless of who installed the system. If your original installer is no longer operating, we step in as your new service provider.
What is the difference between your inspection levels?
We offer three levels of inspection. A fault inspection suits systems that have shut down or are showing error codes. A safety and performance inspection is our most popular service and is suited to annual maintenance checks and pre-purchase inspections. A detailed safety and performance inspection includes additional testing such as insulation resistance testing, voltage leakage testing, earth testing and a full meterbox check, and is used for thorough audits and pre-purchase assessments on older systems.
Can I clean my own solar panels?
We recommend against it. A number of serious accidents have occurred when homeowners have attempted to clean panels themselves, including falls from roofs. We also strongly advise against using high-pressure water, which can damage panel seals and internal components. Panel cleaning is included in our higher-level inspection services, and we can also schedule a standalone clean.
What should I do if there is a cyclone?
If your system is correctly installed and in good working order, you do not need to do anything before a cyclone unless you choose to shut it down for peace of mind. To shut down: turn off the Solar Supply Main Switch at the meterbox or the inverter AC isolator, then turn off the PV DC isolator. Do not disconnect any DC cables. After the event, check your inverter is showing a green light and generating normally. If you have any concerns or notice damage, call us and we can carry out a post-cyclone inspection.
Does a maintenance inspection support my warranty?
Yes. Most major inverter and panel manufacturers recommend a documented maintenance history to honour warranty claims. If your system fails and there is no record of professional servicing, the manufacturer may argue the fault resulted from neglect. Our inspection reports are timestamped and professionally produced, and serve as evidence of care for warranty and insurance purposes.
What is included in a maintenance visit
Every maintenance visit is documented with a professional digital report produced using our Solar Inspection App. The scope of the inspection depends on the level you book, but all visits cover the core elements of system safety and performance.
Our standard safety and performance inspection covers: solar panel condition including imperfections, dirt, corrosion and bird droppings; inverter operation state, alarm history and production data; rooftop cabling support and routing; rooftop DC isolator condition and water ingress; inverter DC and AC isolator condition; system configuration verified against panel layout; panel racking, rail and fixing integrity; shading from trees, pipes or other obstructions; and performance checked against expected output.
Our detailed inspection adds insulation resistance testing, voltage leakage testing, inverter earth testing, meterbox safety check, multiple MPPT string checks, DC voltage and current verification, and a full energy bill analysis.
If we find something minor we can fix safely during the visit, we do it at no extra charge.
