In short: home solar needs little routine care: watch your monitoring app, keep panels clear of shade and heavy dirt, and get a check after big storms. The part most likely to fail is the inverter; string inverters usually carry 10 to 12-year warranties, microinverters often 25 (EnergySage). Repairs and inverter swaps are a job for a licensed installer.
This page covers what maintenance solar panels really need, how to spot a problem early, common faults, inverter replacement, warranty claims, what to do if your installer has gone out of business, and what it all tends to cost.
Solar maintenance at a glance
- Expected yearly cost: NREL’s 2024 Annual Technology Baseline puts typical home solar operating and maintenance cost at about $30 per kW per year (2023), and anywhere from $0 to $40 depending on practices and equipment. That figure includes insurance, cleaning and component failures; not every system needs all of it.
- Normal aging: panels lose output slowly; NREL’s review of about 2,000 measurements found a median of 0.5% per year.
- Inverters: string inverters have 10 to 12-year warranties as a rule; microinverters and power optimizers are often covered for 25 years. Labor and shipping are generally not included (EnergySage).
- Safety: stay off the roof. Panels carry live DC voltage whenever light hits them. Cleaning from the ground or a call to a pro is the safe route.
What maintenance solar panels actually need
Solar panels have no moving parts, so maintenance is mostly about noticing problems early. NREL’s best-practice guide for operators stresses that the right plan depends on local conditions such as weather and how fast panels get dirty. For a home, that boils down to a short list:
- Check your monitoring once a month. Compare this month’s production with the same month last year. A sudden drop, a flat line at zero or an offline alert is your earliest warning.
- Look from the ground after storms, hail or high winds: cracked glass, shifted panels, hanging wires, debris or bird nests under the array.
- Keep shade down. Trim trees that have grown since installation; even partial shade can cut output, especially on string-inverter systems.
- Clean only when it pays. In many places rain keeps panels clean enough. Dusty, dry areas, pollen, ash and bird droppings can justify a professional cleaning. Follow your panel maker’s instructions; ask before using pressure washers or cleaning chemicals.
- Book a professional check if production drops, after roof work, or every few years for peace of mind: wiring, connectors, mounting, roof seals, the inverter and the disconnects.
How to tell if your system is underperforming
Start with the production estimate in your contract. Then run your address through our solar potential calculator for a second estimate. Remember that output swings with the seasons and the weather, and normal aging takes about half a percent a year. Our rule of thumb: a system making 10% or more below last year in the same month, with similar weather, is worth a call to the installer. Our solar savings calculator shows what a shortfall costs you at your rate.
Common solar faults and what usually causes them
| What you notice | Common causes | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Zero production, inverter shows an error | Inverter fault, tripped breaker or disconnect, grid outage (a grid-tied system shuts off when the grid is down) | Check breakers first; then the installer or the inverter maker’s support |
| Monitoring offline but power still flowing | Wi-Fi change, router swap, failed communications gateway (often warrantied for only about 5 years) | Usually you, with the maker’s app; otherwise the installer |
| One section or one panel low | Shade, dirt, a failed microinverter or optimizer, a loose connector | Installer |
| Gradual drop over years | Normal aging (about 0.5% a year), growing trees, dirt | You (trim, clean) or installer if faster than expected |
| Ground-fault or arc-fault alarm | Damaged wiring, chewed cables, water in a junction box | Licensed installer or electrician only |
| Roof leak near the array | Failed flashing or seals at mounting points | Installer under the workmanship warranty, often with a roofer |
If you also have a home battery, many faults show in the same app. Battery issues and backup settings are covered in our home batteries section and how long home batteries last.
Solar inverter replacement
Inverters turn the panels’ DC power into the AC your home uses, and they work hard every sunny day. A string inverter is one box, usually on a wall near your panel; when it fails, the whole system stops. Microinverters sit under each panel, so one failure only takes out one panel, but replacing it means going up on the roof.
- Inside the warranty: the maker sends a replacement, but labor and shipping are generally not covered (EnergySage). Your installer’s workmanship warranty may cover the labor; check yours.
- Out of warranty: plan on a new inverter at some point in a 25-year panel life if you have a string inverter. It’s a chance to upgrade to a hybrid inverter that can add a battery later; see solar battery storage.
- Match matters: the new inverter has to suit your panels’ voltage and current and your utility’s interconnection rules. Some utilities want to be told about equipment changes. A licensed installer handles the design, permit (where required) and paperwork.
How to make a warranty claim
- Find your papers: contract, panel and inverter models and serial numbers, warranty documents, and the install date (your PTO letter shows it).
- Record the problem: screenshots of the monitoring, error codes on the inverter, photos from the ground.
- Call the installer first. They usually file the claim with the maker and do the swap.
- If the installer won’t help, contact the panel or inverter maker directly. Product warranties come from the maker, not the installer.
- Keep everything in writing, with dates.
When your solar installer is gone (“orphaned” systems)
Solar companies do close. If yours has, you’re not stuck. The panel and inverter warranties are the makers’ promises, so they normally continue; the installer’s workmanship warranty is what you lose. Look for a new installer who services your brand: Enphase, for instance, lists installers in its Installer Network, and other makers have similar finders. Expect to pay for a diagnostic visit.
If you lease or have a power purchase agreement, the system belongs to the company, and your contract says who maintains it. When the owner goes bankrupt, the account is often moved to a new servicer. When Sunnova filed for Chapter 11 in June 2025, for example, it asked the court for permission to keep honoring leases, PPAs and warranties during the sale. Keep paying as your contract says, and ask in writing who now services your system.
Replacing your roof with solar on it
New roofs and solar arrays don’t age at the same rate. If the roof under your panels needs replacing, the array has to come off and go back on, ideally by a solar installer who coordinates with your roofer. Ask for a written quote that covers removal, storage, reinstallation, new flashing, any permit and a fresh inspection, and ask how it affects your existing warranties. If you’re still shopping for solar, this is why our installation guide says to deal with an aging roof first.
What solar maintenance and repair cost
Public price data for solar repair is thin. These ranges come from Angi’s 2026 cost guides, which are based on homeowner-reported projects, so treat them as rough guides rather than quotes:
| Job | Typical range (Angi, 2026 data) |
|---|---|
| Professional maintenance, per year | $390 to $720 (average about $520) |
| Cleaning | $200 to $500 |
| Inspection | $150 to $300 |
| Repair, overall | Average about $848; most $235 to $1,462 |
| String inverter replacement | $800 to $2,500 |
| Microinverter replacement (each) | $150 to $350 |
For a yearly budget, NREL’s figure of about $30 per kW per year works out to roughly $210 a year for a 7 kW system (our arithmetic), averaged over years when nothing happens and years when something breaks. There’s no federal tax credit for repairs in 2026. If a storm damaged your system, call your homeowner’s insurer too and ask whether your policy covers roof-mounted solar.
Choosing someone to service your system
Use the same checks as for a new installation: a license for electrical or solar work in your state (each state page links to the lookup), insurance certificates, and experience with your inverter brand. NABCEP has a certification for this exact work, the PV Commissioning and Maintenance Specialist. Get a written estimate before any work starts and ask whether parts and labor carry their own warranty. Be wary of anyone who offers to “add panels” or sell a battery on a repair visit before fixing what’s broken.
Get repair or maintenance help
Tell us what’s happening (error codes and production numbers help) and choose “Repair or maintenance” in the form. Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves your area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. How it works.
Solar maintenance questions
Do solar panels need maintenance?
Very little. Check your monitoring app monthly, look at the array from the ground after storms, keep trees trimmed and clean panels only when dirt clearly cuts output. Book a professional check if production drops. NREL puts typical home solar upkeep at about $30 per kW a year, including insurance and occasional repairs, and some systems need far less.
How often should solar panels be cleaned?
There’s no single schedule. Where it rains regularly, many systems never need cleaning. In dry, dusty places, near farms or under trees, a cleaning can recover lost output. Compare production before and after a rain: if it jumps, dirt was costing you. Hire a pro or clean from the ground with a soft brush and water, following the panel maker’s instructions.
How long does a solar inverter last?
String inverters usually come with 10 to 12-year warranties and are the part you’re most likely to replace during a panel’s 25-year warranty period. Microinverters and optimizers are often warrantied for 25 years. Warranties replace the part, but labor and shipping are generally not included, so ask your installer what their workmanship warranty covers.
Who fixes my solar if the installer went out of business?
Any licensed installer who works with your equipment brand. The panel and inverter warranties come from the makers, so claims can still go through. Find a servicer through your inverter maker’s installer list or ask us. If you lease, the leasing company or its new servicer is responsible under your contract, so contact them first.
Can I fix solar panel problems myself?
Only the simple things: resetting a tripped breaker as the manual describes, reconnecting monitoring to Wi-Fi, trimming trees and cleaning from the ground. Panels produce live DC voltage in daylight and can’t simply be switched off, so wiring, connectors, inverters and anything on the roof are for a licensed installer or electrician.
Sources
NREL (now National Laboratory of the Rockies) Annual Technology Baseline 2024, residential PV; NREL Best Practices for Operation and Maintenance of Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Systems, 3rd edition (2018); NREL, Jordan and Kurtz, Photovoltaic Degradation Rates (2012); EnergySage, solar inverter warranties (updated September 2024); Angi 2026 solar maintenance and repair cost guides; NABCEP board certifications; Enphase Installer Network; Sunnova company announcement (June 2025). Checked October 3, 2026.