Solar Panels as an Investment
Solar panels are a solid investment for reducing your energy bills and supporting renewable energy, but like any part of your home’s electrical system, they need attention over time. At Verve Electrical, we regularly maintain and service solar systems across Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs — and we’ve seen what can go wrong when maintenance is skipped.
Here’s what to know about how solar panel maintenance keeps your system running safely and efficiently, and some of the issues we’ve come across on jobs around Croydon, Ringwood, and Lilydale.
Fire Risks From Neglected Solar Systems
The idea that solar panels can cause a fire surprises many people ( don’t even think about making recommendations on Facebook! Every ‘expert’ under the sun will tell you it’s a fear mongering attempt to “drum up work” – be it domestic electricians who don’t understand basic series circuitry, DC voltage characteristics or how to use an IR tester… or partially knowledgeable home owners) but we see firsthand how real this risk can be. Faulty isolators, water ingress, poor-quality connectors or cabling, and even pest damage can lead to arcing or overheating, creating a fire hazard on your roof.
One Ringwood client called us after their solar system shut down completely. We found their rooftop DC isolator had filled with water due to a cracked seal — not uncommon in older systems installed before mandatory inspection changes. Left unchecked, that moisture could have sparked a serious fire. Fortunately, our routine servicing caught it in time, unlike the image below from Dandenong.
We recommend a full solar safety inspection every two years to test cabling, isolators, and protection devices. If your system’s over five years old and hasn’t been looked at since installation, it’s definitely worth booking in.
Solar Panel Hot Spots: What They Are and Why They Matter
Another issue we come across is solar panel hot spots. These occur when one part of a panel heats up more than the rest — usually due to dirt, debris, bird droppings, or microcracks in the panel cells. Hot spots aren’t just a hit to your efficiency — they can damage your panels permanently and, in some cases, increase fire risk. See below for the end result…
We saw this recently in a job out in Mooroolbark. The panels were underperforming, and after thermal imaging during servicing, we found multiple hot spots caused by leaf buildup along the bottom row. It hadn’t been cleaned in years. A bit of preventative care could have extended the life of that system by several years. Instead we removed 3 damaged panels and disposed of them.
Performance Loss Over Time
Most solar systems slowly lose efficiency, but dirt, corrosion, or loose connections can accelerate that.
Regular inspections pick up these issues early, long before they hit your feed-in tariffs or result in a complete shutdown.
What Solar Maintenance Involves
A typical solar service visit from Verve Electrical includes:
- Visual inspection of all rooftop panels and mounting
- Check of rooftop and ground-level isolators
- Thermal imaging to detect hot spots or overheating
- Testing connections, voltages and currents
- Cleaning panels where needed (we don’t always recommend full cleans unless necessary)
- Reporting on the overall condition and any needed repairs
We’ve worked on systems installed over a decade ago that hadn’t had a single check-up. After servicing, many people report a noticeable improvement in system output — even in winter.
How Often Should You Get Solar Maintenance?
For most homes in Melbourne, every two years is a good rhythm. If your property is surrounded by trees, birds, or dust (like out in Warrandyte or parts of Lilydale), annual checks might be a better fit.
If your inverter is showing fault codes or you’ve noticed your power bills creeping up unexpectedly, it’s worth having us check your system sooner.
Not Sure if Yours Has Been Serviced?
If you’ve bought a house with solar installed, or your installer has gone out of business (we’re seeing this more often), we suggest booking a solar system health check. It gives you peace of mind that your system is safe and operating correctly.
Need Your Solar System Checked?
We handle solar servicing, testing, and system assessments across Melbourne’s South East — including Croydon, Ringwood, Mooroolbark, Bayswater, Lilydale, and Warrandyte.
Get in touch if you need more information!
