When to Get a Solar Health Check

Get a health check if your system is generating noticeably less than expected, after severe weather, if your inverter is more than 10 years old, or if your monitoring app is showing persistent fault codes. Routine checks every two to three years are good practice even without visible problems.

Signs something may be wrong

• Generation consistently 15–20% below your seasonal expected output
• Inverter displaying fault codes that do not self-clear after a restart
• The inverter has gone offline and rebooting it does not restore generation
• Birds nesting under panels — this can damage wiring insulation and create a fire risk if left unaddressed
• Visible physical damage to panel glass or frames after a weather event

After severe weather

After hailstorms, high winds, or heavy snowfall, a visual roof inspection is worthwhile. Most UK hail is not large enough to cause panel damage, but significant storms can shift mounting brackets or damage cables if they were not routed correctly during installation. We offer post-storm inspections for systems we did not originally install.

Inverter age

String inverters have a typical lifespan of 10–15 years. If yours is approaching 10 years and faults are becoming more frequent, proactive replacement is more cost-effective than waiting for a failure. A replacement inverter costs £800–£2,000 installed depending on size and brand.

Routine panel cleaning

In most UK locations, rain cleans panels adequately. Professional cleaning is worthwhile if you are in a high-pollution area, near agricultural land, or if your roof angle is below 15 degrees. Annual cleaning costs £80–£150 for a standard system.