Photon Energy Ltd. services

Solar PV systems require very little maintenance. There are no moving parts, so there is very little that can go wrong. The panels are made with aluminium frames and the cells are covered with a special hardened self-cleaning glass. If the modules are installed at a pitch of over 10 degrees, rainfall should be enough to keep them clean. If the modules are installed at a shallower pitch you may wish to clean them periodically. For smaller systems, we recommend that you look at the energy generation meter on your inverter regularly to be sure it is working. The inverter will not degrade slowly. If there is a fault it will stop completely. For larger systems we recommend an inspection of the system every 5 years and continuous monitoring of output. For systems mounted on flat roofs, we generally recommend that they are inspected every 5 years to be sure all fixings remain secure.

If as-built drawings of your building are not available we will take measurements for a structural assessment to ensure that it can support the additional weight of the solar panels. Photon Energy undertakes this work in-house; our chartered structural engineer has over 20 years’ experience. We have a number of mounting solutions to suit different building types, from ballasted systems to very low weight, aerodynamic mounting systems.

Planning permission is no longer needed to install solar PV systems on non-domestic buildings. The new rules also allow small ground-mounted systems to go ahead without a planning application.