Repair and Maintenance
Maintenance
Compass encourages the regular inspection of the PV array. Inspections should only be carried out by an accredited solar electrician and can include the following activities:
- Inspecting the solar modules for damage, such as cracked glass.
- Cleaning the solar modules using fresh water, not organic cleaners or solvents. Beware that abrasive cloth or paper can damage the panel’s anti-reflective glass coating.
- If possible, undertake the inspection at a time of day when close proximity objects cast their longest shadows.
- After a major weather event, e.g. Hail storm, or if unrelated work has been done of the roof, e.g. Roof cleaning, check that no collateral damage has been done to the solar array.
Without a regular panel clean, your system productivity will be significantly reduced by the accumulation of dirt, which will shade the modules leading to reduced exposure to irradiance and productivity. It is also important that the system undergoes a regular safety inspection.
It is important that your Solar PV system undergoes an annual service. A service from Compass includes the following:
- Panel Clean
- Safety Inspection
- Cabling and Mounting checks
- Fault and Repairs – (repaired under warranty if valid)
- Training if required
Circuit Breakers
On very rare occasions the electrical circuit breakers may trip. Australian PV installation standards and guidelines require that two sets of DC circuit breakers be installed in all solar PV systems. One set is ‘on the roof’ where the solar panels are installed, and one is set close to the inverters. Both circuit breakers must be clearly labelled, and their “on” and “off” position unambiguously displayed – familiarize yourself with this.
Make a habit of regularly glancing at the inverters display indicators. No DC power into the inverter may indicate the circuit breaker has tripped.
The inverter itself has its own AC (at the output) circuit breaker.
The inverter is the solar PV system’s ‘nerve centre’ and its LCD display provides a wealth of information about the overall PV system’s operations and performance. The display also serves as a diagnostic interface. The guide sheet below, particularly the visual indicators, may assist the operator to troubleshoot some possible faults. We do not recommend the owner to engage in rectifying the faults, particularly if they require:
- Opening up the inverter and inspecting or measuring exposed live wires and or terminals.
- Disconnecting and reconnecting power cables.
Use only an approved and certified electrician to undertake servicing. You are advised to contact Compass if there are any faults that are occurring on the inverter. Failure to comply will void the warranties.