Commercial Solar Repairs

Commercial solar systems are custom designed to the business’ energy needs and the available space on the rooftop. Some property owners elect to build a ground mount system, and there are also longspan solar, carport solar, and parking garage top solar, but the most common commercial solar system design is a rooftop solar array. This is a way of saying that each system is unique, and solar technicians would need to see the design, or inspect the system, to determine the ideal output of your commercial solar system. if you have monitoring records, or have worked before with an O&M solar company (likely a solar maintenance plan with your installer), we can compare real world historical data with current electricity production. 

Commercial solar monitoring should be built into your system to prevent long passages of time with sub-optimal power output. When your system was built, the close-out meeting with your commercial or industrial solar installer should have explained how your solar monitoring system works. Like most technology, solar monitoring capability has improved over the years. We have experience with most monitoring systems. We can help you access your solar system output data if you are unsure how to view it, and upgrade the equipment to monitor your solar system’s production if needed.

A comparison of your system’s output via its monitoring system is a great and simple way to compare power output today vs. power output when brand new. A low electricity output could mean the need for solar maintenance or solar repair; but it could also be from other factors.

All solar panels will have a slight degradation over the years, so it’s to be expected if your system has dropped in output by a few percentage points. This lowered output should not be significant. It’s important not to evaluate your system’s output by the cost of your electric bill since your energy use and energy rates have likely increased. It’s also important to compare data with consideration to the month of power production; the longer days of summer will produce more electricity than the shorter days of the winter months.

Solar systems are durable and reliable, but like any machine (even ones with very few moving parts like a commercial solar system), parts can drop in performance or outright fail. Many things can cause low production in a solar system, but for systems older than ten years, one or more inverters needing replacement is likely the needed maintenance to get your system back to optimal performance.

An operations and maintenance program for solar is a good idea to identify any reduced output early, and also to ensure that your system gets routine inspections and maintenance. The best strategy is to avoid production dips; solar maintenance to prevent a problem is better than the need for a solar system repair. 

Commercial Energy Storage Systems (ESS), or “commercial batteries,” are a great approach to lower energy costs. The two common ESS deployment strategies are Peak Shaving and Load Shifting. 

An evaluation of your business’ energy use and current electricity bill are starting points for a consultation to determine the ideal Energy Storage System design so your business can maximize energy cost savings with a battery.

You want a company with a strong track record and decades of experience to best evaluate, repair, and maintain your solar system. HES Renewables is built on the DNA of solar innovation and trail blazing since 2001. We are a local company with in-house employees in Soutern California ready to resolve your business’s solar system concerns.

A typical commercial solar system will still be running strong for many years. Most solar systems will have long surpassed their payback period by the time any of the components need attention.

Like any mechanical system, having a good solar O&M contract will help ensure your company gets the maximum return on investment and the longest life out of your commercial or industrial solar system.  

Yes, we can add monitoring to a system that doesn’t have monitoring, upgrade a system that has outdated monitoring hardware, or repair a system with faulty monitoring equipment. This requires a site visit to determine which existing monitoring system is in place and which monitoring systems and/or features are available for that system. 

The switch away from 3G availability inadvertently ‘knocked out’ many commercial solar monitoring systems.

If your solar monitoring is down, we can inspect your system on a case by case basis; our technicians would need to inspect your specific solar system with an on-site visit. One common answer to this question, however, is to ensure that your system’s communication method (3G vs 4G) is still being offered in your area. 

The answer is either, ‘Yes,’ or, ‘It’s working now but it will fail soon.’ Solar panels are sealed systems, and broken glass, even micro cracks, will cause the solar module (aka solar panel) to eventually fail due to an arc fault or ground fault.

This solar panel repair is dependent on the availability of the exact panel, so the answer is, ‘Possibly.’

Often with older systems the specific panel model is difficult to locate, so a suitable replacement module might be used for this solar panel replacement job. In some cases, the damaged solar module can be bypassed to keep the system operational. In other cases it may be more beneficial to consider a complete system replacement. Our technicians can advise and recommend a course of action. 

This is not a ‘one size fits all’ answer, as each system’s components, design, and potential problems are unique. Our technicians can show you the options to bring your commercial solar system back to optimum performance. Often when balanced against the lost energy savings from having the system non-operational or operating below potential, solar repair expenses look extremely reasonable. In general, commercial solar repair proves to be well worth the cost, and fixing a solar system usually ‘pays for itself’ quickly.

This is another ‘it depends’ answer. In addition to the current system’s condition and output, for most California systems there’s also the consideration of what Net Energy Metering system the solar system was energized with, and how much more time is left on that NEM agreement (usually 20 years from the date the system was first energized). The installation of a new system, or the construction of a significant addition, need to take the solar system’s NEM status into consideration before weighing the benefits of a commercial solar system replacement.

An older system on a strong NEM agreement brings up another strong case to have a commercial solar O&M agreement in place. In addition to extending the life of a system, routine maintenance and inspection can keep that solar system owner operating under an advantageous (older) NEM agreement with the utility. 

Solar systems can benefit from routine maintenance. That said, solar systems are robust and have very few moving parts. Because of this, most should be watched for proper performance, and usually require minimal routine maintenance. The most efficient method to ensure you’re getting the most out of your solar system investment is with a solar maintenance contract. We have O&M contracts that provide peace of mind that you’re not leaving money on the table (or ‘energy on the rooftop’), and that your system is in optimum condition to provide you with the maximum energy savings on your company utility bill.

Commercial and industrial buildings have complex electrical systems and a tripping breaker could be from various causes. That said, if you need a commercial electrician for a building with solar, it makes good sense to hire a licensed electrician from a commercial solar company to best evaluate your building’s electrical problem.

Yes. Dirt buildup can significantly affect solar production. Not only does dirt and detritus buildup cause reduced power output, but long-term buildup of dirt, dust, tree sap, etc. can cause hot spots which can permanently damage PV modules.

If the panels are tilted more than 15 degrees rain cleans them fairly effectively, but they will still benefit from cleaning if you see that they are accumulating buildup. For systems in which the panels are installed at less than a 15 degree tilt, or in areas where dirt accumulates heavily on surfaces, those systems should be cleaned at least once per year. To properly clean a solar array, you’ll want an experienced solar group like HES Renewables for the job. 

In most cases, the installation of a critter guard will prevent wildlife (“critters’) from entering and damaging your rooftop commercial solar array. In addition, annual inspection of the rooftop and clearing debris will keep pests in check.