Tropical storms and your PV
Many owners of photovoltaic (PV) systems become worried when high winds approach Hawaiian waters, because their PV investment on the roof may be damaged during these storms. Since many systems have minimal attachment to the structure, and have not been inspected after installation, components of these systems are ripe for failure.
Pacific Islands Solar, as a division Pacific Islands Construction, has been cleaning and maintaining multiple systems installed by others, and have frequently found, through inspection, loose bolts or attachment mechanisms that will fail when exposed to high winds. So, when the question is asked, “Why is the maintenance of solar PV systems important?,” the answer is to protect your investment.
Maintenance of your PV system is an important component of ownership, because it provides a program to maintain, clean and protect against failures from water damage or attachment failure. The cleaning of the modules removes dirt, salt, bird droppings and other things that attach themselves to the surfaces above and on the under-side of the modules.
Pacific Islands has found that, especially close to the shoreline, salt will produce build-up on both the top and underside of the module. Cleaning the top side of the modules also makes the modules more efficient, by allowing more sunlight to reach the cells. Tightening of loose bolts, etc. keeps the wind from tearing off the modules from the roof.
PV systems installed with tested racking systems, rather than rated, will provide peace of mind that the components will work during high winds. The inspection and repair of the roof flashing details will prevent water intrusion into the building, protecting against costly repairs.
Peace of mind regarding your solar investment cannot be protected by the warranties and a piece of paper promise. Warranties are written by the manufacturer, to protect against future claims you may have against their product not performing up to expectations.
Unfortunately, the industry has had to deal with unhappy customers that find out later that they were not protected against failures in their purchase, since the warranty document spelled out that the problem was excluded. The best solution is always buying high quality products that are maintained and installed properly.
If you are interested in finding out more about Pacific Islands’ maintenance programs, call the company at 841-7756, or email pacificislands05@gmail.com. Customers are amazed at how much more their system produces after the cleaning. If you feel your system is under producing, the inspection is also a great way to ensure that everything is working properly.
Every inspection comes with a report, to let you know how your system is doing. Check out the company website at pacificislandsconstruction.net, where you can find numerous articles on solar.
PACIFIC ISLANDS CONSTRUCTION
contact // 841-7756
web // Pacificislandsconstruction.net