Keep Your Solar Panels Performing at Their Best: The Importance of Maintenance & Bird Guarding
At Solar Electrical Services, we’re passionate about helping homeowners and businesses get the very best efficiency, lifespan, and return on investment from their solar PV systems. While solar panels require far less maintenance than many other energy systems, they’re not completely “fit and forget.”
Regular maintenance — including cleaning, inspections, and bird guarding — plays a key role in keeping your panels producing maximum energy year after year.
How Dirt and Debris Reduce Your Solar Output
Over time, solar panels naturally accumulate:
Even a thin layer of grime can block sunlight and significantly reduce performance. In fact, dirty solar panels can lose up to 25% of their energy output depending on their angle and location.
At Solar Electrical Services, we see this issue all the time during inspections — perfectly good panels running at well below their potential simply because they’re not being cleaned or maintained.
A regular clean can restore output instantly, improving efficiency and saving money on your bills.
Why Bird Guarding Is Essential
One of the most common causes of solar system problems in the UK is birds nesting underneath PV panels.
Without bird guards, pigeons and other birds often build nests in the warm, sheltered space between the panels and roof. This leads to:
We often get emergency call-outs caused by bird damage that could have been completely prevented with proper guarding.
Our Bird Guarding Service
We supply and install high-quality, discreet bird-proofing systems designed specifically for PV panels. These guards:
✔ Prevent birds from nesting
✔ Protect the wiring and inverter
✔ Help panels stay cleaner for longer
✔ Extend the life of your system
Once installed, they require no maintenance and provide long-term peace of mind.
🧰 Solar Panel Maintenance: What We Recommend
At Solar Electrical Services, our maintenance packages are designed to keep your panels working at peak performance. A typical service includes:
Full system inspection, Electrical testing, Panel cleaning, Thermal imaging (where required), check of roof fixings and mounting system, Inverter performance check, and advice on improvements, optimisations, or repairs.
We recommend an annual check-up for homes and more frequent maintenance for commercial installations.
🌍 Want to Protect Your Solar Investment?
Whether your panels need a clean, an inspection, or urgent bird-proofing, we’re here to help.
Contact Solar Electrical Services today to book your maintenance visit or check out our feature here
