Solar System Servicing: Energy Safe Victoria Reminder 

After several fires in the last few weeks involving older solar power systems, Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) has reminded Victorians about the importance of regular solar inspections and servicing.

Various Victorian local media outlets including the Star Weekly report ESV has investigated three recent fires:

• December 25: 10-year-old solar system in Mentone (damage confined to panels).
• December 27: 5-year-old system in Ferntree Gully (balcony and external cladding damage).
• January 4: 7-year-old system in Mt. Evelyn (significant property damage).

The culprit in each case was a faulty DC isolator. Rooftop DC isolators in particular have been the bane of the solar industry for years; but were a required bit of kit – ironically, as a safety measure. After years of pushing for change and after some initial mayhem, rooftop DC isolators are thankfully no longer required if other conditions are met.

But there are still plenty of rooftop DC isolators out there and will be for some years to come. A properly installed good quality DC isolator (on the rooftop or elsewhere) is safe, but it needs regular checking as well as other aspects of a solar power system. In the incidents above, the systems hadn’t been inspected in at least the last couple of years. Quality of the components and installation wasn’t mentioned.

Showing Solar Some Love

ESV Acting chief executive Ian Burgwin commented:

“These avoidable fires serve as important reminders, that just like a car, rooftop solar installations need to be serviced regularly to ensure they’re always running safely.”

Energy Safe Victoria launched a campaign last year recommending servicing of a solar power system by a suitably qualified professional be carried out every 2 years.

While SolarQuotes founder Finn recommends an inspection every 5 years; that’s assuming a good quality installation from the get-go. Unfortunately, not all are and fire risk is an example of the high cost of cheap solar.

The company that installed your system should be able arrange an inspection and service. But if the company is no longer around or you’d prefer to use someone else, SolarQuotes can put you in touch with pre-vetted and trusted professionals offering solar repairs and maintenance services.

The situation with older PV systems also serves as a reminder to purchasers of homes with solar panels already installed to determine inspection/servicing history as part of their due diligence. If it’s sketchy or non-existent, arranging an inspection should be pretty high up on the to-do list once you’ve moved in if you choose to not have the system looked at prior.

Also worth noting is system testing is required by Distributed Network Service Providers (DNSPs) every five years in South Australia, the ACT and Victoria (I’m not clear on the situation in other states and territories). So, it’s not just a smart thing to have done, but it can also be an obligation.

While the cost of regular servicing/inspection can be a pain in the hip-pocket (up to a few hundred dollars a pop), regular maintenance can prevent bigger financial headaches down the track – or even tragedy.