There’s nothing worst than bill shock, and solar panels have helped many avoid that dreaded feeling. But what happens when your method of keeping your electricity bill down gets damaged? Will broken glass in your solar panel suddenly raise your bills again? If you’re the unlucky owner of a broken panel, let’s go further into what a broken solar panel brings, what causes them to break, and the options available.
Suns of Anarchy
You install that brand new solar panel, and are ecstatic with how much you are saving, plus you quite enjoy how it looks on your roof. Unfortunately, life has other plans, and an episode of bad weather damages your beloved panel. Next thing you know, you’re the proud (or unhappy) owner of a broken panel thanks to a hailstorm, debris from strong winds, or trees falling onto it after a storm.
The worst is that the damage isn’t always visible at the beginning. Your panel could develop tiny scratches that reduce its efficiency, resulting in less energy absorption. Gradually they become significantly worse, forcing you to replace the panels.
Straight out of Dodge
Apart from bad weather, a dodgy installation can also cause significant damage to develop over time. Installers taking shortcuts and being careless can actually result in minor damage that only increases over time. Everything from transport, installation, and maintenance poses a risk for damage if not enough care is taken, as a panel’s frame can be bent plus scratched. Complaints for poor installations have risen enormously in recent years in Australia as reported by the ABC, with various complaints regarding defective panels and poor workmanship.
Prevention is Better Than Cure
Another reason leading to broken solar panels is pests such as rodents and birds. Rodents and cockroaches can chew through wires and reduce your panel’s efficiency. Even bird droppings on your panel affect its output. Yes, you read that correctly, and if enough droppings accumulate it is possible for the panels and wiring to corrode. As you know, it also smells bad and isn’t easy on the eyes.
If the idea of pest droppings on your panel and ruined wires doesn’t sit well with you, VEXO solar mesh is the solution. They can easily deter birds and other pests from ruining your precious panels, and potentially save you quite a bit in the long run.
Empire of The Sun
If your panel isn’t absorbing power like it used to, an inspection may be long overdue. As mentioned above, damage growing gradually can eventually lead to your panel not contributing well enough to prevent bill shock. While there are various solar repair services, a qualified and reputable installer can let you know the true extent of any damage and determine whether it is worth repairing or replacing. They can also check whether a solar inverter repair is required and if a faulty meter, dirt, or dust is contributing to your system not being as bright as it used to be.
Circle of Life
If an installer determines that your panels aren’t worth salvaging, there is also the option to recycle them. Check with your provider if they provide this as a solution. There are also various other companies in Australia that can help with disposing of your broken panels in a sustainable manner.
Demand and opportunities for recycling solar panels are growing quite rapidly. Waste from broken solar panels could rise to 27 million tonnes per year by 2040, with materials extracted from destroyed panels also contributing to six percent of solar investments for that same year. Recycling solar panels may also become much more viable in the near future, as recyclers are expected to mine billions of dollars of materials from broken solar panels. In other words, your panel that couldn’t be saved might be worth quite a bit!
As solar installations continue to grow, it’s only natural that many more will have queries regarding repairs and removal. While a good installation and reputable provider should ensure your household enjoys twenty-five years of solar goodness, bad installations and gradual damage can dramatically reduce that figure. For everything to do with solar panel installations and repairs, contact us at 0485 800 043 or book an appointment here!
