Updated: June 2026  |  ← Back to Blog

1. Clean Your Panels Regularly

Dust is the number one cause of solar underperformance in India. Monthly soiling losses range from 5% in Bengaluru to 25% in Delhi NCR. Use a soft microfibre mop and plain water early morning before panels heat up. Clean every 2–4 weeks in most cities; every 7–10 days in dusty Rajasthan or UP. Free if DIY, ₹200–500 per visit professionally.

2. Monitor Your Inverter Daily

Modern inverters (Growatt, Solis, Goodwe, Luminous) come with free monitoring apps. Check yesterday's generation figure every morning — a 5 kW system in central India should generate 20–28 units/day in summer, 15–20 in winter. A persistent 10–15% drop below expected output after accounting for weather warrants investigation. Red error codes need immediate attention.

3. Inspect Wiring Annually

Check DC cables running from panels to inverter for visible damage, cracking, or rodent bite marks. Verify all MC4 connectors are fully seated — thermal cycling can loosen them over years. Check the AC output cable from inverter to distribution board. If you see wiring damage, call a certified electrician — never touch damaged solar wiring yourself (100–600V DC is lethal even when the inverter is off).

4. Trim Trees Every 6 Months

Trees grow. A shadow-free roof in 2024 may have shading issues by 2026. Check every 6 months for branches encroaching the panel zone, particularly during peak hours (10 AM–3 PM). Even partial shading of one panel can significantly reduce an entire string's output.

5. Check Mounting Structure Post-Monsoon

Inspect once a year after the monsoon season: check for rust on steel structures (treat immediately with rust-inhibiting paint), verify all mounting bolts are tight, and inspect roof penetrations for water ingress. Coastal areas require more frequent checks due to salt corrosion.

6. Annual Professional Health Check

An AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) covers professional inspection including thermal imaging of panels to detect hot spots, I-V curve testing of strings, inverter diagnostics, and earth continuity testing. Cost: ₹1,500–5,000/year for residential systems. Compare this to ₹18,000–40,000/year in electricity savings — less than 5% of the value protected.

Annual Checklist