Solar Power System Inspection & Output Verification
Whether you’re buying a home with a solar power system installed, or you’ve purchased your own system, making the choice to go green is a significant financial investment. That’s why it’s important to ensure that you’re getting your money’s worth.
If you’re looking to buy a home or business and you need to know what the installed solar power system’s financial value is based on performance and current condition, or you think that a system you own is failing to meet the expected level of energy production, we can help. Our solar power technicians can inspect your system’s panels, inverters, wiring, and more to see what issues exist, and what can be done to maximize the value of your investment.
Real Estate Solar Power Evaluation
The number of residential and commercial solar installations has been soaring in recent years. The total installed solar power capacity of the United States doubled between 2011 and 2012, doubled again in 2014, and doubled again in 2016—a more than 8x increase in 5 years. As of early 2017, there were more than 1.3 million solar power installations in the United States.
The reason why this rapid growth matters is because it is becoming increasingly likely that when you consider buying a home or commercial building, you will have to consider the value of a previously installed solar power system as well.
The current owner may say that the system is as good as new, but how do you know for certain? Blindly accepting a suggested valuation by a seller is no different than buying a used car without having a mechanic look it over.
That’s why it’s highly advisable to have an experienced solar power system installer like Capital City Solar inspect the system. We will determine what the current condition of the system is, the expected lifespan and future production, and current fair market value.
Solar power production systems are complex, and a number of factors influence their value and performance. Don’t just assume that because a system looks good, that it’s in good condition. Talk to the solar power experts for peace of mind, and to protect your bottom line.
Solar Power System Output Verification
Some solar power system installers and contractors offer a performance warranty on their products. This warranty guarantees that the system’s performance will not decrease more than a given percentage within a certain span of time—barring any product failures.
But how do you know if your system is performing as advertised? Many older systems don’t have monitoring software that allows you to see your system’s current and historical electricity production. For many owners, unseasonably high power bills are the first sign that something is wrong.
If you suspect that your home’s or business’s system isn’t performing as expected, Capital City Solar can help. Our technicians will come out to your home and check the power production of your system. If there’s a problem, we’ll identify the source of the issue—whether the system is at fault, or a secondary factor such as shading or debris buildup is responsible—and remedy it.
Our goal is to maximize the effectiveness of your solar power system, so that you can reap the rewards of your investment.
If you believe that your solar power system is underperforming, contact Capital City Solar today!
Solar Panel Infrared Thermal Imaging
Occasionally, manufacturing defects can cause individual cells—the small squares that make up a solar panel—or even entire solar panel modules to fail prematurely. This can initially be difficult or impossible to detect with monitoring systems or by checking your power bill.
But a quirk in how solar panels function means that defective cells can cause serious damage. The cells in a module are wired together in a series, like the batteries in a TV remote or child’s toy. The power produced by each cell flows through the cells farther down the chain. When a cell fails, it acts as a resistor, blocking the flow of electricity. If a defective solar cell is far enough down the chain, with many good cells preceding it, this can cause the cell to basically function in reverse. Rather than absorbing energy, it will instead radiate the electricity passing through it in the form of heat, potentially heating up red hot like the element in a toaster oven.
This heat buildup can cause soldered connections to fail, or even fracture the glass covering the cell, allowing in moisture and debris that causes the entire module to fail. Thus, identifying cell failure is important to minimizing repair and replacement costs.
This is where thermal imaging comes in. With infrared cameras, we can detect the hotspots characteristic of solar cell failure. In addition, we can locate hotspots caused other electrical failures.
If you suspect that one or more solar panels in your system are affected by cell failure, contact us today for a thermal imaging inspection.
