Solar panel maintenance in Canada: what to expect
Solar panels have no moving parts and need little attention, but “no maintenance” isn’t quite right.
Cleaning
Rain usually keeps tilted panels clean enough. Heavy pollen, dust or bird droppings can reduce output; if production drops, a professional clean is safer than climbing on a roof yourself.
Snow
Snow blocks production until it slides or melts off, which dark, tilted panels help with. Studies of Canadian systems generally find yearly snow losses of a few percent; we assume 3% (1–6% across our scenarios). Don’t scrape panels or go on an icy roof — winter production is small anyway.
Monitoring
Most systems have an app showing daily production. Check it now and then: a sudden drop can mean a tripped breaker, a failed inverter or new shading.
Inverter replacement
A string inverter is the part most likely to need replacing, typically after 10–15 years. We include one replacement in our payback figures. Microinverters often carry 25-year warranties.
Roof work
If you replace your roof later, panels must be removed and reinstalled, which costs real money. Plan roof work before going solar.
What it costs
Industry benchmarks put ongoing costs at roughly US$20–30 per kW per year including inverter replacement (NREL). We use $75 a year plus a separate inverter replacement.
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