# Solar Panel Maintenance Derby | Servicing & Health Checks > Solar panel maintenance in Derby: a health check that compares your output with what a Derby roof should make, then tests the inverter, isolators and wiring. URL: https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panel-maintenance/ 1. [Home](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/) 2. Solar Panel Maintenance # Solar Panel Maintenance in Derby [Eco Solar Panels UK](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/) services solar systems across Derby, whoever fitted them. A health check starts with the numbers: what your system has made compared with what PVGIS says a roof like yours in Derby should make. Then the equipment gets tested. Book a health check 01332 919162 (+441332919162) [Get a free quote](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/contact/) Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. ![Engineer inspecting older solar panels from a scaffold on a Derby Victorian terrace](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/images/engineer-inspecting-panels-from-scaffold-on-victorian-terrace-derby.webp) - Output compared with PVGIS figures for Derby - Inverter checks and event logs - Isolators, connectors and cable runs - Panel condition and fixings - Bird and debris checks under the array Last updated: 30 September 2026 ## Start with the numbers The quickest way to tell whether a system is healthy is to compare what it has made with what it should make. PVGIS, the European Commission’s solar model, gives a south-facing roof in central Derby about 979 kWh per kWp a year, and an east or west-facing roof about 773 kWh ([PVGIS](https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/)). Take the reading on your generation meter a year apart, divide by your system size in kWp, and you have a figure to compare. Shade, pitch and panel age all move the real figure, so a small shortfall isn’t necessarily a fault. A large one, or a sudden drop from one year to the next, usually is. ## What the health check covers We check the inverter first, because it is the part most likely to fail. The Energy Saving Trust expects inverters to need replacing after about 12 years, while panels last 25 years or more ([Energy Saving Trust](https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/solar-panels/)). Then we test the isolators, look at the panels for cracks, scorch marks and dirt, and check the fixings and cabling we can reach safely. If we find a fault, the health check tells you what it is. The repair itself is priced separately, in writing, before any work. [Solar panel repair](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panel-repair/) covers inverter replacements and other fixes. ## Cleaning and birds In the UK, rain keeps panels reasonably clean if they are tilted at 15 degrees or more, according to the Energy Saving Trust ([Energy Saving Trust](https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/solar-panels/)). Flatter panels, heavy bird droppings and moss are the exceptions, and [solar panel cleaning](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panel-cleaning/) deals with those. If the check shows pigeons nesting under the array, [bird proofing](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panel-bird-proofing/) stops them getting back in once any nest is no longer in use. ## What's included - Your generation meter or app history compared with the expected output for your roof - Inverter readings, fault history and firmware where the model allows - Visual check of panels for cracks, hot spots, dirt and shading - DC and AC isolators tested - Connectors and cable runs checked where accessible - Mounting rails and fixings checked from the roof or scaffold where safe - Signs of birds or debris under the array noted - A written summary with any recommended work priced separately ## How the options compare Solar Panel Maintenance: options compared Compare Never checked Quick look at the inverter Full health check Is it making what it should? Unknown Only if the screen shows an error Compared with PVGIS figures for Derby Hidden faults Found when it stops Often missed Tested for Birds and debris Found when they cause a fault Not checked Checked Records None None Written summary for your files ## Related resources - [Learn My solar inverter has stopped working. What now?](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/guide/solar-inverter-not-working/) - [Decision Guide Is this a good solar quote?](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/guide/check-a-solar-quote/) - [Learn Buying a house with solar panels: what should I check?](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/guide/buying-a-house-with-solar-panels/) - [Learn Pigeons are nesting under my solar panels. What can I do?](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/guide/pigeons-under-solar-panels/) System stopped generating? 1. 1Look at the inverter screen or lights and write down any error code or message. 2. 2Stay off the roof and leave the DC cables alone. Burning smell or smoke: keep clear and call 999. 3. 3Call us with the code and roughly how old the system is, 9am to 7pm, 7 days. 01332 919162 (+441332919162) Rules this work has to meet - Electrical testing to current wiring regulations - Manufacturer warranty terms respected - Written notes for your records and any Feed-in Tariff query Step by step ## How a health check works 1. ### Send your readings A photo of the generation meter, or a screenshot from your app, and the system size. 2. ### Compare with expected output We work out what your roof should have made using PVGIS figures for Derby. 3. ### Test on site Inverter, isolators, panels and fixings are checked, and anything unusual is noted. 4. ### Written summary What we found, and a separate written price for any repair, cleaning or bird proofing needed. The work ## How the work looks Illustrative photos of the methods and finish described on this page. They are not records of particular customers' jobs. - ![Generation meter being read during a solar health check, Derby](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/images/generation-meter-reading-in-hallway-derby.webp) Generation meter being read during a solar health check - ![DC isolator being tested in a loft during a solar service, Derby](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/images/isolator-tested-in-loft-derby.webp) DC isolator being tested in a loft during a solar service ![Solar panels with grime and moss on a slate roof, Derby](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/images/grimy-panels-on-slate-roof-derby.webp) **Before:** Solar panels with grime and moss on a slate roof ![Clean solar panels on a slate roof after a service, Derby](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/images/clean-panels-on-slate-roof-derby.webp) **After:** Clean solar panels on a slate roof after a service Not sure your panels are pulling their weight? Send us a generation reading and the system size, and we will tell you how it compares. Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. 01332 919162 (+441332919162) [Get a free quote](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/contact/) Where we work ## Where we work in Derby and the East Midlands Based on 219 Burton Rd, Derby DE23, we work across Derby and the East Midlands. These towns have their own local pages: - [Solar panels in Belper](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-belper/) - [Solar panels in Matlock](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-matlock/) - [Solar panels in Burton upon Trent](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-burton-upon-trent/) - [Solar panels in Long Eaton](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-long-eaton/) - [All areas we cover](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/areas-we-cover/) Questions ## Solar Panel Maintenance: common questions ### How much does solar panel servicing cost in Derby? Checkatrade puts solar panel servicing and repair in Derby at £224 to £483, with £325 as the average. A routine health check sits at the lower end, and repairs found during it are priced separately in writing. ### How often should solar panels be serviced? Panels have no moving parts and need little routine work, but it makes sense to check output every year and have a health check if the numbers fall or the system reaches the age when inverters usually fail, about 12 years according to the Energy Saving Trust. ### How do I know if my panels are underperforming? Compare a year of generation with the expected figure. PVGIS gives a south-facing Derby roof about 979 kWh per kWp a year and an east or west-facing one about 773 kWh. A 4 kWp south-facing system making well under 3,500 kWh a year is worth checking. ### Do you service systems fitted by other companies? Yes. The health check is the same whoever installed the system, including firms that have since closed. ### Do you cover my area? We are based at 219 Burton Rd, Derby DE23, and cover Derby, including [Belper](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-belper/), [Matlock](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-matlock/), [Burton upon Trent](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-burton-upon-trent/) and [Long Eaton](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panels-long-eaton/), plus Swadlincote, Chesterfield, Ilkeston, Ashbourne, Ripley, Heanor, Alfreton and Duffield. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Call 01332 919162 (+441332919162) with your postcode and we will confirm. [All areas we cover](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/areas-we-cover/). ### Can I call outside opening hours? Lines are open every day from 9am to 7pm. If a panel, cable or inverter is smoking, sparking or smells of burning, stay clear of it and ring 999. A system that has simply stopped or is making less than usual is not an emergency, and a call the next morning is fine. Related ## Related services - ### [Solar Panel Repair](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panel-repair/) Fault finding on systems fitted by anyone: dead or tripping inverters, isolators, cabling and damaged panels, plus taking panels off and refitting them for roof work. View service - ### [Solar Panel Cleaning](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panel-cleaning/) Pure-water cleaning from the ground or the roof edge for panels that rain can't clear: shallow pitches, bird droppings, moss and roadside grime. View service - ### [Solar Panel Bird Proofing](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/solar-panel-bird-proofing/) Mesh clipped around the edge of the array so pigeons can't get under it, fitted outside the nesting season or once a nest is empty, with no drilling into tiles. View service Find out if your system is doing its job. Call to book a health check, or send your postcode and we will ring you back. Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. 01332 919162 (+441332919162) [Get a free quote](https://ecosolarpanelsderby.co.uk/contact/)