Today, we had a service call out in Upper Marlboro, a city in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The customer had an issue with 2 solar microinverters which were “Not Reporting” in the system. This simply means the there was issue with solar production from these two connections.
Upon arrival, the first step always includes physical inspection of the solar installation. This is were we climb on the roof and take a thorough look at the setup.
First, we inspected the panels for physical damage and noticed that there was not dame to the panels. Often times, hail or falling trees can cause damage. Next, we had to remove the solar panels to inspect underneath and see if there may be short circuits and test for current drops on the panels and micro inverters.
The Cause of the Problem
Immediately, upon removal of the panels, we noticed damage to the solar cables surrounding the panels and the micros. This damage caused the micro inverters, often referred as the micros, to go offline. Instead of simply repairing the damage, we train our techs to prevent future damages. So they had to figure out what caused the damage in the first place.
Upon further inspection, our techs concluded that the damage was due to squirrel bites. Often times in areas surrounded by trees, squirrels will take shade under the solar panels. While there, the bite and chew away at anything they can get their teeth on.
The Remedy
The first steps were to replace any heavily corroded cables. We also sealed the slightly less damaged cables and insulated them with insulation tape. This prevents water from getting into the baling in the future and causing more damage from electrical water shortages. Once the repairs were complete, we reinstalled the micros and reconnected the solar panels.
The Reco
We took images of the damage and showed it to the home owner with recommendations on how to prevent future damage. This reco included installation of squirrel guards which would prevent squirrels, birds and any other predators from getting in. The home owner gladly agreed and we completed the job in a day.
Call us for squirrel guard protection for your solar panel system. The DMV area is notorious for squirrel infestation. Squirrel guards are critical to protecting your solar investment. We provide FREE quotes for squirrel guard installation.
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