Solar System Maintenance
SERVICING
GEELONG | SURF COAST | BELLARINE | BALLARAT
Velocity Solar offers a maintenance program for any grid connected solar system installed in Geelong, Ballarat, the Surf Coast and surrounding areas.
200+ maintenance jobs a year, on any system
We run our own maintenance department, and it carries out more than 200 jobs a year on average across Geelong, the Surf Coast, the Bellarine and Ballarat. About a third of that is servicing for our own customers. The other two thirds is fault finding, inverter replacements and orphan systems: systems whose installer has gone, or that were never properly connected in the first place.
For older systems, the most popular booking is a full system check together with a panel clean, so everything is tested and the panels are washed in one visit. We recommend a system check every one to two years.
We work on systems we installed and systems we didn’t. Velocity Solar has been in Geelong since 2011, and every job is done by our own A-grade electricians.
Installer gone out of business? We’ll help
Many solar owners in Geelong were left on their own when their installer closed, or found the company simply stopped looking after its clients. These are often called orphaned systems, and helping their owners is a specialty of our team. You don’t need to be a Velocity Solar customer. We find out what is wrong, explain your options in plain terms, and get your system back up and running so it keeps saving you money.
There are two kinds of orphan system:
- The company has gone. The installer, or the maker of the panels or inverter, no longer exists, so there’s nobody to call when something goes wrong.
- The paperwork was never done. The system is on the roof but was never connected to the network (Powercor in our region). Before it can be connected it has to meet today’s standards, not the ones from the day it went up, and that often means upgrades. We’ll tell you exactly what’s needed.
If your installer has gone, find whatever paperwork you have, such as the compliance certificate and the panel and inverter model numbers, then call us on (03) 5243 8364 or book a technician.
Installer Gone Out of Business FAQs
My solar installer went out of business. Who services my system now?
Our team can. We service any grid-connected solar system in Geelong and surrounding areas, including systems from installers that have closed or no longer look after their clients. You do not need to have bought your system from us. We start with a system check or fault find, then explain what needs doing and get it back up and running.
Can you repair an orphaned solar system in Geelong?
Yes. Helping owners of orphaned systems is one of our specialties. System checks and audits, inverter replacements and fault finding make up most of the 200+ maintenance jobs our team does each year, and many of those are on systems we did not install. The work is done by our own A-grade electricians, not subcontractors.
Is my warranty still valid if my installer has closed?
Often, yes. Panel and inverter warranties are usually held by the manufacturer, not the installer, so they may still apply after the installer has gone. The installer’s own workmanship warranty generally ends when the business closes. Our team can identify your equipment and tell you which manufacturer to contact.
What is an orphan solar system?
There are two kinds. The first is a system whose installer, or whose panel or inverter manufacturer, no longer exists, so there is nobody to call when something goes wrong. The second is a system where the paperwork was never done, so it was never connected to the network (Powercor in our region). That kind has to meet today’s standards, not the ones from the day it went up, before it can be connected. Our maintenance team handles both.
Looking after our own customers
Once we install your system, we’re your go-to for life. Our own customers make up about a third of our maintenance work, and the care starts well before anything goes wrong.
Your annual system report
For the first four to five years after we install your system, we send you a yearly report. The first comes 12 months after install: we review your system's output remotely and compare it against the other systems we've installed, so we can spot a problem before you notice it on a bill.
Six-monthly energy retailer check
Every six months we email you a short review of which energy retailers look best suited to the way your household uses power, plus a few tips to get more from your system.
When another installer gets it wrong
Unfortunately not every company does the right thing. If we can help, we’ll go out of our way to. Two examples:
Stopped after two months
A customer's new system stopped working two months after it went in, and the original installer wouldn't come back. Our electricians found six to eight faults against the regulations, two of them serious, and isolated the supply to make it safe. The case went to VCAT (the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal), which found the installer at fault and ordered a reinstall to standard. We weren't a party to the case, but we went along anyway, on principle, to stand by that customer.
A battery wired without knowing the rules
A household had paid for a substantial battery system that was wired by someone with an overseas licence and no knowledge of Australian battery rules. Energy Safe Victoria prosecuted the installation company, and our team stepped in to put the system right.
If something about your system doesn’t look right, call us on (03) 5243 8364 or book a technician.
Velocity solar has been helping Geelong customers with their grid connected solar systems and helping other customers with warranty issues from other installation companies that no longer exist. You can be confident in Velocity Solar as electrical technicians, not just installers, servicing your solar system and be assured that you have employed the experts in solar systems maintenance.
Benefits of Annual Solar Maintenance are:
- Optimizes output of solar system
- Maintains systems functionality
- Minimal downtime and loss of production
- Compliance and safety precautions
What a solar maintenance service includes
Geelong’s coastal weather is hard on solar. Salt spray, dust, bird droppings and lichen build up on panels, and over time connections can loosen or corrode. A regular solar maintenance service in Geelong catches these problems before they cost you production or become a safety issue.
A Velocity Solar service works through the checklist on this page: signage, the condition of the panels and mounting, wiring integrity and mechanical protection, open circuit voltage and short circuit current, every AC and DC switch, surge protection and overall system performance. Where we can, we fix small problems on the spot. You then get a written report of what we found and what we recommend.
We service any grid-connected system, not only the ones we installed, including systems from installers that have since closed. A check also makes sense if you have just bought a home with solar, are selling one, or need an independent report after storm damage.
If your panels mainly need a wash, see our solar panel cleaning service. If something has already stopped working, see solar repairs in Geelong, below.
Solar repairs in Geelong: how we find and fix faults
If your solar has stopped producing, your inverter is showing a fault, or your power bill has jumped for no clear reason, our technicians can find the cause and fix it. We repair systems of any brand, including systems put in by installers that are no longer trading, so you are not left on your own if the original company has gone.
Every repair starts with proper fault finding. We read the inverter’s error history, test the panel strings, isolators and AC and DC switches, check cabling and connections for damage or water getting in, and confirm the system is producing what it should for its size. We also check DC isolators, rooftop cabling, conduit and mounting for UV damage, wear or loose connections. Common causes include a failed or tripped isolator, an inverter at the end of its life, moisture in a DC connection, and panels or cables damaged by birds, storms or roof work.
We then explain whether a repair or a replacement makes more sense. If the inverter is the problem, see our solar inverter repairs page. If it is near the end of its life, a battery-ready replacement means you are not paying twice when you add a battery later.
Velocity Solar has installed and serviced solar in Geelong since 2011, with more than 4,500 installs, using our own crews rather than subcontractors. Call (03) 5243 8364 or book a technician.
Thorough Solar Maintenance Inspections
Along with fundamental solar maintenance we also include a thorough inspection of your solar system using advanced technical equipment that can identify present at the time of inspection. From this we will provide a comprehensive maintenance report showing faults identified and recommendations to address these.
Geelong Solar System Health Checks
Velocity Solar can organise a solar maintenance check-up for all Geelong customers. This can be a one off check-up or booked in yearly. Customers benefit from registering for the program if they have recently purchased a home with solar power or are selling your home with solar power. Additionally, if you have experienced a natural disaster and require an insurance evaluation of your system or perhaps you are concerned about the quality of the installation and would like an independent evaluation to check safety and compliance as a precaution.
Solar System Check List
- Check Signage
- Cleaning of PV array, including remove debris from under or around the array and cabling.
- Check wiring integrity, compliance and mechanical protection.
- Verify open circuit voltage and short circuit current values.
- Solar system performance.
- Check mounting structure.
- Test operation of all AC and DC switches.
- Check solar panels are functioning.
- Verify status of surge arrestors.
- In addition we can service/repair, or if necessary replace, any trouble parts and components of your solar power system. In most occasions this happens on the spot.
- Specialise testing of Micro inverters.
Faulty Solar Equipment – FAQs
If you have a faulty system and require our service centre to have a look at it, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on (03) 5243 8364.
First, check the inverter screen or app for an error message, and check that the solar circuit breaker in your switchboard is switched on. If the inverter shows an error or no lights, or your power bill shows little or no solar export, the system needs a fault find. Don’t open the inverter or touch the panel wiring, as it carries high voltage. Our team fixes faulty systems, including ones we did not install; see solar system maintenance or call (03) 5243 8364.
Check your paperwork first. You should have your system documents, a Certificate of Electrical Safety, and warranties for the panels, inverter, any battery and the mounting rails. Warranties are given by the manufacturer, so they usually still apply even if your installer has closed. Many quality panels now carry 25-year warranties, while inverters and batteries are usually around 10 years. Australian Consumer Law also protects you if a product fails sooner than it reasonably should. If you are stuck, our service team can help with the claim.
Start with the company that installed your system, as they hold your records. If they no longer trade or can’t help, contact the manufacturer. Warranties sit with the manufacturer, not the installer, so your cover usually remains even if the installer has closed. Many solar installers from the early years have since shut down, and that is where we can help: Velocity Solar assists owners of systems we did not install, though a service fee may apply. If you still get nowhere, Consumer Affairs Victoria can help with your complaint.
We find the fault, explain what needs fixing and get your system running again as quickly as we can. We handle the warranty paperwork with the manufacturer and source replacement parts or inverters when needed. We also help owners whose installer has closed, and our own electricians do the work, not subcontractors. Call (03) 5243 8364 or see solar system maintenance.
Yes. Our service team handles the claim for you. We diagnose the fault, complete the warranty paperwork with the manufacturer and arrange the replacement part or unit. To speed things up, have your inverter or battery model and serial numbers, your system size and any error codes ready when you call. We have been installing and servicing systems since 2011, and our own qualified electricians, not subcontractors, do the repair work. Call (03) 5243 8364 or use our contact form to start a claim.
