9.9 Ongoing maintenance

Cleaning: every 1–2 years with a soft brush and clean water — never pressure-wash. Once a year is enough in dry parts of California like San Diego; humid regions can stretch to 2–3 years. Rain handles most of the dust on its own.
Inverter fans: clean every 5–7 years, free.
Batteries: LFP batteries are essentially maintenance-free — check the error log once a year.
Connection inspection: have an electrician open the box and visually inspect every 5 years, 5-minute job.
Budget: across the full 25-year service life, total maintenance is typically < $1,000. Panel breakage or lightning damage gets filed under homeowner's insurance (most HO-3 policies cover this).

9.8 Step 7: monitoring app setup + first-month verification

10.1 What's required for ADUs and new homes

Next Step

Questions after reading this section? Send us your utility bill — we will come back within one business day with a recommendation specific to your situation.