Solar Panel Repair in Scottsdale, AZ

Solar Panel Repair in Scottsdale is mostly about systems that were installed years ago and quietly started producing less. A string inverter throws a fault and shuts down. A handful of microinverters stop reporting. Pigeons pack the gap under the array with nesting and droppings. A roofer needs the panels off a concrete tile roof before the underlayment can be replaced. We work on all of that, on systems we did not install, and our job is to find the real cause before anything gets replaced.

Heat is the background to every repair here

Scottsdale's 1991 to 2020 weather normals for Scottsdale Municipal Airport put the average July high at 104.1 degrees. Solar panels make less power as their cells get hotter, and on a dark roof in July the cells run far hotter than the air. Every panel datasheet lists a temperature coefficient that shows how much output falls per degree. Inverters feel the heat too. Most are built to cut back their own output when internal temperatures climb, which protects the electronics but costs you production on the very afternoons your air conditioner works hardest. An inverter mounted on a west wall in full sun, or packed into a hot garage, ages faster than one in shade.

So when a Scottsdale homeowner says the system is making less than it used to, we separate three things: normal summer heat loss, which every system has; a fixable problem such as a failed inverter, a loose connector or a tripped breaker; and slow wear, such as panels that have degraded with age.

Dust, storms and birds

Scottsdale gets about 8.73 inches of rain a year, according to the same airport normals, and the summer storms in July and August are as likely to bring wind and dust as rain. A dry film builds up on the glass between storms, and bird droppings bake on in the sun. Pigeons are drawn to the shaded, sheltered space between panels and roof tiles, where nesting can block airflow and droppings can foul wiring. Washing, pigeon guards and a check of the wiring under the array often go together.

Get a Free Estimate

Tile roofs need a different approach

Many homes in Scottsdale have concrete tile roofs. The tiles themselves are not the waterproof layer; the underlayment beneath them is, and on older homes it can wear out long before the tile does. When a roof needs that work, the solar array has to come off first and go back on after. Doing that well means labeling every string, protecting tiles that crack under a boot, resetting the mounts and flashing so the roof stays watertight, and testing the system before we leave. Walking on tile is part of nearly every solar repair here, so we plan foot paths and carry spare tiles to match where we can.

APS, SRP and the paperwork

Which utility you have depends on where you live. APS serves parts of Scottsdale, and SRP serves large portions of the Phoenix metro area; your bill shows which one is yours. Your system was approved under that utility's interconnection rules when it went in, and some repairs, especially an inverter swap to a different model or size, can mean telling the utility about the change. We check that before ordering equipment so a repair does not create a problem with your account.

The City of Scottsdale reviews building and electrical work through its Planning & Development department, which runs a One Stop Shop and an online permit portal called Scottsdale SPUR. Whether a particular repair needs a permit depends on the scope, and if it does, the permit should be issued before the work starts. Homes in Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek and Carefree go through their own town building departments instead.

HOAs and design review

Many Scottsdale neighborhoods, from McCormick Ranch and Gainey Ranch to DC Ranch, Grayhawk and the Troon area, are master-planned communities with homeowner associations. Like-for-like repairs rarely draw attention, but visible changes such as pigeon mesh around the array or relocating an inverter can fall under architectural review. We describe what will be visible from the street so you can check with your HOA first if needed.

What we work on

• Solar inverter repair: diagnosis of fault codes, string problems, failed fans and boards, and replacement when repair is not practical
• Tile roof panel removal and reinstall: taking the array off for roof work and putting it back with new flashing where needed
• Pigeon and bird guards: cleaning out nests and droppings and closing the gap under the panels
• Solar performance inspection: a full test of an underperforming or newly purchased system, with a written report
• Microinverter replacement: finding and swapping failed units under individual panels
• Solar panel washing: removing dust and baked-on droppings with water and soft brushes, no harsh chemicals

We repair rooftop solar across Scottsdale, from McCormick Ranch and Gainey Ranch in the central part of the city to DC Ranch, Grayhawk and Troon in the north, along with Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek and Carefree. The work is similar everywhere, but the rules are not. Scottsdale addresses go through the City's Planning & Development department, while Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek and Carefree are separate towns with their own building departments. Electric service can also differ from one address to the next, so the utility named on your bill decides which interconnection rules apply. The master-planned communities usually add HOA design review for visible changes, and homes in the foothills to the north tend to have larger roofs, longer wire runs and more complex roof lines, which affects access and time on the roof. Each area page covers what is different there.