Solar + Battery Maintenance: A Simple Homeowner Checklist
Published by C&T Smart Energy · May 2026
Solar and battery systems are low-maintenance 1 but theyre not no maintenance . A few simple checks each year can protect your savings, spot issues early, and keep your system performing the way it should.
What this guide covers
- A practical checklist you can do yourself (no tools needed)
- What normal looks like in your monitoring app
- Red flags that should trigger a call to your installer
- How to get the most from your battery settings and tariff
1) Monthly: quick app check (2 minutes)
Open your solar/battery app and look for three things:
- Generation trend: does it broadly match the season? (higher in spring/summer, lower in winter)
- Battery behaviour: charging in the day and discharging in the evening (for most homes)
- Alerts: any repeated warnings, dropouts, or communication errors
Red flags
- Generation graph looks flat on bright days
- Battery rarely charges above 60 80% in summer
- High export during the day but high import 5 10pm
- Repeated inverter faults or grid overvoltage warnings
2) Every 6 months: visual check outside
Youre not inspecting electrics 1 just checking the obvious.
- Panels: no obvious damage, heavy soiling, or new shading (trees grow!)
- Inverter location: clear airflow, not boxed in, no signs of water ingress
- Cabling: no visible damage, loose clips, or exposed sections
- Battery unit: clean, dry area, no unusual smells, no visible swelling/damage
Safety note: If you see scorch marks, melting, water ingress, or you smell burning/plastic 1 switch off the system (if youve been shown how), keep clear, and contact your installer.
3) Once a year: performance sense-check
You dont need perfect numbers. Youre looking for broadly consistent . Compare this years spring/summer generation to last years. If its down significantly (and nothing has changed), its worth investigating.
Questions to ask
- Has shading increased (trees, new buildings, scaffolding)?
- Has your household usage changed (EV, home working, new appliances)?
- Are export limits set correctly?
- Is the battery strategy still right for your tariff?
4) Battery settings: the two modes that matter
Most batteries can run in different modes. Two common strategies:
- Self-consumption: prioritise using your own solar first (simple and effective for many homes)
- Time-of-use optimisation: charge from cheap overnight electricity and avoid peak rates (best when paired with the right tariff)
If your tariff has changed since installation, your battery settings might need a quick update to maximise savings.
When to call your installer
- Repeated alerts: inverter faults, grid overvoltage, battery communication errors
- Sudden performance drop: noticeable reduction vs the same season last year
- Strange import/export behaviour: exporting lots but still buying heavily in the evening
- Safety concerns: heat, smells, water ingress, scorch marks
Want a system thats designed properly?
If youre planning solar or battery storage, well size it around your home and your usage 1 with clear assumptions, proper commissioning, and aftercare.