Australia leads the world in rooftop solar per capita with more than 28 GW installed but an industry expert says inadequate inspection and maintenance programs mean many of these assets could fail to deliver the performance and longevity they were designed for.

Rooftop solar systems have been deployed across about 4 million Australian homes and small businesses – about 36% of households have a system – and the country’s enthusiasm for PV panels is only building with 2026 on track to be a record year of installations. About 181,000 rooftop solar systems were installed during the first half of the year, a 35% increase on the same period in 2025, and the strongest six-month total since 2021.

Andrew Barrington, founder and managing director of New South Wales-headquartered solar maintenance company Solar Shine Australia, said rather than just focusing on installing new solar, the industry needs to make sure the solar already installed continues to perform, delivers its intended returns and lasts as long as it should.

“We’re putting solar panels on just about every roof we can, but who’s checking whether they’re still working properly five years later?” he said.

“We don’t need to keep replacing things that could have been maintained. We need to start treating solar like the valuable infrastructure it is.”

Barrington has called for a greater focus on proactive inspection and maintenance practices, saying they are critical to extending the lifespan of Australia’s rooftop solar fleet, reducing avoidable losses and minimising premature solar waste.

While solar panels are generally designed to operate for 25 years or more, damage, neglected maintenance and undetected faults can affect their performance and potentially shorten their useful life.

“Like anything we want to last for decades, it needs to be maintained,” Barrington said. “Identifying and rectifying minor faults early saves production levels, expensive repairs when the faults stack up or cause a major issue and prevents risk of fire/electrocution.”

“On a bigger picture level, if we are decommissioning solar before its expected lifecycle due to poor maintenance, we are creating more avoidable solar waste than the recycling sector can handle. That means more solar in landfill. As a sustainable industry, that really matters and needs to be addressed.”

Solar Shine Australia, which works across residential, commercial and industrial solar installations, said issues like dirt buildup, loose wiring, cracked panels, and monitoring equipment that isn’t being actively checked can lead to reduced energy output. Physical module damage can increase the risk of moisture ingress and progressive deterioration, while also affecting the long-term reliability and performance of the system.

Barrington said he is increasingly seeing the consequences of inadequate maintenance planning but pointed to education as the key to reversing the trend.

“In most cases, the education around maintenance is not there for consumers and even installers, manufacturers, and solar sales teams,” he said. “For 25 years this rumour has been circulating that solar is no maintenance, self-cleaning or the rain cleans solar panels … that is simply not true.”

“And that misinformation, unfortunately, is partly spread by manufacturers of solar and sales teams.”

“The positive thing is that public opinion is changing and people are realising that it is an essential part of running solar efficiently, and sustainably.”

“Solar is low maintenance, not no maintenance.”

Solar maintenance will be discussed at All Energy Australia 2026 in Melbourne next week, where Barrington will chair a panel of specialists examining what needs to change.

The session, Maximising Solar Asset Performance Through Maintenance, Monitoring & Stewardship, will bring together different areas of the maintenance industry to share practical experiences and discuss how solar asset owners can get more from their systems.

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