Commercial solar O&M contracts inspection, monitoring, and priority response
Structured annual maintenance for commercial solar PV and battery systems. Scheduled on-site inspections, real-time fault monitoring, written performance reporting, and priority access to our engineering team when something goes wrong. Independent provider — no manufacturer or installer bias.
Annual O&M contract
Your contract includes:
No lock-in: Annual contracts with no automatic renewal and no exit penalty. Multi-year terms available at reduced rates.
Related commercial services
What's included in your operations and maintenance contract
Annual on-site inspection
A full physical inspection of every component — panels, cabling, trunking, DC and AC isolators, inverters, battery units, earthing, and mounting systems. The engineer checks for UV degradation, water ingress, heat damage, cable clip failure, corrosion, fan wear, and any signs of physical deterioration that monitoring cannot detect.
Real-time fault monitoring
Where the installed equipment supports remote connectivity — most modern commercial inverters do — we configure automated fault alerts that notify the STS engineering team when the system reports an error, drops offline, or underperforms. Faults are often identified and diagnosed before anyone on site notices a problem.
Performance reporting
A written report after each annual inspection covering: system condition, generation performance against expected output, any faults or underperformance identified, photographs, and a prioritised list of recommended actions (immediate, short-term, advisory). Structured for use in building management, insurance, and compliance reporting.
Priority fault response
O&M contract holders receive priority access to the STS engineering team for fault diagnosis and emergency repair. Same-day remote triage for reported faults, with next-business-day on-site attendance where remote resolution is not possible. Response times confirmed in your contract SLA.
Settings & configuration audit
At each inspection: export limits verified against DNO agreement, charge and discharge schedules reviewed, firmware versions checked with update recommendations, monitoring portal configuration confirmed, and CT clamp orientation validated. Incorrect settings are the single most common cause of commercial solar underperformance.
Compliance documentation
Each inspection report serves as evidence of ongoing professional maintenance. Suitable for landlord requirements, insurance renewal, building management reporting, and audit purposes. We can provide additional documentation confirming system safety status on request.
Available add-ons
These services are not included in the standard contract but can be added at any time. All are priced separately and confirmed before work begins.
What happens during the annual inspection
A typical commercial solar O&M inspection takes half a day to a full day depending on system size and site complexity. Our engineers attend sites across the UK — the written report follows within five business days.
Before arriving on site, we review the monitoring data from the previous 12 months — generation trends, fault history, and any alerts triggered since the last inspection. This means the engineer arrives informed and can focus the on-site time on areas that need attention.
Every accessible component is physically inspected: panels for cracks, delamination, hotspots, soiling, and bird damage; cabling and trunking for UV degradation and mechanical wear; DC and AC isolators for operation and heat damage; inverters for fan operation, error indicators, ventilation, and physical condition; battery units for swelling, heat discolouration, cable integrity, and cell balance.
Earth bond continuity checked. Cable entry points and glands inspected for water ingress. Connection tightness verified at accessible terminals. Any signs of arcing, heat damage, or deterioration flagged immediately. This is the part of the inspection that protects against electrical fire risk — and the part that remote monitoring cannot replicate.
Export limits verified against the DNO connection agreement. Charge and discharge schedules reviewed against the building's tariff. Firmware versions noted with update recommendations where applicable. Monitoring portal and alert configuration confirmed. CT clamp orientation validated — incorrect CT clamp direction is the most common misconfiguration on commercial systems and directly causes export revenue loss.
Within five business days you receive a structured written report covering: current condition of every inspected component, generation performance analysis against expected output, any faults or underperformance identified, photographs, and a prioritised recommendation list — immediate actions (safety or revenue-critical), short-term actions (schedule within 3 months), and advisory notes (monitor and reassess).
Commercial solar O&M contract vs one-off audit
Both involve an on-site inspection. The difference is ongoing monitoring, priority response, and the relationship that follows. Both are available UK-wide.
Best for: ongoing asset management, multi-year maintenance planning, compliance requirements.
Best for: pre-acquisition due diligence, second opinions, one-time assessment. See independent audit →
Frequently asked
A standard STS O&M contract includes an annual on-site inspection of all inverters, panels, cabling, isolators, and battery units; real-time fault monitoring with automated alerts where the equipment supports remote connectivity; a written performance and condition report after each inspection; compliance documentation for insurance and landlord requirements; and priority access to the STS engineering team for fault response and emergency repair. Additional services such as thermal imaging, panel cleaning, and ad-hoc site visits are available as add-ons.
Annual O&M contracts start £795 per year. The exact cost depends on system size, number of inverters, site accessibility, battery storage complexity, and whether multi-site arrangements are required. All pricing is confirmed in a written proposal before any contract begins. There are no hidden fees — what is quoted is what you pay.
An STS engineer visits the site and physically inspects all system components: panels for condition and soiling, cabling and trunking for degradation, isolators and switchgear, inverters for fan operation and error indicators, battery units for physical condition and cell balance, and earthing and bonding. The engineer also audits all system settings — export limits, charge schedules, firmware versions, and monitoring configuration. A written report with photographs and prioritised recommendations follows within five business days.
Where the installed equipment supports remote connectivity — most modern commercial inverters do — we configure automated fault alerts that notify the STS engineering team when the system reports an error, drops offline, or underperforms against expected output. This allows us to identify and often diagnose faults before anyone on site notices a problem. If the equipment is not currently online, we can assess whether connectivity can be established and quote for the setup separately.
Standard contracts are annual with no automatic renewal — you choose to continue each year. Multi-year contracts are available at a reduced rate for clients who prefer longer-term arrangements. There is no exit penalty on annual contracts. We retain clients because the service is good, not because of contractual lock-in.
Yes. Each annual inspection report is structured to serve as evidence of ongoing professional maintenance. We can provide documentation confirming that the system has been inspected, that it is operating safely, and that any identified issues have been flagged with recommendations. This documentation is suitable for landlord compliance, insurance renewal, and building management reporting.
Request an O&M proposal
Tell us about your system. We will provide a written proposal with clear scope, pricing, and SLA terms — usually within one business day. No obligation to proceed.