Cleaning addresses dirt and dust. The annual inspection looks for what cleaning won't fix: microcracks in the cells (visible only with thermal imaging), corroded connectors, mounting hardware fatigue, inverter health flags. Includes a deep clean as part of the same visit.
Customers on the seasonal quarterly plan can add the annual inspection at $290 (saves $99 vs standalone). Most plan customers add this in year 5+ of their system, when wear becomes worth verifying.