When solar appears not to work, first identify whether the problem is generation, monitoring, grid connection, battery operation, household billing, or communication. A blank app does not prove the inverter stopped, and a higher bill does not prove the panels failed.
Homeowners should make safe observations, not open live equipment or climb onto the roof.
Start with the symptom
Record what changed, when it began, weather, recent outages, electrical work, router changes, app messages, inverter lights, meter values, and unusual sounds or smells.
Useful symptom categories include zero production, reduced production, intermittent shutdown, monitoring offline, battery not charging, export missing, breaker trips, or bill mismatch.
Precise symptoms shorten diagnosis.
Monitoring offline
An app can lose Wi-Fi, cellular service, gateway power, credentials, or cloud connection while the inverter continues generating. Check whether other devices have internet, whether the gateway has power, and whether local inverter status shows normal operation.
Do not factory-reset equipment without guidance because settings or ownership links can be lost.
Use solar monitoring systems and apps to understand measurement boundaries.
Zero production
At night, zero production is normal. During daylight, check for a grid outage, inverter shutdown, visible error, tripped accessible breaker, maintenance switch position, or utility instruction.
Follow the documented startup procedure only if the owner manual permits it. Repeated reset without finding the cause can hide a dangerous fault.
Contact the installer for persistent zero output.
Lower-than-expected generation
Cloud, season, shade, heat, snow, dirt, and shorter days change output. Compare similar months and weather rather than yesterday or the sales peak.
A sustained step down can indicate a failed string, module-level device, inverter input, sensor, or new obstruction. Growing trees and new buildings can add shade.
Use annual and monthly design estimates as context, not guarantees.
Inverter fault codes
Save the exact code, timestamp, model, serial number, and status before changing anything. Consult the manufacturer manual and installer.
Grid voltage or frequency, isolation, ground fault, temperature, communications, arc detection, and internal component faults require different responses.
Electrical and insulation faults need qualified testing.
Breaker or protection trips
A tripped breaker, residual-current device, ground-fault protection, or disconnect may indicate a real electrical problem. Do not repeatedly re-energise a circuit that trips again.
Look for water, storm damage, pests, construction, or recent service from a safe distance. Keep people away from damaged equipment.
Arrange competent inspection.
Grid-related shutdown
Inverters disconnect when network voltage or frequency leaves permitted limits. Repeated high-voltage shutdown can occur during strong local solar export, but wiring and settings also need review.
Record times and inverter data. The installer and network operator can determine whether the cause is onsite or on the grid.
Do not alter protection settings without approval.
Shade, dirt, and debris
Leaves, bird fouling, snow, dust, and vegetation can reduce output. Inspect visually from a safe location or use monitoring and professional access.
Cleaning is justified when meaningful soiling is confirmed, not as an automatic response to every low day. Trim vegetation only with permission and appropriate expertise.
Never walk on panels or use abrasive tools.
Module and wiring damage
Cracked glass, delamination, hot spots, damaged connectors, loose cables, corrosion, animal damage, and water ingress can affect safety and output.
Some defects are difficult to see and require electrical testing, thermal imaging, or insulation measurement. Do not touch damaged conductors or modules.
After storms or fire, isolate the area and arrange assessment.
Battery problems
A battery may not charge because solar surplus is unavailable, reserve is reached, tariff schedule changed, temperature limits apply, communications failed, or the system is protecting itself.
Check state of charge, mode, reserve, alerts, and recent remote-program events. Avoid overriding safety controls.
Backup operation should be tested under the approved procedure.
Bill and export discrepancies
The inverter measures generation while the utility meter measures net grid flow. Self-consumed solar never appears as export.
Compare identical billing periods, tariff, meter registers, production, import, export, and household use. A new EV or appliance can raise consumption despite healthy solar.
Settlement disputes require official meter evidence.
When to call for service
Seek prompt professional help for repeated trips, burning smell, heat damage, arcing, water entry, exposed cables, storm impact, isolation faults, battery swelling, or persistent loss of production.
Provide documents, fault history, screenshots, photographs, and monitoring export. Check warranty claim requirements before authorising non-emergency work.
Troubleshooting record
- Date and time.
- Weather and grid status.
- Inverter, battery, and gateway state.
- Exact codes and lights.
- Production and meter values.
- Recent work or changes.
- Safe observations and photographs.
- Actions taken and outcome.
- Installer or utility case number.
Solar troubleshooting should narrow the problem without creating another one. Observe, preserve evidence, follow approved procedures, and use qualified service for electrical or rooftop work.