Solar Panel Troubleshooting
Any homeowner with solar will tell you how great it is - except if there’s a problem. Whether it’s trouble with how the solar equipment was installed, or a production alert that popped up years later, Adaptive Power is here to help.
Note that we said “if” there’s a problem, not “when”. Most solar arrays will stay fully operational for decades with no problem. Modern solar panels are extremely resilient pieces of technology.
But, no matter how expensive the components or how highly-qualified the solar contractor, you could run into issues.
The types of problems your solar may face over its lifetime fall into a few categories.
Monitoring Issues
Solar arrays come with monitoring apps provided by the inverter manufacturer. Enphase and Solaredge are the two most common portals. A homeowner or solar contractor can check up on a system’s performance anytime.
These apps will show alerts when issues are detected. Sometimes the alert is as simple as a bad internet connection. The good news is, your solar doesn’t need wifi to keep working. The panels will keep zipping along day in and day out, but you just won’t know exactly how well they’re doing.
Generally once the internet is restored, the system will upload the backlog of solar production data over a few hours or days. Production data is backed up for months at a time. As long as you troubleshoot promptly, you won’t lose anything.
Production Issues
The monitoring app is not always smart enough to tell whether it’s an internet connectivity issue or an actual production issue. A production issue means one of the panels or inverters is not up to par. There’s not always a simple explanation for this, but it’s important to rule out the obvious.
Is there snow on the panels? Let it melt.
Is there a tree creating a big shadow? Give it a trim.
Is there a structure blocking the sun? If it’s a roof vent, you can have it relocated; if it’s your neighbor’s house, that’s a tougher conversation.
If the answer is “none of the above”, you’ll want to schedule a diagnostic with one of our experts. We’ll check the wiring and the integrity of the panel, inverter and/or optimizer, and other advanced troubleshooting. Visit our scheduling page to get on the calendar.
Installation Issues
The worst case scenario is a solar install that was bad from the start. This includes roof leaks, poorly clamped panels, problems with wiring or conduit, bad connections or incorrectly mapped inverters, electrical faults, and more.
Good news - it’s always fixable.
Adaptive Power is a team of experts with years of combined experience in solar installation, operations & maintenance, and electrical code. Get in touch today to discuss your needs - we’ll be happy to take care of you.