Solar System Faults: When to Call Your Installer, Electrician, Energy Retailer or Distributor

 

Quick answer: For most solar system faults, contact the solar retailer or installer who supplied your system first. Call your electricity distributor about blackouts, fallen power lines or poor supply. Call your energy retailer about feed-in credits, bills and meter readings. Use a licensed electrician for switchboard or household wiring problems. If you see smoke or fire, call 000.

A red light on the inverter or a sudden drop in generation leaves many homeowners unsure who to ring. Calling the wrong business can cost you days. Solar system faults usually fall into four groups, and each has a clear first contact.

Safety first: when to shut your system down

If something looks or smells wrong, follow the shutdown procedure on the label at your inverter or main switchboard. Queensland and WA safety regulators warn that skipping steps can damage the system.

·         Don’t try to shut down a system if any part of it is storm-damaged or water-damaged.

·         Panels still produce voltage in daylight, even after shutdown or when the main power is off.

·         Never climb onto the roof to inspect panels.

·         If there is smoke, flame or a burning smell, leave the area and call 000.

After a storm, our hail damage checklist explains what you can safely check from the ground.

Who to call: a quick reference

Solar system troubleshooting before you call

Basic solar system troubleshooting helps whoever you call find the cause faster.

1. Check your monitoring app or inverter screen and photograph any error code.
2. Check whether your neighbours have power. If they don’t, it’s likely a network outage.
3. Compare today’s generation with a similar sunny day.
4. Note when the problem started and any recent storms or outages.

When to call your installer or solar retailer

The business that sold you the system is the first contact for faults with the panels, inverter, isolators or battery. The Queensland Government advises homeowners to contact their installer first when something goes wrong.

To know more about Solar System Faults: Who to Call and When VISIT HERE