As our exciting and ever-greener 21st century keeps racing on, there seem to be more reasons every single day why you should ‘go solar’. As well as being the most environmentally-friendly energy source out there, especially in beautiful sunny Queensland, it’s just fun to make your own electricity – and extremely cost-effective as well. But while also extraordinarily reliable, anything made by us humans can sometimes go wrong – and solar inverter problems top the list of common issues faced by solar Queenslanders just like you.
Solar inverter not working? – Here’s what to know
If your solar inverter is on strike, it can be tricky to know whether you should immediately call the friendly and speedy solar systems electricians at Solar Repair Service, or if a bit of easy-peasy DIY might just do the job – and get that solar system firing again in a flash!
It sounds like you need some helpful solar inverter troubleshooting tips – so let’s get straight into it.
1. How’s that error code?
Inverters are complex, but luckily just about every modern system will give you a basic indication of what’s gone wrong in the form of operating lights or LED error codes. But if there’s no error lights or codes at all, that sounds like a pretty serious solar inverter problem – like a total loss of power.
2. Solar inverter not powering on?
If you discover your solar panel inverter not working because there seems to be no power at all, check whether the rest of your house has power. Unless you’re totally off the grid, Australian standards require inverters to power down in a blackout.
3. No sun in the sky?
If the weather has been particularly grim, and you stare up into the sky and can’t even see where the sun is, your solar inverter problems could be solved instantly. It’s a feature called ‘minimum voltage window’ – and if the DC voltage has fallen so low on a cloudy day that you’ve fallen out of that window, that could be the issue. So if the sun is hiding and you’ve got no power, don’t worry too much.
4. Is it the circuit breakers?
It’s time to head to the switchboard, where you’ll find your solar system’s circuit breakers. Are they all still in the ‘on’ position? If so, head back to your inverter and check the switches there, too – especially the AC and DC isolators. If anything has tripped, flick them back on. Make sure you turn the AC off before turn the DC switches off. If they are in poor condition and switched off under load they can catch on fire.
If that fixes the problem, awesome! If not, your solar inverter troubleshooting continues…
5. Have you tried a power cycle?
Your solar system may seem amazing – because it is! But you should also think of it a bit like a computer, which can sometimes simply freeze for no great reason. So before panicking too much, follow the procedure for a system shutdown – and see if a “reboot” does the trick.
6. Power back on – but still got problems?
If the power’s back on but the only improvement to your situation is the presence of an error code or fault light, start Googling or whip out the manual to see what it means.
7. Is it the battery?
If your solar setup includes a battery, you could find your solar inverter not working because of a battery fault. The fix for that could simply be to cycle the battery, so get Googling or get that manual out to see how to do that with your battery type.
8. Still got problems?
Unfortunately, in some cases – even when your inverter has power and is not displaying an error code – your stubborn system may still be producing unacceptable levels of power, or no power at all. It might be the wiring, it could be the panels, it could be the installation, it could be the grim weather, it could be an overgrown tree – but you will need to give Solar Repair Service a bell. If you’re wondering ‘How long do solar inverters last?’, the answer is about 10-15 years, so yours may simply have said its final goodnight.
Is it time to give Solar Repair Service a shout?
Don’t forget, your solar system setup is complex, expensive, and high voltage – so you should only attempt solar inverter troubleshooting if you’re particularly confident. If you need professional and affordable solar inverter repairs, we are here to help!
Solar Repair Service repairs all leading solar inverter brands like Aurora, Clenergy, CMS, Fronius and a lot more across Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and beyond – so don’t hesitate to give us a shout.
