Case Study: Four Years Without Solar – Fixed in 10 Minutes

 

A homeowner contacted Solar Rescue after living with a solar system that had effectively been out of action for around four years.

Over that time, he had already had three different electricians inspect the system, but nobody had been able to identify exactly why it wasn’t operating.

By the time he contacted us, he was understandably frustrated and had almost given up on the system completely.

He called Solar Rescue as a last-ditch effort to see if there was anything we could find that had been missed.

 

We Found the Problem in Around 10 Minutes

Once we arrived, we started by checking the system as a complete electrical installation rather than looking at the solar panels in isolation.

Within approximately 10 minutes, we identified the fault.

Interestingly, the problem wasn’t actually on the roof.

The issue had been caused by electrical work previously carried out in the home’s switchboard. The way the switchboard had been altered meant the solar system was no longer able to operate correctly.

Once the fault was identified, the cause of four years of solar trouble suddenly became clear.

 

The Solar Fault Wasn’t the Only Problem

While inspecting the switchboard, we also identified a number of issues with the previous electrical work that required further attention.

This is one of the reasons we constantly explain to customers that diagnosing solar faults isn’t always as simple as checking the inverter or washing the panels.

A solar system forms part of the property’s wider electrical installation.

Sometimes the fault is on the roof.

Sometimes it’s the inverter.

Sometimes it’s DC cabling or connections.

And sometimes, as in this example, the actual problem can be elsewhere in the electrical installation entirely.

 

Why Solar Experience Matters

A general electrician can be highly experienced with electrical work while having relatively limited experience diagnosing solar faults.

Solar systems introduce another layer of complexity, including:

• Solar inverters
• DC cabling
• Solar isolation equipment
• Grid connections
• Switchboard configuration
• Protection devices
• Earthing
• System monitoring
• Fault codes and inverter behaviour

Being able to diagnose a solar problem efficiently often comes down to understanding how all of those components interact.

In this case, three previous electricians had inspected the system without resolving the problem.

Once Solar Rescue approached the installation specifically as a solar fault-finding job, the cause became apparent very quickly.

 

Solar Cleaning Is Important — But It Won’t Fix an Electrical Fault

This is also why there is an important difference between a solar panel cleaning service and proper solar maintenance.

Cleaning dirt, moss, algae and bird droppings from solar panels can help maintain performance, but a cleaner cannot diagnose electrical faults inside your switchboard, inverter, cabling or protection equipment.

If your solar system has stopped working, is producing less than expected, or hasn’t operated correctly for years, you need someone who can assess the electrical system as well as the panels themselves.

 

Don’t Assume Your Solar System Is Beyond Repair

One of the biggest lessons from this example is that a solar system being faulty for several years doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be replaced.

Sometimes the problem is surprisingly simple once the right person investigates it.

If your inverter is showing a fault, your solar production has dropped, or you’ve been told different things by different tradespeople, it may be worth having the system properly diagnosed before considering replacement.

Solar Rescue specialises in solar fault finding, solar maintenance, electrical inspections and solar panel cleaning across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and the Yarra Valley.

If your solar system isn’t working properly, we can inspect the system, investigate the cause and explain exactly what we find.