Solar Not Working? 9 Things to Check Before Booking a Repair

You had solar installed to reduce your power bills. Now the app is showing zero, the inverter looks different or your electricity bill has jumped. It is natural to wonder whether something expensive has failed—but “solar not working” can describe several very different problems. A monitoring outage may make a healthy system look inactive. A genuine inverter or wiring fault can stop generation entirely. The first step is to collect a few clues without touching electrical components.

1. Check whether the problem is actual generation or just monitoring

A solar app that shows “offline” is not always evidence that your panels have stopped generating. The monitoring device might have lost Wi-Fi, your home internet may be down, or a manufacturer's portal could be temporarily unavailable. If you can safely read the inverter's normal display from ground level, compare its status with the app. Do not remove covers or attempt resets unless your installer has provided explicit, model-specific instructions.

Look for three separate numbers: solar generation, household electricity use and grid import/export. They are not interchangeable. A home may be generating plenty of solar but still buying electricity at night, or during heavy daytime appliance use.

2. Consider the time and weather

At night the solar array generates no electricity. In early morning, late afternoon, storms or heavy cloud, production is lower than on a clear midday. If your reading is zero in strong daylight over a sustained period, that deserves closer attention. Compare similar weather conditions and seasons rather than one isolated reading.

3. Look for a visible error code

Inverters may show a red or amber warning light, a fault number or a written message. Photograph the display from a safe position and record the inverter brand and model. A grid-voltage warning, for example, has a different diagnostic path from an insulation or DC fault. Don't assume the meaning of a colour: indicator lights vary between manufacturers.

4. Think about recent changes around the property

New shade from a growing tree, another building or a changed roof feature can reduce output. Roof works, storms and water ingress can also affect a system. Bird nests and accumulated debris around panels may merit an inspection. These are useful clues to tell a technician, not reasons to climb up and investigate yourself.

5. Review recent generation data—not just the power bill

Higher electricity bills can result from tariff changes, higher household use, reduced feed-in credits or genuine solar underperformance. Compare daily and monthly kilowatt-hour (kWh) production, if available, with a similar period last year. A clear, abrupt fall is more concerning than modest seasonal variation.

6. See whether a battery is involved

If your system includes a battery, it may be configured to reserve capacity, charge only at certain times or respond to tariff settings. Battery-related warnings can also affect operation. Note the battery's state of charge, warning messages and whether the problem started after an update or power outage. Do not attempt to open or service battery equipment.

7. Recognise when professional testing is needed

Common underlying issues include inverter faults, deteriorated or damaged DC wiring, connector problems, isolator faults, panel damage and grid-related shutdowns. Proper investigation can involve electrical measurements, manufacturer fault diagnostics and inspection of accessible equipment. These tasks belong with an appropriately licensed professional.

8. Ask about warranty before paying for replacement parts

Find your installation paperwork and inverter model details. If the system remains under a manufacturer's or installer’s warranty, contact that provider first. Even if the installer is no longer operating, the manufacturer may be able to explain available warranty support. Do not assume the whole system needs replacement because one component has failed.

9. Prepare a useful fault report

• Your suburb and approximate date the problem started.
• Inverter and battery brand/model, if known.
• Photos of any visible messages or app screenshots.
• Whether production is zero, intermittent or merely lower than expected.
• Recent storms, roof work or electrical changes.
• Age of the system and any available warranty details.

What Fix My Solar can help with

We help Gold Coast homeowners organise investigations of solar faults, inverter problems and underperforming systems, with electrical work performed by appropriately licensed local contractors. A diagnosis should establish whether repair, a component replacement or further testing is the sensible next step—not automatically recommend a whole new system.

Read more about our solar repair options and inverter fault diagnosis.