Is your solar system working?

By David Coote; Analytical Engines, a partner of Earthworker Smart Energy Cooperative 

I recently helped someone whose rooftop solar system had been isolated by an electrician several years ago and left disconnected. Only a small system but no usable generation during that period. This happens a lot. It’s an understandable oversight for a busy electrician. But with well over $30B invested in rooftop solar in Australia, ensuring these systems are reducing electricity bills and assisting the transition is sound practice. A colleague mentioned a large rooftop system they’d found hadn’t been working for years as the inverter had failed soon after installation. Tens of thousands of dollars wasted.
Here’s some suggestions for householders to ensure their solar is supplying electricity:

• Whenever an electrician does any work at your home, ask the electrician before they leave if the solar is connected.
• Check your inverter. If there’s a red LED, a message saying system fault or the generation/export numbers aren’t increasing on a sunny day, there’s likely something wrong.
• Check your CoPower electricity bill for export. If there’s no export this may mean that the system is not connected or there’s another issue.
• An inhouse display that captures output from the inverter will show generation and other useful house electricity system data. Remember to check the inhouse display.
• Similarly check your inverter app regularly.