When do you need your solar panels repaired?
We all go solar with the intention of saving money every month, and when that doesn't happen there are quite a few questions about what's going on. What did I do wrong? Is my system functioning correctly? WHHHYYY???
You are not alone in this search, we have responded to countless homes here in South Texas and San Antonio for repairs. Most homeowners don't have a clue what to do in an instance of error with their system and rely on their contractor to correct the issue. Before you start to think your system is broken take a look at these easy steps to trouble shoot your problem on your own.
When analyzing a system there are 4 important parts to look at. These components will (usually) correctly identify the problem.
1. Your production; most system purchases include monitoring to insure if there are any malfunctions with your system it can be correctly identified. These monitoring systems also show what your panels are producing on a individual basis. This is helpful in the instance of a panel under preforming or shade blocking production on your PV System. Checking this system is important to insure that you have been producing regularly and have no issues with panels or shading. If you do see any issues with panels or maybe under production (it was much less than last month) you might have a shading issue or a panel might need to be replaced. Not to worry about panel replacement; they are covered under the manufacture warranty and can be replaced in less than a day.
2. Your Utility bill; most utility providers will not show your total produced energy from your system only the amount they are charging you for, and/or what you send back to the grid. Others meter your PV system through a second meter which will show the total "metered" energy that has cycled through their meter. Call your utility provider and ask for the total amount they have metered, then compare this against what your monitoring reflects. It's important to make sure the utility provider is metering your energy correctly and this is a common cause of higher electric bills.
3. Your consumption; often times we go solar and stop paying as much attention to the amount of energy we are using in our homes, because we have solar and the bill will be lower! It's VERY important to understand that your system is built for your current consumption. Increasing this amount will lead to a lower offset of electricity, often times this is the culprit. A good rule of thumb is to always make sure you use less, rather than more, when you install solar. This is easily identified on your bill, for example last year in January Tom used 800 kWh and this year in January he used 1600 kWh. His consumption has doubled from last year to this year, and this causes the amount your solar can offset to be much lower.
4. Weather; this factor can play a roll during rain, snow and cloudy seasons. Most solar proposals will show a 1 year production that is expected from your system. Remember this is an estimate based on weather patterns, sun exposure, placement (what direction your panels face on your roof), and size of the system. Weather is an uncontrollable factor in solar, but most of us aren't bothered by a few rainy days in a month. It's when the weather is abnormally rainy, cloudy or snows for longer than normal. This is when it becomes effective towards decreasing our monthly production.
5.. Malfunctions; this is a rare problem with solar systems but isn't uncommon. Making sure that you have a contractor that is experienced with solar installation is key when choosing your contractor. Often times repairs can be costly due to contractor error, (and most of the times homeowner's insurance will cover these types of costs). In some cases critters will get under the panels and destroy wiring and make nests causing issues with panels. This is easily fixed with skirting around your system to keep the critters away from getting under the PV array. We specialize in repairs due to contractor error, an it is defiantly easier to get it right the first time! Good news is that your investment is easily fixed by a qualify PV installer.
We recommend giving us a call if you notice any of these issues:
-Inverter/Microinverter failure
-Abnormally high electric bills
-Damaged equipment (loose wiring, water damage etc.)
-Weather damage (strong winds, hail etc.)
-Nesting birds/critters under your panels
-Error codes on your system
Soleil Energy is committed to South Texas solar power installation, five star rated, license and bonded. Please give us a call at (210) 758-5015, We are your hometown solar company with the service you deserve.
You are not alone in this search, we have responded to countless homes here in South Texas and San Antonio for repairs. Most homeowners don't have a clue what to do in an instance of error with their system and rely on their contractor to correct the issue. Before you start to think your system is broken take a look at these easy steps to trouble shoot your problem on your own.
When analyzing a system there are 4 important parts to look at. These components will (usually) correctly identify the problem.
1. Your production; most system purchases include monitoring to insure if there are any malfunctions with your system it can be correctly identified. These monitoring systems also show what your panels are producing on a individual basis. This is helpful in the instance of a panel under preforming or shade blocking production on your PV System. Checking this system is important to insure that you have been producing regularly and have no issues with panels or shading. If you do see any issues with panels or maybe under production (it was much less than last month) you might have a shading issue or a panel might need to be replaced. Not to worry about panel replacement; they are covered under the manufacture warranty and can be replaced in less than a day.
2. Your Utility bill; most utility providers will not show your total produced energy from your system only the amount they are charging you for, and/or what you send back to the grid. Others meter your PV system through a second meter which will show the total "metered" energy that has cycled through their meter. Call your utility provider and ask for the total amount they have metered, then compare this against what your monitoring reflects. It's important to make sure the utility provider is metering your energy correctly and this is a common cause of higher electric bills.
3. Your consumption; often times we go solar and stop paying as much attention to the amount of energy we are using in our homes, because we have solar and the bill will be lower! It's VERY important to understand that your system is built for your current consumption. Increasing this amount will lead to a lower offset of electricity, often times this is the culprit. A good rule of thumb is to always make sure you use less, rather than more, when you install solar. This is easily identified on your bill, for example last year in January Tom used 800 kWh and this year in January he used 1600 kWh. His consumption has doubled from last year to this year, and this causes the amount your solar can offset to be much lower.
4. Weather; this factor can play a roll during rain, snow and cloudy seasons. Most solar proposals will show a 1 year production that is expected from your system. Remember this is an estimate based on weather patterns, sun exposure, placement (what direction your panels face on your roof), and size of the system. Weather is an uncontrollable factor in solar, but most of us aren't bothered by a few rainy days in a month. It's when the weather is abnormally rainy, cloudy or snows for longer than normal. This is when it becomes effective towards decreasing our monthly production.
5.. Malfunctions; this is a rare problem with solar systems but isn't uncommon. Making sure that you have a contractor that is experienced with solar installation is key when choosing your contractor. Often times repairs can be costly due to contractor error, (and most of the times homeowner's insurance will cover these types of costs). In some cases critters will get under the panels and destroy wiring and make nests causing issues with panels. This is easily fixed with skirting around your system to keep the critters away from getting under the PV array. We specialize in repairs due to contractor error, an it is defiantly easier to get it right the first time! Good news is that your investment is easily fixed by a qualify PV installer.
We recommend giving us a call if you notice any of these issues:
-Inverter/Microinverter failure
-Abnormally high electric bills
-Damaged equipment (loose wiring, water damage etc.)
-Weather damage (strong winds, hail etc.)
-Nesting birds/critters under your panels
-Error codes on your system
Soleil Energy is committed to South Texas solar power installation, five star rated, license and bonded. Please give us a call at (210) 758-5015, We are your hometown solar company with the service you deserve.
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