By Hood Service Company · Corsicana, TX · Updated
The short version
- A monitoring app showing zero doesn't always mean the panels stopped; a lost internet connection is a common cause.
- Most grid-tied systems without battery backup shut down during a utility outage by design.
- The inverter's lights or display usually give the first clue to what's wrong.
- Solar wiring can be energized whenever the sun is shining, so leave panels and wiring to a technician.
How does a solar system produce power?
Solar panels turn sunlight into direct-current (DC) electricity. An inverter converts it to the alternating current (AC) your home uses, and a monitoring system reports how much the system produces.
Some systems use one central string inverter, often mounted near your electrical panel; others use microinverters under each panel, or optimizers paired with a central inverter. Grid-tied systems also connect through a disconnect switch and a breaker in your electrical panel. When any link in that chain stops working, production drops or stops.
When is low production normal?
Production naturally varies with the weather, the season and the time of day. Cloudy or rainy days, shorter winter days and a lower winter sun all reduce output without anything being wrong.
Dust, pollen and bird droppings can lower output gradually, and a tree that has grown since installation may now shade part of the array in the afternoon. Compare today's output with the same time of year in past years, or with days of similar weather, rather than with a single sunny day. Don't climb on the roof to clean panels; ask about solar maintenance instead.
What can you safely check yourself?
From the ground and indoors, you can check the monitoring app, the inverter display, your home internet connection, whether utility power is on, and whether the solar breaker appears tripped. Stop there.
- Monitoring app: look for an error message or a 'last reported' time. If the data simply stopped, the system may still be producing while the monitoring device has lost its internet connection. Restarting your home router sometimes restores it.
- Inverter status: note the light color or any error code on the display, and take a photo for the technician.
- Utility power: most grid-tied systems without battery backup shut off during an outage so they don't send power onto lines that utility crews may be working on.
- Breaker: check whether the solar breaker in your electrical panel has tripped. If you reset it and it trips again, leave it off and call.
- Shade and debris: from the ground, look for new shade, heavy debris or visible damage on the panels.
What problems usually stop a solar system from producing?
Common causes include an inverter fault, a tripped breaker or disconnect, damaged wiring or connectors, a failed microinverter or optimizer, monitoring that has lost its connection, and physical damage to panels.
- Inverter faults: the inverter is often the first component to report trouble, and a fault in a central inverter can shut down the whole system.
- Wiring and connectors: heat, weather and animals nesting under panels can damage wiring over time.
- Panel damage: hail, falling limbs or cracked glass can reduce output from one or more panels.
- Partial outages: on a microinverter system, one failed unit may take a single panel offline while the rest keep producing, which shows up as a dip rather than zero.
When should you call a solar technician?
Call when production stays at zero on a sunny day, the inverter shows a fault, a breaker trips again after one reset, or output keeps falling with no weather explanation. Never open the inverter or touch panel wiring.
Solar panels generate voltage whenever light hits them, even with the breaker off, so wiring and connectors can stay energized. A technician can test each part of the system safely. Hood's solar repair service diagnoses systems that have stopped producing, and solar inspection and testing can check a system's overall condition. To get started, contact us or call (903) 602-5108.
Hood also handles heating and cooling. If you're curious what a heating and cooling tune-up involves, read what HVAC maintenance includes, and our HVAC terminology guide explains the equipment terms you'll hear.
When should you call a technician?
- Production reads zero on a clear, sunny day and the monitoring connection is working.
- The inverter shows a fault light or error code that doesn't clear.
- The solar breaker trips again after you've reset it once.
- You see burn marks, melted connectors, damaged wiring or animals nesting under the panels.
- Panels are cracked or were hit by hail or a falling limb.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hose off my solar panels?
It's not a good idea to climb on the roof or spray panels yourself. Rain clears much of the everyday dust, and how much cleaning helps varies from system to system. If buildup is heavy, ask a technician whether cleaning makes sense and let them do it safely.
Why does my system produce less in winter?
Days are shorter and the sun sits lower in the sky, so the panels receive less sunlight. That's normal. Compare winter output with past winters rather than with summer months.
Will my solar panels power my home during an outage?
Usually not, unless the system was designed with battery storage or another backup setup. Standard grid-tied systems shut down during outages to protect utility crews working on the lines.
Can a technician tell which panel is the problem?
Often, yes. Panel-level monitoring on microinverter or optimizer systems can point to a specific panel. On other systems, a technician can test strings and connections to narrow it down.