Solar Panels - apparent failure

KevinG

Hi,

Yesterday, a lovely sunny day, I generated nothing. Today the same. Looking at the inverter it all appears fine, just showing zero generation. So it looks like no power is getting to the inverter. I'm thinking maybe a mouse has chewed through a cable or something, probably outside as I'm pretty sure I've got rid of all of the ones inside the loft. I suppose the alternative is that a panel has failed; having only a single inverter that would knock out the whole lot. As it happens I'm due to speak to an electrician tomorrow who has experience with solar panels (he's the person that replaced my inverter in 2017). I was just wondering whether anyone else had had a similar experience, what was the cause and how was it fixed? Thanks.

QrizB

If your panels are a single string (and I would expect them to be) then any failure in any component could reduce output to zero.

I know it isn't the best time of year to tell, but how have previous days been? Has there been a gradual falling-off of output or has it gone from being 100% to 0% overnight?

KevinG

QrizB said:

If your panels are a single string (and I would expect them to be) then any failure in any component could reduce output to zero.

I know it isn't the best time of year to tell, but how have previous days been? Has there been a gradual falling-off of output or has it gone from being 100% to 0% overnight?

Yes, single string. Generation stopped overnight, no gradual decline.

gefnew

HI you can see the fault codes if you access inverter using sunny explorer from sma de downloads section and log in as installer.
It will give you some insight to what happening and when.
here is a link Downloads | SMA Solar. good luck.

KevinG

gefnew said:

HI you can see the fault codes if you access inverter using sunny explorer from sma de downloads section and log in as installer.

Hi, no errors at all but it does show that generation stopped just after 1200 on 28th January.

gefnew

Hi i know this sounds silly but have you tried the reboot of the system via all the isolators, turn off and leave for an hour then turn on and see what happens.

KevinG

gefnew said:

Hi i know this sounds silly but have you tried the reboot of the system via all the isolators, turn off and leave for an hour then turn on and see what happens.

OK, I am trying that now.

KevinG

Unfortunately by the time I switched it back on it was too late for any generation so I won't know until tomorrow whether anything has changed. 

gefnew

Speak to you tomorrow then.

KevinG

@gefnew Unsurprisingly that didn't work but worth a try. Still waiting for my electrician to get back to me. 

gefnew

Sorry about the delay in replying.
Can you see your inverter with sunny explorer via bluetooth connection. if like my sma inverter log on as installer password if not changed from default would be 1111, you can look at a section called events and you can look at what has been happening 
also will show lots of other areas of inverter.
may help when sparky comes round with fault finding.
Good Luck