Solar Panel Maintenance

r3mski

Hello!

We've moved into our lovely new home which includes a grand total of one (!) solar panel!

We've transferred the ownership etc. everything no problem, but it looks like during renovation, one of the builder cut the cable that connect the panel to the meter that measures output! I've popped my head into the attic and see panel lights still blinking so I think it's still on, just nothing being measured!

Anyone have any idea who I go to to for a fix? The bloomin' builder is of course clueless and has no idea about panels and the paperwork that came with the house transfer shows that the original installer of the panel is now busy

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Alderbank

Do you see a flashing green light?
That means a connection problem as you suspect. If you see a red light, try turning the AC and DC isolators both off, waiting 5 minutes, and turning them back on. 
If any fault codes are displayed, note them down.

You don't tell us where in the country you are but there are quite a number of solar panel engineers who operate nationally. An example is Geo Green Power https://www.geogreenpower.com/
They charge from £249+VAT depending on location for call-out and fault investigation.

How old is your installation?
You can expect the panels themselves to have quite a long life but the electronic gubbins often become unreliable after about 5 years and need to be replaced.

macman

If it's merely the cable to the gen meter that's been cut, then any electrician should be able to repair it-you don't necessarily need one that specialises in solar installs.
Obviously you need to get this fixed ASAP as, if the meter is now not recording any generation output then you will lose the 50% allowance that FIT's gives you until it's repaired.
I find it odd that anyone would install a single panel: the output from that would make it totally uneconomic. 6 panels is about the economic minimum, as all the other fixed costs are the same (scaffolding, inverter, wiring and metering).

Jonboy_1984

Do you have a picture of the panel - is it generating electricity (flat surface) or one with tubes that just heats your water tank?