I just moved into my first home three months ago, and it came with solar panels that were installed by the previous owner about 5 to 10 years ago. Since I don't know much about solar systems, I'm trying to figure out if everything is working correctly. The panels look fine—no visible damage—but I've noticed that the inverter was showing a 'relay failure' error for a while. After I rebooted it, it seems to be displaying daily output between 200 to 400 watts. I have no clue if this is normal or good. So far, it doesn't seem to have made a significant impact on our electric bills, but we haven't lived here long enough to compare them properly. A solar salesman came by last week, and of course, he recommended that I get all new equipment. Is there any way to find an independent expert who can honestly evaluate our system without trying to sell us something?
3 Answers
More info would help us help you better. Can you get the brand and model of your inverter? If you do, we might be able to find the owner’s manual online. The home solar market can be pretty sketchy these days, so you definitely want to avoid anyone who cold calls or shows up at your door. They've been known to mislead people a lot.
It's really hard to diagnose issues with such vague info. Getting your inverter's model number is a good first step. You have to be specific; saying 'my system isn't working' is kind of like saying 'my car won't start' without knowing if it's out of gas. Get more details to get meaningful advice!
It could be a problem with your inverter, but there are a few things to check first. Do you know who installed it? Maybe you could reach out to the previous owner for more info. Whatever you do, steer clear of that salesman—he's just there to upsell you.