Every ray of sunlight on your roof generates free, green energy. Solar panels are a great way to produce sustainable energy and lower your electricity bill. But what if they suddenly shut down?
Don’t worry! In this blog, we’ll explain why this happens, what the consequences are, and most importantly: how you can prevent it. We’ll also show you how - with Chargee and the Sparky P1 meter - you can always stay in control of your solar panels.
Why do solar panels sometimes shut down?
It can happen that your solar panels suddenly stop working. Yikes! This means you're not generating electricity. And that is a real shame, especially on a sunny day. There are several reasons why this can happen. For example, the electricity grid might be overloaded or there could be a technical malfunction. Sometimes, weather conditions like a heatwave or heavy storms can also cause shutdowns. Solar panels can overheat or get damaged by strong winds, hail, or lightning. Another cause could be high grid voltage.
The inverter of your solar panels automatically shuts off if the voltage in your home becomes too high (above 253 volts). This is regulated by law and is part of the standards that an inverter must comply with. If the inverter didn’t shut off automatically, it could get damaged, along with other appliances in your home. Once the voltage returns to normal, the inverter usually switches back on automatically.
What are the consequences if my solar panels shut down?
When your solar panels shut down, they stop generating electricity. This is unfortunate for your energy bill. Instead of using the electricity you've generated, you'll have to rely on power from the grid again, which costs more. If the shutdown lasts for a long time, it could even affect the long-term efficiency of your solar panels. Some malfunctions can cause parts to wear out faster or become overloaded, potentially shortening the lifespan of your panels and reducing the amount of energy they produce.
Can I prevent my solar panels from shutting down?
Solar panels shutting down. Doesn’t sound great, does it? But don’t worry—there’s good news! There are ways to prevent your solar panels from shutting down. Make sure you use energy when it’s available. Run your washing machine or charge your car when the sun is shining. Also, check if your heavy appliances - like your fridge or dishwasher - are properly distributed across the phases in your home. This ensures the power is evenly balanced.
With a special dongle for your smart meter - like our Sparky P1 meter and the Chargee app - you can see exactly how the power is distributed in your home. You can also closely monitor the performance of your solar panels, helping you spot any malfunctions quickly and get your solar panels back to producing energy as soon as possible.
How can I tell if my solar panels are shutting down?
There are three types of shutdowns: brief, recurring, and structural. It’s not always immediately obvious when your solar panels have shut down, especially if you don’t have a monitoring system like the Sparky P1 meter. Without a monitoring system, there are still signs you can look for. A drop in your monthly energy production might indicate a problem, but you’ll only see that after the fact, when you get the bill. Modern inverters often give a warning when something is wrong.
Want to be sure you don’t miss anything and quickly find out if something’s wrong with your solar panels? Then it’s a good idea to use the Chargee app. It gives you live insights into the performance of your solar panels. Here’s how it works:
Brief shutdowns
Has that big tree in your front yard started towering over all the others? Its leaves might be casting shadows on your solar panels during the summer, causing a temporary drop in energy production. Wind can also blow leaves in front of your panels, sometimes blocking the sun and sometimes not. Most inverters won’t give you information about this, but the Chargee app will. It shows you every second how much energy you’re using or feeding back into the grid. This is the net usage: what you generate minus what you consume. We also connect to your solar panel system to display the gross energy production.
In this data, you can see whether your panels are generating less than expected. A good reason to check if leaves are blocking them. So, with a bit of planning and some pruning, you can easily get more efficiency out of your solar panels!
Recurring shutdowns
Do you see a sawtooth pattern in the Chargee app when you check the energy production from your solar panels? This usually happens when your inverter is turning on and off due to high grid voltage. When the grid voltage rises too high, your inverter automatically shuts off to reduce the voltage on the network. After a few minutes, it tries to turn back on. If successful, it shuts off again if the voltage spikes once more. Some inverters switch off abruptly, going from 100 to 0 in less than a second. This can happen so fast that you might not notice it in your solar panel app or on your electricity bill, even though you’re losing a lot of power. In the Chargee app, this sawtooth pattern is easy to spot. You can also see the effect on the voltage in the ‘Voltage per phase’ graph (if your smart meter supports this).
Structural shutdowns
All the electrical devices and solar panels in your neighborhood can sometimes overload the local grid. In some cases, the grid operator can strengthen the network. But often, you need to report the issue to your grid operator, especially if too many devices and solar panels are connected to the network in your area. With many solar panels producing energy while most people are away at work during the day, the grid can get overloaded, causing your panels to shut down. If you see this pattern in the Chargee app, report it to your grid operator.
If you’ve activated the SolarGuard feature in Chargee, we’ll make the report for you. The more complaints, the better the grid operator understands the load on the network.
How can the Sparky P1 meter help me with this?
The Sparky P1 meter is a smart device that provides a clear overview of how well your solar panels are performing. It keeps track of how much energy you generate, feed back into the grid, and consume. In the Chargee app, which is linked to the Sparky P1 meter, you can immediately see if something is wrong with your panels and pinpoint where the problem is. You can also see your solar consumption: how much of the energy you generate is used in your own home. The higher, the better!
Stay in control of your solar panels with Chargee
With Chargee, you won’t have to worry about your solar panels shutting down unexpectedly. You’ll always have live insights into your panels’ performance. This way, you can easily monitor whether everything is working as it should, stay prepared, and avoid any unexpected surprises on your energy bill.