When your monitoring app shows zero kWh or your inverter flashes red, the problem is usually smaller than it looks. Most outages trace back to a tripped breaker, an offline WiFi gateway, or a single failed microinverter or optimizer that is covered by a manufacturer warranty. This guide walks through what to check yourself in the first ten minutes of triage, when an error code means call the manufacturer instead, and which repairs you should never attempt DIY. Start with what's free to verify before paying for a service call.
How to tell if your system is actually down
A production dip isn't always a fault. Solar systems produce zero kWh between sunset and sunrise, and a thick overcast day can drop a clear day's output by 90%. Winter production runs 40-50% of summer for the same site, so January cannot be compared to July. Compare like for like — January to January, clear day to clear day, peak hour to peak hour.
A healthy 8 kW system typically produces 12,000-15,000 kWh per year depending on region. Check the shape of your daily production curve in your monitoring app. A smooth bell curve peaking near solar noon means the system is working. A jagged or flat curve during daylight is the real signal something has changed.
Before calling anyone, log into the monitoring portal between 10 AM and 2 PM on a clear day. If production is genuinely zero or far below your historical baseline for that month, the next sections walk you through what to check.
What to check in the first ten minutes when production is zero
Most zero-production outages have a five-minute fix you can do yourself. Start with your home WiFi. If your router is down, your monitoring data goes offline even when the panels are still producing. Restart the router and check again in two minutes.
Next, find the breaker labeled "Solar," "Inverter," or "PV System" in your electrical panel. If it's in the OFF position, flip it back ON. If it trips immediately, stop and call a licensed electrician. That pattern indicates a short circuit, and continued resets can damage equipment.
Then check your inverter, usually mounted in the garage or utility closet. A steady green light means healthy. A red or orange light, or a flashing pattern, is an error code you need to record. Write down the exact pattern before you call support.
Finally, restart the WiFi gateway — the small box that sends data from your inverter to the monitoring portal. Unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait three minutes. Gateways drift offline regularly, and a restart is the single most common fix in the troubleshooting library.
Why production drops slowly over time
Gradual decline almost always traces to shade, dirt, or a single failed component. Tree growth is the leading cause of multi-month underperformance. A 15-foot tree at install can be 25 feet two years later and now shades the array between 11 AM and 1 PM — your peak production window. Stand near the array at noon on a clear day and look for any shadow falling on the panels.
Dust, pollen, and bird droppings reduce output by 3-10% in dry climates. Rinsing panels with a garden hose on low pressure during a cool morning recovers most of that loss. Skip the pressure washer, and don't climb the roof unless you're trained and harnessed.
If a single panel or string shows offline in Enphase Enlighten or SolarEdge monitoring while the rest produce normally, one microinverter or one optimizer has failed. Both are covered by 10-25 year manufacturer warranties. Call Enphase at 1-877-797-4426 or SolarEdge at 1-855-793-8473 with the serial number, and they ship the replacement under warranty.
For year-over-year drops larger than 20% with no shade change, ask a Solar Partner to run a string-level diagnostic. Aged inverters and degraded connections both show up in that report.
What inverter error codes are telling you
An error code on the inverter display is the system pointing at the problem. Write the code down with the date and time before you do anything else, because manufacturer support will ask for it.
Communication errors (P-Module Offline, No Connection, Gateway Offline) almost always mean the gateway lost contact with the cloud, not that the system has failed. Restart the gateway, wait five minutes, and the code usually clears. If it persists past 24 hours, call the manufacturer.
Hardware codes are different. SolarEdge's String Fault, Enphase's Producing Power but Not Exporting, and Tesla's Battery Not Charging all point to an internal issue that needs a technician. Don't keep cycling the breaker — repeated resets on a faulted system can damage components.
Grid Voltage Abnormal means your utility's voltage is outside the inverter's accepted range. That's a grid-side problem. For battery systems, thermal throttling pauses charging below 32°F or above 130°F, which is protective rather than a fault. A swollen or leaking battery is a safety issue — stop using it and contact the manufacturer immediately.
Which repairs need a licensed professional
Diagnosis and gateway restarts are safe for a homeowner. High-voltage work is not. Inverter replacement, electrical panel modifications, and battery service all require a licensed electrician familiar with solar interconnection rules. Improper work can void the warranty, damage the equipment, or create a fire risk.
Roof work also belongs to a trained installer. Removing and reinstalling panels for a roof repair is not a DIY project. Fall risk is serious, and flashing has to be redone properly to prevent leaks.
If your original installer is no longer reachable, your equipment warranty is still valid because it's manufacturer-backed. Call Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, or SunPower directly. Freedom Forever is in Chapter 11 restructuring as of April 2026 — current customers can still contact the company for service, but for new local help, look for a NABCEP-certified contractor in your state's licensing database.
Ask any new contractor for proof of an active electrical license and general liability insurance. A $150 diagnostic call is far cheaper than a $5,000 mistake from an unlicensed fix.
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