Solar electric
Solar panels not producing
When solar panels stop producing, the cause is usually electrical rather than the panels themselves: a tripped breaker or AC disconnect, an inverter fault, a failed microinverter or optimiser on part of the array, or a lost communication link where the system is still producing but no longer reporting.
Panels fail far less often than the equipment around them. Diagnostics come before anyone quotes you replacement hardware.
The reason we lead with that is the number of homeowners told they need a new system when they needed a part. A solar array is a set of components — modules, racking, inverters or microinverters, wiring, disconnects, monitoring — and any one of them can take production to zero while everything else is fine.
Start here: is it actually not producing?
Before anything else, it is worth separating two different problems that look identical from the sofa:
- The system is not producing. Real loss of output. Your electric bill will show it.
- The system is not reporting. Production is fine, but the monitoring link is down — a new router, a changed wi-fi password, a dead gateway. The app goes blank and everything looks catastrophic.
These get confused constantly, in both directions. Monitoring that still shows yesterday's healthy numbers is not proof the system ran today. If your bill has jumped, treat that as the more reliable signal.
What we work through on a diagnostic
- Breakers and disconnects. Free to check and more often the answer than anyone expects. A tripped AC disconnect or solar breaker takes the whole system down.
- The inverter. Fault codes, display, whether it is powering up at all, whether it is passing power. String inverters are the single most common failure point on older systems.
- Microinverters and optimisers. On module-level systems, individual units fail and take one or two panels with them. Production dips rather than stops, which is why it goes unnoticed for months.
- Strings and wiring. Connections corrode, rodents chew, conduit degrades. We find chewed wiring under arrays regularly.
- The modules. Cracked glass, delamination, failed bypass diodes, hot spots.
- Monitoring and communications. Gateway, network path, and whether reporting reflects reality.
- Shading and soiling. Trees grow. Ten years on, an array designed for clear sun may be in shade half the afternoon.
Underproducing is harder to spot than dead
A system at zero gets noticed. A system at seventy percent often does not, for years. If you have module-level equipment, a handful of failed microinverters will quietly cost you output without ever showing an obvious fault. Comparing this year against the same month last year is the simplest check you can do yourself — Florida seasons are consistent enough that a genuine drop stands out.
If your original installer is out of business, the system is still serviceable — that is its own topic and we cover it in depth at abandonedsolarcustomers.com.
What we will not do
We will not send a salesperson to look at a broken system and come back with a proposal for a new one. Diagnostics are a service call by a licensed technician, and the outcome is a finding and a price to fix it. If the honest answer is that the system is at the end of its life, we will say so — but that is a conclusion, not an opening position.
Solar repair questions
Why did my solar panels stop producing?
The most common causes are a tripped breaker or AC disconnect, an inverter fault or failure, a failed microinverter or optimiser on part of the array, a lost communication link so the system is actually producing but not reporting, or shading and soiling that has built up over time. Panels themselves fail comparatively rarely — the electronics and the connections are what usually go.
My monitoring app stopped working. Is my system broken?
Not necessarily, and this is worth understanding. Monitoring is a reporting layer, not the system itself. A changed wi-fi password, a replaced router, or a failed gateway will take the app down while the system carries on producing perfectly well. The reverse also happens — the app keeps showing old data while production has actually stopped. Either way it needs checking rather than assuming.
Do you repair solar systems installed by another company?
Yes, and most of what we service was installed by somebody else. You do not need to have bought your system from AllSolar Energy, and you do not need to know who installed it or what brand it is.
Should I repair my inverter or replace it?
It depends on the unit, its age and whether parts are still available. String inverters are typically a replacement rather than a repair once they fail outright, but the honest question is whether the inverter is even the fault — plenty of "dead inverters" turn out to be an upstream breaker, a disconnect, or a communication issue. We establish what is actually wrong before recommending you buy anything.
How much does a solar diagnostic cost?
We charge for the diagnostic visit because it is real work by a licensed technician, and we tell you the number before we come out. What we do not do is guess at a repair price over the phone or send a salesperson to talk you into a new system.
My system is old. Is it worth fixing?
Frequently, yes. An older array that has been producing for fifteen years and needs one component is usually worth repairing — the modules themselves degrade slowly and often have plenty of life left. Where it stops making sense is when multiple major components are failing at once, or equipment is obsolete with no parts available. We will tell you which it is.
Request solar diagnostics
Tell us what you are seeing — zero production, lower than usual, or an app that stopped reporting. A screenshot of your monitoring helps if you have one.
- Call us866-412-4218
- Emailinfo@allsolarenergy.com
- Office4205 St. Johns Parkway, Sanford, FL 32771
- HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm