• Tech Tech

Homeowner offers frank advice after encountering infuriating solar panel issue: 'It's a learning experience'

"We lost a morning's worth of generation."

Modern solar panel systems integrate with mobile apps that help you stay proactive with your solar management.

Photo Credit: iStock

Modern solar panel systems integrate with mobile apps that help you stay proactive with your solar management. By checking your app regularly, you can identify issues early, track your real-time energy production, and optimize your usage to save power. 

One solar customer learned this lesson the hard way when they noticed their Envoy system wasn't reporting to the app. 

In a Reddit post on r/solar, the homeowner explained that the reporting gap began around 6:00 a.m. and was not discovered until around noon. 

Modern solar panel systems integrate with mobile apps that help you stay proactive with your solar management.
Photo Credit: Reddit

"After resetting the system, everything connected back up, but we lost a morning's worth of generation," the OP wrote. "It was foggy most of the morning, so it probably wouldn't have helped a lot, but it's a learning experience."


The OP's Reddit share is helpful because it reminds others to closely monitor their solar apps to ensure maximum efficiency and performance. 

If you haven't installed solar panels on your home yet, TCD's Solar Explorer can help you get started. Here, you can get connected with trusted local partners like Palmetto, which offers $0-down subscriptions to lease solar panels and lock in low energy rates. 

But if you'd rather own the panels than lease them, TCD partners like EnergySage can help you identify available incentives, compare bids, and connect with local installers, saving you up to $10,000 in the process. 

If you're new to household solar power, it's also helpful to follow subreddits like r/solar to learn from others' experiences and find first-hand recommendations. 

FROM OUR PARTNER

Save $10,000 on solar panels — or get them on your roof without paying for purchase or installation

Whatever your solar budget, Palmetto can help you save.

If you want to buy your own panels, Palmetto's concierge advisors can help you save up to $10,000 on installation through a network of preferred installers. And if you'd rather get solar savings without upfront costs, Palmetto's revolutionary LightReach subscription program can deliver.

LightReach lets you lease solar panels with no money down, making it painless to lock in long-term savings. Palmetto covers a 25-year warranty for the panels, which means you'll get reliable performance without unforeseen costs.

To get started, just answer a few basic questions about your home and connect with Palmetto's experts to find the option that's right for you.

"For about two years, a section of panels would go dark after it rained," a Reddit user commented on the OP's post. "I would check the app and, if necessary, reset the tripped breaker related to those panels."

"PV production is not affected by the Envoy being offline except in the rarest cases," another Redditor advised

If you don't have solar panels on your home, which of these factors is the biggest barrier to installing them?

Upfront costs 💰

Trouble with my HOA 🚩

Too much maintenance 🔧

An incompatible roof 🏠

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Excellent idea to check the app every day," someone else wrote.

When you pair your solar system with energy-efficient appliances like a new HVAC system, you can save even more on monthly utility costs. TCD's HVAC Explorer is a valuable resource for reducing your heating and cooling costs with efficient options such as heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.


Cool Divider