A solar owner shared how their home energy system kept working after its manufacturer went bankrupt, offering reassurance to homeowners concerned about relying on an internet connection to keep their panels running.

Here's what to know

"How dependent on an internet connection is a solar setup which only seeks to replace home use?" the original poster asked in a Reddit discussion on r/SolarUK. 

Experiences varied depending on the setup, but a solar owner whose manufacturer was no longer in business put others at ease by sharing that their system worked fine even though it was "completely isolated from the internet." 

Others affirmed that no two systems are alike because they should be calibrated to household needs. Still, "most, if not all, will do the core job without any internet connection," one person said. 

If you're considering solar, EasyHome's free explorer tool can help you discover potential savings from vetted local installers. Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, and solar leases in particular can deliver hundreds of dollars in monthly savings with no upfront cost. 

More background

While a system may function even if the company it's tied to goes out of business, there's a distinction between essential use and specialized features. 

The commenter whose manufacturer went out of business said they connected their home automation system to the internet to keep optimized scheduling. 

For people who might not have home automation, they added a workaround, noting, "I could connect it to Octopus and let them do it for me." 

Another user said, "We have a Fronius system, and everything is fully controllable via the local webpage of the inverter," giving them access to data and graphs of solar production.

"I don't think any inverter, etc., company would be crazy enough to make their system fail to do its core functionality in the event of an internet outage, etc.," they added.   

What can be done?

Before purchasing a solar system, homeowners can ask their installer to demonstrate which controls will remain available without internet access.

For technically inclined owners, another commenter suggested an application programming interface as another way to control a system over a local network.

EasyHome's free explorer tool helps homeowners compare potential savings from vetted local installers and can also help you explore options for backup battery storage to maximize savings and power your home with solar when the grid goes down.

"They will always work at a basic level. But this is why I always say it's important to have full offline control for any smart system installed in a home," a commenter concluded. 

Where can I learn more?

Internet outages aren't the only disruptions solar owners worry about. 

• A homeowner's free replacement inverter wasn't plug-and-play after their solar company went bust.

• Solar owners described uninterrupted power during outages as more valuable than lower electricity bills.

• In Ontario, a backup generator stayed idle after DIY cabin solar went live.

• One solar owner rode out a weeklong outage, while others confirmed grid-powered battery charging.

• A solar owner's attempt to go off-grid stalled when the app timed out.

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