3 Tips for Diagnosing a Broken Solar Meter
A typical residential solar energy system consists of many components, all of which are built to last, helping you harness free electricity from the sun. When a component like a solar meter fails, what do you do?
A solar meter is responsible for logging your home’s solar energy system generation in real-time. By referring to historic production data against current data, you can quickly spot anomalies that indicate your system isn’t performing at its best. For most homeowners with a solar energy system, a solar meter is the only line of defense against lost savings. So, what happens if your meter stops working? Here are our tips to help you quickly identify and fix a broken solar meter.
Diagnosing a Broken Solar Meter
Any number of possible causes could lead your solar meter to stop working. While some situations require swapping out your current solar meter with a new one, there’s always a chance the root cause is something you can pinpoint and even troubleshoot yourself. Some of the potential causes—and how to fix them on your own—include:
- Tripped Breaker Switches. Your breaker switches manage electricity flow to your home, and a tripped breaker switch is one of the leading causes of solar meter “failure.” Breaker switches can get tripped due to storms or sudden power surges. If any breaker switches in your electric panel are in the down or “off” position, flick them back on and see if this resolves the issue.
- Lost Wi-Fi Connection. Most modern solar meters require a Wi-Fi connection to report energy collection. You can confirm that your solar meter has a Wi-Fi connection by turning off your router for 30 seconds, turning it back on, waiting for it to reboot, and checking whether your solar meter has a Wi-Fi signal.
- Outdated Meter. Solar meters are generally well-built and don’t need consistent maintenance, but they can become outdated if they’re running on 3G or 4G cellular protocols. Soon, your solar meter will be unable to wirelessly share the information it collects from your panels. Check the original manual your solar meter came with to determine what cellular signal it uses. If it runs on 3G or 4G, investing in a replacement is your best option.
Call Solar Bear of Tampa to Diagnose and Treat a Broken Solar Meter
Without a working solar meter, you won’t be able to tell if something’s wrong with your solar energy system until you’re hit with an expensive utility bill. Rather than leaving things to chance, and paying higher energy bills, call the solar experts at Solar Bear of Tampa to help you diagnose and treat any issue with your solar meter, or any other critical solar energy system components. Call us at (727) 471-7442 today — we’re ready to answer your questions!
