Your Solar Experts on the Sunshine Coast
Solar energy system stopped working?
Have power bills suddenly gone up?
Solar Uptime specialises in solar repair services for the Sunshine Coast area.
The problem could be your solar inverter – our onsite repairs start from $80
We do repairs as low as $80 if it is simply a matter of replacing an external plug, switch or consumable part. If we need to remove your inverter, costs may rise.
Solar inverters are complex electronic devices. Things can go wrong. Repairing and reconditioning an inverter so it works like new starts around $195.
Solar Repair Services on the Sunshine Coast
Every time we service a solar power system, we carefully evaluate it to understand the fault.
We check all the components of your solar system for performance and durability, including the solar inverter.
Right after our check you receive by email a solar performance report. It details what we learned about your system, what it means and our recommendations.
If there are any issues you will know how to get it back up and running in its best condition again.
Why we have so many Sunshine Coast solar energy customers
Solar Uptime services are fully guaranteed. You can expect fast friendly service that puts your long-term needs first. We aim to create enduring customer relationships with:
- A focus on long-term performance and value for money
- Proven, cost-effective approach
- Very competitive rates
- All work done by fully qualified Clean Energy Council accredited and highly experienced solar specialist electricians
- All works fully compliant with electrical safety standards, Clean Energy Council guidelines, Australian Standard WHS and original manufacturer standards
- Lifetime support, including end-of-life recycling
- We’ve looked after solar owners, managers and insurers since 2014
How to quickly check if your inverter has a problem
Have you tried the shutdown procedure?
First take your inverter through the shutdown procedure. This often fixes minor issues.
The shutdown procedure should be found on your inverter or in the meter box.
Always remember.
Disconnect the AC supply before the DC supply. To restart your inverter carefully reverse this process.
Is the inverter display blank?
If so, a specialist can test your system to learn if there’s an issue with the panels, the DC isolator, the inverter or just the display itself.
Is there an error message displayed?
Check the manual – what does the message mean? Record any error messages as they may change, or the display may shut down.
What does the user manual recommend?
If the manual says take the inverter to the factory service centre, it generally means an internal component has failed.
Error messages often describe inconsistent DC power issues coming from the solar panels.
Is your inverter really the issue?
Here are some common issues which may suggest the inverter is faulty when it’s not:
This will stop power from reaching the inverter and appear as if the inverter is not working.
Solar cells can develop micro-cracks which are often invisible to the naked eye. They can still cause performance issues and often develop into dangerous hot spots.
This often happens when DC voltage connectors under the panels have failed because they weren’t installed properly.
Hard to spot but increasingly common, these often lead to short circuits and major performance issues. Look for dark blue or grey lines generally no more than two or three millimetres wide – usually, but not always, within individual cells.
Overheating in a concentrated area of a solar cell can melt solder and/or silicon. This can also deteriorate the encapsulant, which can catch fire or melt through the backsheet.
Degradation of the seal between the solar panel glass and the metal frame can let water in. This often leads to total panel failure.
Deterioration of the bond (or encapsulant) between layers of materials within the solar panels causes visible oxidation of the cell ribbons and leads to air gaps forming. This attracts moisture, resulting in panel failures. A very common issue, it starts with a visible browning of the back plate behind the solar cells.
We can help with your insurance claim
Are your damages covered by insurance? We can provide a detailed electronics forensic assessment to assist in confirming the cause of damage to your solar inverter.
An accurate, authoritative Solar Uptime report will help you get your insurance claim approved no worries.
Inverter at the end of its life? We can replace it
Sometimes a solar inverter cannot be repaired. Parts may be unavailable or it’s not cost-effective.
In this case you will need a new solar inverter. Solar Uptime can provide virtually any inverter from any manufacturer – most importantly, the right one for your system.
Contact Solar Uptime for solar repairs and any help with your system
Solar Uptime contact form
We are ready to help maximise your solar value and performance. Simply complete this form and one of our friendly team members will make contact with you soon.
Solar inverter repairs FAQ
Yes, providing the damages are not exceptionally severe – here are some examples of solar inverter brands we have repaired:
- ABB / Aurora / Power One
- Aerosharp
- CMS / Carbon / Management Solutions
- Clenergy
- Delta
- Effekta
- Eversolar
- Five Star Energy
- Fronius
- Geoprotek
- Ginlong / Ningbo Ginlong / Eko
- Goodwe
- Growatt
- Imeon
- Ingeteam
- JFY
- JSI
- KACO
- KLNE
- Latronics
- Macsolar
- Oelmaier
- Omnik
- Orion
- Samil / Samil Power
- Solar River
- S.E.A.
- Sharp
- SMA
- SolarEdge
- Solar King
- SolarMax
- SolaX
- Solco
- Solis
- Sungrow
- Sunna
- Sunny Roo
- Sunteams
- Xantrex
- Zeversolar
- Zeus Apollo
The cost of the repair can be as low as $80 if it is simply a matter of replacing an external plug, switch or consumable part and it isn’t necessary to remove the inverter.
Standard workshop repair costs range from $195 to $495 – Please note there may be additional site visit fees applicable.
We provide a full range of solar inverter replacement options if repairs are not possible.
You will need to review your insurance policy details to determine if coverage is applicable for your solar system damages. If you’re not sure, contact your insurance company for clarification.
If required we can identify the cause of damage to the solar inverter by conducting a workshop-based electrical component forensic investigation and report.
To find out if your inverter is covered under warranty, first establish when the warranty period began. This is generally the date the system was installed.
The most common inverter warranty period we see is 5 years. However we recommend checking your paperwork as extended warranties are not uncommon and some manufacturers offer up to 10 years – we can assist you with the manufacturer warranty claim process.
Don’t worry. This information is available from your local electricity generator, which is Energex in South East Queensland, Ergon in North and regional Queensland and Essential energy for Northern New South Wales.
It looks like your options are limited and your inverter will need repairing or possibly replacing.
