Hey guys,
Recently bought and moved into a house with solar panels (we're new to them).
Got our first bill but it's showing zero feed-in credits.
We checked our inverter box and the light is green, which means the issue is not from our side, right?
What could be the problem? Do we have to call an electrician to check or is there another way?
Does the power meter show you are exporting power to the grid? You will need to download the manual for the power mater from the internet after searching for it.
Does the inverter show that it is producing power? You will need to download the manual for the inverter from the internet after searching for it.
If the inverter is not generating power check that the isolation switch is on. Check the inverter menu to see if has any voltage from the panels.
If the inverter is generating power and the power meter is not exporting then the switch between the two is off.
If there is no voltage from the panels then I would do the following:
1.Visually (do NOT touch any cables) to see if there is a break or damage to the cable from the inverter to the panels on the roof.
2. Get on the roof and check to see if anything has blown up. Do NOT touch any of the metal on the panels or any of the cabling.
Solar panels can produce a large DC voltage when there are a number in series.
Sounds like the isolation switch is turned off. I’d say the previous owners would have turned it/them off when moving out.
Maybe there weren't actually any times where the power was fed into the grid?
A small solar system with a constant household daily load would mean the power is always used before being fed to the grid.
I had the same thing on my bill when i first got solar (Ovo Energy) did not credit my feed in had to call them and they sorted it out and now it shows.
So maybe call your company to confirm they have you down for solar.
Usually when you buy a house you get a building inspection.
I just sold one and the building inspector made a note that the user manual of the inverter was present for handover. Else the buyer can deduct the cost of it.
The inspector also offered an extra service to report on the condition of the solar system, including estimated life of panels left.
The purchaser paid for this option and got certificate for the conveyancer to organise utility changeover. I guess sometimes if you have a choice you have to ask for it.
If you use more than you generate, the solar power is consumed by the house first, and only then is any excess exported to the grid. It's possible you haven't got any excess to give. Your account also has to be an import/export type of account for them to buy back from you, and they will specify how much they will pay per kWh.
Could also be that your panels need cleaning.
Check if retailer knows you got solar. Usually something you need to disclose. Might be just a billing issue. Generally will get back dated once corrected. If inverter has green light (and you can see it producing) best not to start spending money on electricians until electricity company confirm they are billing correctly.