FAQ
Warning! Information here is provided only for used by qualified Electrician, you could come in contact with High voltage which could cause Serious shock or even fatality, If you are not qualified, have a licensed electrician look at your Solar Power Inverter.
My Grid Tie Solar Inverter Display is black with no lights on?
In order to test your Solar Power Inverter you will need an electrical multi-meter, and tools to remove the cover of your Inverter.
Set your multi meter to Dc voltage scale high enough to read the maximum allowable system voltage, In most cases is 600Vdc. Check your DC Voltage at the Solar Inverter across positive and negative terminals (do not make contact with any components in the Solar Power Inverer as they could be en energized with high Voltage that could cause death). If you are getting Voltage readings with in normal operating range and no lights come on your Inverter is defective.
If you have no voltage across the positive and negative terminals you could have a problem with your Solar Panels.
Check to see if your Inverter is shorted out. Turn off all power to the unit DC and AC and wait five minutes for capacitors to discharge fully then double check that no voltage is present DC or AC. After all power has been discharged, Disconnect Positive and negative from Solar Power Inverter. Use your multi-meter on Ohms and measure continuity across positive and negative Inputs on the Solar Power Inverter If you have a complete short circuit your Inverter is defective.
If your inverter is not showing a short across DC inputs,
Check your Array voltage with Inverter Removed from the circuit. If no voltage trace wires back to disconnect and if no voltage there check all junction boxes and or Solar Panels.
Ground Fault or Arc Fault Error.
Is generally caused either by defective Solar Power Inverter or defective Solar Panels. Most of time it is your Inverter.
**Use extra caution with ground fault error codes as there is a potential for the ground to be energized by the solar panels.**
To check for Ground Faults you must Disconnect Positive and Negative leads coming into the Inverter. With your voltage meter on a high enough scale for your maximum system voltage generally 600Vdc.
Internal Ground Faults can occure inside the Solar Power Inverter.
Measure voltage coming from Solar Panels, positive to ground and negative to ground, keep your meter on the leads till voltage stops dropping you will get a little static charge that is normal, but voltage reading should be very low to zero. If you have very low voltage from one lead and much higher from the other lead that would indicate a ground fault either with the wiring or the solar panels.