Your solar & battery operation guide
What would you
like to understand?
Choose a question. We’ll keep the answer together and the next step clear.
01
Start with the system you own.
Solar-only, solar with storage, or a later battery addition: your handover tells you what is actually installed.
Make electricity
Solar panels
Panels produce DC electricity when light reaches them. They can still produce voltage after the system is shut down.
Convert & manage
Inverter or controller
The inverter converts power for home use. A hybrid controller can also manage compatible storage. Some systems use separate solar and battery inverters.
Store for later
Battery, if fitted
Storage can shift energy to another time. The usable capacity, power output and backup capability are separate features.
Source: Australian Government — solar panels, inverters and batteries ↗
Find the equipment list, model numbers and layout in your handover. For an upgrade, check which items were retained, added or replaced. Don’t open equipment to identify it.
Find my documents ↗02
Different moments. Different flows.
Your system usually works automatically. Here is a simple way to understand what it may be doing.
Understanding your energy
Make it. Use it. Store the surplus.
In a typical self-consumption setup, solar can supply your home. Surplus can charge a fitted battery or be exported within the connection limit. If solar is insufficient, the grid can supply the balance.
Your settings, available storage, export limit and any grid-management event affect the actual flows.
Illustrative energy flows · Not live monitoringSource: Australian Government — battery operation and backup ↗
Why can the system behave differently?
Self-consumption, reserve settings, schedules, tariffs and any VPP agreement can influence operation. Export limits and network-management events can also affect generation or export. Surplus solar is not always exported or stored; production may be limited.
A missing internet connection can remove remote visibility and may affect the way a remotely managed system operates. Check the instructions for your installed system rather than assuming that it keeps every function unchanged.
Do not change installer access, network settings, export limits or protection settings. Ask PSW if the behaviour is unexpected.
Source: WA Government — solar and battery communication requirements ↗
03
Read the picture, not just a number.
Start with the last-updated time. Then compare generation, use and storage over similar conditions.
Power now. How quickly energy is being produced or used at that moment.
Energy over time. How much was generated, used or stored over a period.
Battery charge. The reported state of charge. Your reserve and system limits also matter.
Three useful checks.
- Is the reading current?
A stale app reading is not a live view of your equipment.
- What period are you comparing?
Weather, seasons, shading and changing household use affect the result.
- Is there a message?
Record the exact fault code and time. Avoid repeatedly restarting equipment to clear it.
What monitoring can — and cannot — tell you
The measurements depend on the installed meters, sensors and manufacturer platform. Generation, home consumption, battery use and the retailer’s billing meter may cover different periods or measure different things.
There is no single daily yield that establishes whether every system is healthy. Compare your installation with its design expectations and similar weather, then ask PSW about a sustained change. Monitoring alone does not establish electrical safety.
04
A little attention. The right help.
Keep access and ventilation clear. Leave electrical maintenance and roof work to the appropriate professional.
At ground level.
- Keep stored items away from equipment and its required clearances.
- Check for fault messages and unusual changes in performance.
- Keep the shutdown label visible and ask PSW to replace unreadable labels.
- Report visible damage from a safe distance. Don’t touch or investigate it.
With a professional.
Use the maintenance schedule supplied for your installation. Ask about the inspection and cleaning needs of your equipment and location; coastal exposure, debris and other conditions can change them.
WA’s electrical safety guidance recommends an annual check, or the manufacturer’s recommended interval, by an accredited installer or licensed electrical contractor.
Discuss maintenance with PSW ↗Source: WA Government — solar PV maintenance and safety ↗
Source: Australian Government — looking after your system ↗
Warranty, firmware and changes to the installation
Manufacturer warranty terms vary by model and may include time, energy-throughput, operating or connectivity conditions. Read the terms supplied for the actual product; don’t assume every battery has the same cycle limit or reserve requirement.
Use the manufacturer’s approved update process. If an update requires installer access, contact PSW. Do not change wiring, add a cover or shade structure around equipment, move a battery or alter required clearances yourself.
Contact PSW before adding panels, storage, an EV charger or other equipment. Compatibility, the installation design and network approval may need review.
Read the PSW installation and service guarantee ↗05
Safety comes before a reset.
A general guide cannot establish that your installation is safe to touch, switch or restart.
Use your installed instructions.
Switch arrangements differ between solar-only, hybrid, AC-coupled and backup systems. Follow the shutdown label and manufacturer instructions for your exact installation only when it is safe.
Turning off the mains does not mean all circuits are isolated. Solar DC wiring can remain energised in daylight; battery and backup circuits may also remain live.
If instructions are missing, equipment is damaged or you are unsure, keep clear and ask PSW or a licensed electrical contractor. After an emergency, do not restart the system until a licensed electrical contractor has assessed the cause and confirmed it is safe to restart.
A fault message without danger signs? Record the message and what changed. Find a safe next step in the troubleshooting guide.
Find my symptom ↗06
Keep the details. We’ll help with the rest.
A clear record helps the team find your installation and understand what has changed.
Your handover, together.
- What was agreed: accepted scope, variations and invoices.
- What was installed: equipment models, serial numbers, diagrams and commissioning records.
- How to use it: manuals, shutdown instructions, monitoring access and backup scope.
- What covers it: product and installation warranty terms, maintenance information and support contacts.
Missing a manual, shutdown instruction or installation record? Contact PSW Life Support for help finding the documents for your system.
Open customer access ↗Before you get in touch.
The installation address, what changed and when it started will help us find the right record.
Keep the exact fault message. A photo can help if you can take it safely, without approaching damaged equipment.
Keep passwords and verification codes private. Use the secure process requested for account or ownership documents.
Tariffs, VPP terms, network notices and recalls
Use the agreement and provider for your own supply. Export payments, VPP schedules and incentive eligibility can change; they are not guaranteed by this operation guide.
Follow an applicable recall’s instructions. If you cannot safely identify the equipment, ask PSW rather than opening it.
General owner guidance · Sources checked 1 November 2026. Your installed system’s handover and manufacturer instructions determine its operating procedures. This guide does not replace them.