Something’s off with your solar or battery system and you need to know what’s happening. This guide works through the most common faults, starting with the most likely cause and working toward the ones that need professional help. Every symptom on this page has been pulled from actual PSW service calls across the Perth metro and south-west, so the order reflects what actually goes wrong, not a generic manufacturer checklist.
If you’re not sure where to start, scroll to the symptom that matches what you’re seeing. If you’re in a hurry, the table of contents below gets you there faster.
⚠️ Safety first. If you see smoke, smell burning plastic, hear sparking, or see physical damage to any part of the system, stop troubleshooting and shut the system down using the emergency procedure in the solar and battery operation guide. Then call PSW Tech Support on (08) 6171 4111. Do not attempt to diagnose faults that involve visible damage or unusual sounds and smells.
Using this guide
The structure is deliberate. Every symptom follows the same four-step pattern:
- What you're seeing: the observable symptom
- Most likely cause: what PSW's service team encounters most often for this symptom
- What to check yourself: safe steps that don't require opening any equipment or touching wiring
- When to call tech support: the point at which professional diagnosis is the right next step
A lot of the time, the fix is simpler than it looks. A tripped breaker, a router that needs a reboot, an inverter that shut down overnight and didn’t restart cleanly in the morning. Work through the self-check steps first. If the issue doesn’t clear, the system is telling you it needs attention, and the right call is to contact us rather than keep restarting equipment that’s flagging a fault for a reason.
Jump to your symptom
Solar related issues
- My monitoring app shows no generation data ›
- My solar system is generating less than it used to ›
- My inverter screen is blank or dark ›
- My inverter is showing a red light or error code ›
- My inverter is buzzing, clicking, or humming loudly ›
- My system stops generating in the middle of the day ›
- My exports have dropped or stopped appearing on my bill ›
- My solar is working but my power bill hasn’t gone down ›
Battery related issues
System wide issues
Solar issues
My monitoring app shows no generation data
What you’re seeing: Your monitoring app (Solar.web, SEMS, SigenCloud, Tesla app, or similar) shows a blank, stale, or last-updated hours ago reading. The inverter itself might be working perfectly fine; this is a reporting issue, not a generation issue.
Most likely cause: Your home WiFi dropped out, your router was rebooted, or your inverter’s connection to the router needs to be re-established. This is the single most common support request PSW Tech Support receives. In 9 out of 10 cases, it resolves with a router reboot or a WiFi reconnect on the inverter side.
What to check yourself:
1. Confirm your home WiFi is working. Connect a phone or laptop to the same network and check that you have internet.
2. Check your inverter display or status LEDs. If the inverter is generating (showing current kW output), the system is fine, and the issue is purely reporting.
3. Reboot your router. Wait five minutes. Check the app again.
4. If the app still isn’t updating, run the WiFi reconnect process for your specific inverter brand. PSW has brand-specific reconnect guides for GoodWe, Fronius, Sungrow, SolarEdge, SMA, SAJ, Growatt, and Huawei: use the one that matches your inverter. The process varies by brand but takes about ten minutes.
5. If WiFi is restored but the app still shows no data after 30 minutes, the inverter may need a manual pair back to the monitoring platform.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- WiFi reconnect hasn’t restored data after two attempts
- The inverter display shows no generation (this is a generation issue, not a reporting issue: jump to low generation or blank inverter screen)
- The app previously worked and then stopped after a firmware update or factory reset
My solar system is generating less than it used to
What you’re seeing: Your daily kWh generation is noticeably lower than what you’re used to, or lower than the same period last year. Maybe a few hundred kWh short on a month, or a noticeable drop on sunny days.
Most likely cause: Shading from new vegetation, dirty panels, or a seasonal effect. Perth’s generation curve moves significantly across the year — June output is roughly 40% of December output on the same system, and that’s normal. Before assuming a fault, rule out the ordinary causes first.
What to check yourself:
1. Compare like with like. Check the same month in the previous year, not this month versus three months ago. A 6.6kW system generating 32kWh/day in January and 14kWh/day in June is behaving exactly as expected for Perth.
2. Look at the roof. Tree growth, new structures next door, a pergola, a satellite dish, or accumulated dust and bird mess can all drop generation measurably. Perth panels on coastal properties pick up salt spray and need more frequent cleaning than inland homes. Dust build-up in peak summer can cost 10–15% until the next rain.
3. Check the weather. Cloud cover, smoke haze, bushfire smoke, and heavy morning fog all reduce output. Cross-reference low generation days against Bureau of Meteorology data before concluding there’s a fault.
4. Check monitoring for individual string performance. If your inverter has multiple MPPTs (most do), compare the output of each string. A single string producing noticeably less than the others points to a panel or wiring issue on that string specifically.
5. Check for curtailment signals. If your system has been upgraded or was installed after 14 February 2022, Emergency Solar Management (ESM) can briefly reduce or pause generation during rare grid stability events. These events are logged in some monitoring portals.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- Generation is down 20% or more across multiple clear-weather days compared to the same period last year
- A single string or MPPT is producing significantly less than the others with no obvious shading cause
- You’ve cleaned the panels and output hasn’t recovered
- You suspect a panel is damaged (visible crack, hot spot, or discolouration)
Panel cleaning is something most homeowners can handle safely from ground level with a soft brush and a garden hose. Climbing onto the roof is not recommended. If your panels need cleaning and you can’t reach them from the ground, book a professional clean rather than attempting it yourself.
My inverter screen is blank or dark
What you’re seeing: Your daily kWh generation is noticeably lower than you’re used to, or lower than the same period last year. Maybe a few hundred kWh short on a month, or a noticeable drop on sunny days.
Most likely cause: Shading from new vegetation, dirty panels, or seasonal change. Perth’s generation curve moves significantly across the year: June output is roughly 40% of December output on the same system, and that’s normal. Before assuming a fault, rule out the ordinary causes first.
What to check yourself:
1. What time is it? If it’s before sunrise, after sunset, or during heavy cloud cover, the inverter may simply be asleep. Check again in an hour with direct sunlight on the panels.
2. Check the AC isolator (the switch near the inverter, usually labelled “Solar Supply Main Switch” or similar). It should be in the ON position. If it’s been switched off, switch it back on and wait two minutes.
3. Check the DC isolator(s) (on the roof near the panels and at the inverter). If any are off, switch them all ON. Always turn DC on first, then AC, when restarting.
4. Check your switchboard for a tripped breaker. for a tripped breaker. The circuit breaker feeding the inverter may have tripped. Reset it once. If it trips again immediately, stop and call PSW Tech Support. A breaker that trips repeatedly is telling you something is wrong downstream of it.
5. Leave it for 10 minutes. Some inverters need a few minutes between sensing enough DC voltage and completing their startup self-check.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- Isolators are all on, breaker is reset, sun is up, and the screen is still blank after 30 minutes
- The breaker trips repeatedly when reset
- You see any scorching, melted plastic, or discolouration near the inverter or in the switchboard
⚠️ Do not open the inverter casing. If the display is blank and nothing else has worked, the issue is internal. Opening an inverter exposes high-voltage DC and AC circuits, voids warranty, and creates serious electrocution risk. This is a professional diagnosis.
My inverter is showing a red light or error code
What you’re seeing: A red LED is lit or flashing on the inverter, or the screen is showing an error code (something like “Error 102”, “State 307”, “GridFault”, “ISO Fault”, or a similar cryptic code). The inverter may have stopped generating, or it may still be generating but flagging a warning.
Most likely cause: The inverter has detected a condition outside its normal operating range and either shut down protectively or logged a warning. The most common causes on WA systems are grid over-voltage (a neighbourhood grid issue, not a fault in your system), isolation fault (damp weather affecting wiring insulation), or a temporary communication loss with the grid.
What to check yourself:
1. Write down the exact error code or state number. Take a photo of the screen if you can. This saves the PSW Tech Support team significant diagnostic time.
2. Categorise the error from the patterns below. Every brand uses different code numbers, but the underlying categories are consistent across manufacturers:
| Error category | What it means | Typical cause |
|---|---|---|
Grid over-voltage / under-voltage (OV, UV, VAC) | The grid voltage at your property is outside the range the inverter is allowed to push power into | Neighbourhood grid issue — often many houses on the same street with solar pushing voltage up. Usually resolves on its own within minutes |
Grid frequency fault (FAC, Hz) | The grid frequency moved outside the allowed range | Transient grid event. Almost always self-clearing |
Isolation fault / PV insulation (ISO, RISO, GFCI) | The inverter detected leakage current or low insulation resistance on the DC side | Moisture ingress in a connector, damaged cable insulation, or a faulty panel. Common after heavy rain. Often self-clears when the system dries out |
DC over-voltage (OVP, DC voltage high) | String voltage exceeded the inverter’s limit | Usually points to a design issue or panel configuration change — rare on PSW installs |
Over-temperature (OT, temp) | Inverter is too hot | Inverter in direct sun, blocked ventilation, or extreme ambient temperature |
Arc fault (AFCI, arc) | The inverter detected the signature of an electrical arc on the DC side | Loose DC connection. This is a safety-critical fault — do not reset repeatedly |
No grid / grid loss | Inverter can’t detect the grid | Power outage, or the AC side has been disconnected |
3. If the error is grid over/under-voltage or grid frequency, wait 30 minutes. These are almost always transient and self-clearing. If the inverter is still flagging the same error after an hour, it needs to be logged.
4. If the error is an isolation fault and it’s been raining, wait 24 hours of dry weather before assuming it’s a fault. Moisture-triggered isolation faults often clear when the system dries out.
5. If the error is an arc fault or an over-temperature condition, stop. Do not reset repeatedly. Call PSW Tech Support.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- The error persists for more than an hour of direct sunlight
- The error recurs multiple times per day, even if it self-clears each time
- The error is arc fault, DC over-voltage, or anything labelled as a “hardware” or “internal” fault
- You’ve reset the inverter, and it threw the same error within minutes
Error codes are the inverter’s way of protecting itself and the people in the building. If a code keeps reappearing, resetting it over and over isn’t fixing anything. It’s masking a fault that needs to be diagnosed.
My inverter is buzzing, clicking, or humming loudly
What you’re seeing: The inverter is making a sound you haven’t noticed before. A low mains hum is normal, and most inverters do this. What’s not normal: loud buzzing, rapid clicking, high-pitched whining, or rattling.
Most likely cause: Cooling fans kicking in at full speed (most common, and usually normal in Perth summer), a loose mounting bracket causing the inverter casing to vibrate against the wall, or in less common cases, an internal component failing.
What to check yourself:
1. Is it the cooling fan? In Perth’s summer, inverter fans often run and run loudly. This is the inverter protecting itself from derating. If the sound is a steady fan noise that matches warm weather and high generation, it’s normal.
2. Is the inverter in direct sunlight? Fans run harder when the inverter is exposed to full afternoon sun. If the inverter is mounted on a north- or west-facing wall with no shade, it’s working harder than it needs to. This isn’t a fault, but a shade cover would help it last longer and quieten down.
3. Is the mounting loose? Gently check that the inverter is firmly mounted. A loose bracket will cause vibration noise that sounds much worse than it is. Do not remove any covers or touch any wiring: just check the visible mounting brackets.
4. Can you hear intermittent clicking? Click-click-click at regular intervals is usually an internal relay. This is normal during startup and shutdown. Continuous clicking during the day is not normal.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- The sound is a high-pitched whine, a loud continuous buzz, or rattling that doesn’t match the fan running
- The sound coincides with the inverter throwing error codes or dropping generation
- You smell anything unusual near the inverter. A warm electronics smell can be normal; a burning plastic smell is not.
My system stops generating in the middle of the day
What you’re seeing: Your inverter is producing well in the morning, then mid-afternoon the output drops sharply or cuts out entirely, then resumes or stays flat. The pattern tends to repeat.
Most likely cause: Grid over-voltage protection cutting in. When lots of homes in your area are exporting solar at the same time (typically 11am to 2pm), grid voltage rises. If it exceeds the limit set in AS/NZS 4777.2:2020, your inverter is required to disconnect to protect the grid. It reconnects automatically once the voltage drops back into range.
What to check yourself:
1. Look at the time pattern. Is the cut-out always between 11am and 3pm? Does it happen most on sunny weekends when neighbourhood solar is running at full capacity? These are strong signs of grid overvoltage.
2. Check the inverter error log. If you can access it, look for “grid over-voltage”, “VAC high”, or similar entries matching the cut-out times.
3. Check whether generation recovers later. Grid overvoltage events are transient. If the system comes back online within minutes and generates normally into the afternoon, that’s consistent with this pattern.
4. Document the pattern. Note the days and times across a week. This is what PSW Tech Support needs to act on the issue.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- Midday cut-outs are happening most days, and you’re losing meaningful generation
- The pattern persists for more than a week
Grid over-voltage is a neighbourhood grid capacity issue, not a fault in your system. PSW can log a network voltage complaint with Western Power on your behalf. Western Power is responsible for managing grid voltage within the statutory range and has an obligation to investigate when it’s running consistently high. This process takes weeks, not days, but PSW handles the paperwork.
My exports have dropped or stopped appearing on my bill
What you’re seeing: Your Synergy bill shows less DEBS export credit than you’re used to, or the export credit has disappeared entirely.
Most likely cause: Several possibilities in rough order of likelihood: seasonal change in generation, a change in household consumption, a Synergy billing error, or an actual export limit change applied to your system.
What to check yourself:
1. Compare to the same billing period last year, not the previous bill. Exports drop dramatically in Perth winter and peak in summer. A September bill and a March bill on the same system will look completely different.
2. Has your household consumption changed? New appliances, an EV, a heat pump, pool pump running longer, summer air conditioning: anything that increases daytime use reduces what’s left over to export. Exports aren’t a direct measure of system health; they’re a measure of surplus.
3. Check your monitoring app for self-consumption rate. A healthy Perth residential solar system typically self-consumes 25-40% without a battery and 60-80% with a battery. If your self-consumption has increased, exports will decrease and the system may be performing better than ever: you’re just using more of it at home.
4. Look at your meter reading on the bill. Export credits are calculated from the meter reading. If the reading looks wrong, there may be a billing error. Synergy bill queries go direct to Synergy, not to PSW.
5. Check for DEBS rate changes. DEBS pays different rates at different times: currently 10c/kWh during the 3pm-9pm peak window and 2c/kWh off-peak (rates are subject to change; check synergy.net.au for current rates). If your export pattern shifted away from the peak window, the credit will drop even with the same total kWh exported.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- The monitoring app shows the system has exported a reasonable amount, but the bill shows zero or near-zero
- You’ve recently had a meter upgrade and exports haven’t resumed
- Your inverter is displaying an export-related error code
For queries about the actual credit calculation on a Synergy bill (the rate applied, the meter reading, the period covered), Synergy is the right contact. PSW can troubleshoot the system side. We can’t see your bill data.
My solar is working but my power bill hasn't gone down
What you’re seeing: The solar system is generating, the monitoring app looks healthy, but your electricity bills are similar to pre-solar levels or higher than you expected.
Most likely cause: Self-consumption timing and household consumption patterns. Solar saves you the most money when you use the power while it’s being generated, because you’re avoiding the retail tariff (roughly 32c/kWh on the Synergy A1 Home Plan as of July 2025, subject to change). Exporting that same power earns DEBS at 2c off-peak or 10c at peak: a fraction of what self-consumption saves. If your household uses most of its power in the evening and overnight, you’ll see exports on your bill but not much bill reduction.
What to check yourself:
1. What time of day are you using power? If your big loads (dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, pool pump, EV charging) run in the evening, they’re being powered from the grid at retail rates. Shifting even one or two of those loads to the middle of the day can meaningfully reduce your bill.
2. Has your consumption changed? Check your total kWh consumed on this bill versus the same period last year. New appliances, an EV, a pool, air conditioning run harder: any of these can add hundreds of kWh per quarter and eat into the savings.
3. Have tariffs changed? Synergy tariffs typically update in July each year. If your solar savings looked healthy last year and don’t this year, part of the difference may be the underlying tariff, not your system.
4. Do you have time-of-use tariffs? If you’ve moved to a plan like Midday Saver, the maths changes. For most Perth solar homes, the flat A1 tariff is still the better fit, but if you’ve changed recently, that could explain a shift in the bill.
5. Do you have a battery? If so, check that the battery is actually discharging in the evening. A battery sitting full overnight isn’t doing its job. See the battery not discharging section below.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- The monitoring app shows abnormally low self-consumption (below 20% for a solar-only home, below 50% for a battery home with average use)
- You think the system is under-performing on generation: see the low generation section first
- You want a professional review of whether a battery or load-shifting strategy would meaningfully improve your bill
For a fuller explanation of how DEBS credits interact with your bill, see the DEBS complete guide. For help understanding the first bill after a new install, see the first week with solar guide (both coming soon).
Battery issues
My battery isn't charging from solar
What you’re seeing: The battery is at a low state of charge (SoC) during daylight hours, solar is generating, but the battery isn’t filling up.
Most likely cause: Either there isn’t enough surplus solar to charge the battery after household consumption (the battery only charges with leftover solar, by design), or the battery has been scheduled not to charge, or there’s a communication or isolator issue between the battery and inverter.
What to check yourself:
1. Confirm there’s actually surplus solar. If your household is drawing 5kW during the day (air con, pool pump, oven) and your solar is only producing 6kW, only 1kW is left for the battery. On a low-surplus day, the battery can take hours to fill or may not fill at all. This is normal.
2. Check the battery isolator is in the ON position. This is a dedicated battery isolator, separate from the solar isolator.
3. Check your app for the battery operating mode. Most batteries have modes such as Self-Powered, Time-Based Control, Backup Only, and similar. If it’s in Backup Only mode, it will hold charge rather than cycling. If someone recently changed the settings, that could explain it.
4. Check for scheduled charge windows. From 1 May 2026, new WA rules restrict charging batteries from the grid between 6pm and 9pm. This shouldn’t affect solar charging during the day, but if your battery was recently updated to comply with the new rules and the schedule was misconfigured, it might be blocking charging at the wrong times.
5. Check the battery for error codes. If the battery itself is flagging a fault, it will typically show a red LED or an error code in the app.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- There’s a clear surplus of solar (app shows export to grid happening), but the battery isn’t charging
- The battery is showing any error code or a red LED
- The battery hasn’t charged for more than 24 hours
A battery that won’t charge on a sunny day with surplus solar is not doing what it was installed to do. That’s worth looking at properly rather than letting it sit.
My battery isn't discharging in the evening
What you’re seeing: Your battery is full at sunset, but as the evening draws on, your house is drawing from the grid instead of from the battery. The battery stays full overnight.
Most likely cause: Operating mode set incorrectly, a backup reserve set too high, or (on systems installed or updated after 1 May 2026) the new WA grid-discharge restriction windows interacting with the schedule in an unexpected way.
What to check yourself:
1. Check the operating mode. Self-Powered (or the equivalent on your brand) is the mode that discharges the battery to cover household loads. If the battery is set to Backup Only, Time-Based Control with incorrect schedules, or a VPP-only mode, it may be holding charge rather than using it.
2. Check the backup reserve setting. Most batteries let you set a minimum SoC below which the battery won’t discharge (this is the “reserve” held for a potential blackout). If this is set to 80% or 100%, the battery will barely discharge. For most Perth homes, a 10–20% reserve is a sensible balance between backup protection and daily savings.
3. Check for VPP dispatch events. If you’re in a Virtual Power Plant (Synergy Battery Rewards or similar), the VPP can instruct your battery to discharge to the grid rather than to your home during dispatch events. This typically earns you a credit but can look strange on your monitoring.
4. Check the system clock. If the inverter or battery clock has drifted significantly, time-based schedules won’t fire when expected.
5. Check for updates. Major firmware updates sometimes reset settings. If there’s been a recent update and settings changed, they may need to be restored.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- The operating mode, reserve, and schedules all look correct, and the battery still won’t discharge
- The battery discharges for a while, then stops mid-evening with charge remaining
- The battery is flagging any error code
My battery kept the lights on during a blackout but now won't reconnect
What you’re seeing: The grid went out, your battery backup kicked in correctly, power was restored, but now the system won’t resynchronise. Either the battery isn’t charging, the inverter isn’t exporting, or one component is showing a fault.
Most likely cause: The system needs to complete its re-sync sequence, which can take 5-10 minutes after grid restoration. Occasionally, the sequence hangs and requires a manual restart. Less commonly, the grid returned with unstable voltage, triggering the inverter’s overvoltage protection.
What to check yourself:
1. Wait 10 minutes after grid restoration before doing anything. Most systems re-sync themselves.
2. Check all system indicators. Inverter LED, battery LED, gateway LED (for Tesla Powerwall systems), monitoring app. Note anything showing red or amber.
3. Verify the grid is actually fully restored and stable: check that other appliances in your home are running normally.
4. If the system hasn’t re-synced after 30 minutes, a clean shutdown and restart is the next step. Follow the restart procedure in the solar and battery operation guide. The sequence matters: DC off, AC off, wait five minutes, AC on, DC on.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- 30 minutes after grid restoration, and the system won’t re-sync
- A restart hasn’t resolved it
- You see any error codes on the inverter, battery, or gateway
Blackout recovery issues are rare on PSW-installed systems; the backup transfer is tested at commissioning, but they can happen, particularly if the grid comes back dirty after a severe event. If the same failure occurs across multiple outages, it’s worth a deeper diagnostic.
My battery app shows different data to my inverter app
What you’re seeing: You have two apps (for example, the Fronius Solar.web app and a separate battery app, or the SEMS portal showing different numbers to your EV charger app). The numbers don’t match.
Most likely cause: Different apps report different things. Some report net-of-battery, some report total, some report instantaneous, some report averaged over five or fifteen minutes. A small mismatch is almost always a reporting difference, not a real discrepancy.
What to check yourself:
1. Check what each app is actually reporting. “Solar generation” in one app might be DC from the panels; in another it might be AC after the inverter. A 3-5% difference is typical and expected.
2. Check the timestamps. If one app updates every minute and another updates every 15 minutes, they’ll always be a bit different during changing conditions.
3. Compare daily totals rather than instantaneous readings. Daily totals, checked at the end of the day, should match closely: within 1-2% is fine.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- Daily totals are consistently more than 5% apart
- One app shows generation or consumption that makes no physical sense (e.g., generation at midnight)
- One app has stopped updating entirely: that’s a monitoring issue, not a data reconciliation issue
My battery charged from the grid and I didn't want it to
What you’re seeing: The battery is showing grid import with the state of charge rising, and you didn’t set that deliberately. This is usually small, a few kWh, but it’s unexpected.
Most likely cause: The operating mode is set to Time-Based Control (or similar) with a tariff arbitrage schedule enabled. Some batteries ship with this behaviour on by default, which will charge from the grid during off-peak rates and discharge during peak. On Synergy flat-rate tariffs, this doesn’t save money; on time-of-use tariffs, it can. If this isn’t what you want, the mode needs to be changed.
Other possibilities: a small “top-up” charge to keep the battery at its minimum SoC during periods of low solar, or a brief rebalance charge that occurs periodically to calibrate the battery management system.
What to check yourself:
1. Check the operating mode in your app. If it’s set to Time-Based Control, Tariff Optimisation, or a similar mode, switch it to Self-Powered (or the equivalent on your brand) to prevent grid charging.
2. Check the schedule. Some apps have schedules hidden a couple of menu layers deep. A deliberate grid-charge schedule can be set and then forgotten about.
3. From 1 May 2026, WA rules prohibit grid-charging between 6pm and 9pm daily, so any schedule doing that will need to be changed. Grid charging at other times is still allowed, but it is generally not economical on the Synergy A1 flat tariff.
4. Check the amount. A small top-up (0.1–0.3kWh a day) is typically a BMS rebalance and normal. Significant grid charging (kWh) indicates an active schedule.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- Settings look correct, but grid-charging is still happening
- Grid-charging happens in restricted windows post-May 2026 (this would indicate a non-compliant configuration that needs correcting)
- You want advice on whether a time-of-use tariff would actually save you money, given your usage pattern
System-wide issues
My whole system is offline
What you’re seeing: Inverter screen blank, battery app not responding, and monitoring is down. Everything dark.
Most likely cause: a power outage in the area, a tripped main switchboard breaker, or the solar/battery circuit being isolated (someone switched something off).
What to check yourself:
1. Check whether the grid is up. Do other appliances in your home work? If the whole house is out and you have a backup battery, it should be carrying critical loads.
2. Check the main switchboard. Has the main switch or the solar supply breaker tripped? Reset once. If it trips again, stop.
3. Check outside isolators. The AC isolator near the inverter and the DC isolator(s) on the roof or at the inverter should all be ON.
4. Check the meter box area. Sometimes, the network operator briefly isolates a property for grid work. A recent planned outage notice in your area would explain this.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- The grid is up, isolators are all on, breaker reset once didn’t help
- The main switchboard breaker trips immediately when you try to reset it
- You see any damage to wiring, conduit, or mounting
If you’ve had recent extreme weather (severe storm, lightning strike nearby, flooding), the whole system is more likely to be damaged by the storm. A post-storm system check is worth booking before you try to restart anything, particularly if lightning struck nearby.
I had a power outage and the system didn't behave as expected
What you’re seeing: Power went out, and either your backup didn’t activate, or only some circuits worked, or the whole system went down with the grid.
Most likely cause: This usually comes down to what “backup” actually means for your system. Not every solar-and-battery system includes whole-of-home backup. Backup capability depends on the inverter type, whether a backup gateway or backup box is installed, and which circuits were wired to the backup side during installation. Many systems back up essential circuits only (lights, fridge, router) rather than the whole home. Some grid-tied systems without battery backup are designed to shut down with the grid: this is required by AS/NZS 4777.1 for safety reasons.
What to check yourself:
1. Check your original system documentation (in your PSW Project Hub). Confirm whether your system was configured for backup and which circuits are on the backup side.
2. If you have a Tesla Powerwall, check the gateway for status LEDs and use the Tesla app to see backup state.
3. For other battery brands, check the inverter and battery LEDs. If the battery is showing a charge but the house wasn’t powered, the backup transfer didn’t fire.
4. Confirm the blackout was a real outage, not a load-side fault at your property (a tripped main breaker looks similar from inside the house).
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- Your system was specified with backup, and the backup didn’t activate
- Backup activated, but some circuits didn’t receive the power that they should have
- Backup activated but then dropped out mid-blackout
Whole-home backup on a three-phase property requires a specific configuration: an AC-coupled battery on a three-phase site operates on one phase during backup, not all three simultaneously. If you have a three-phase system and expect a whole-home three-phase backup, a PSW system review is the right conversation.
I've just had a Synergy meter change and something isn't right
What you’re seeing: You’ve had a new smart meter fitted (commonly during battery commissioning or when upgrading from a legacy meter), and since then, the solar system, battery, or monitoring system has been behaving differently.
Most likely cause: The inverter’s export communication with the new meter needs to be re-paired, or the new meter is configured differently to the old one. This is particularly common with the post-May 2026 WA changes, which require meters to support the CSIP-AUS communication protocol for flexible exports.
What to check yourself:
1. Note exactly what changed and when. Compare the monitoring data before and after the meter change.
2. Check monitoring for export data. If exports suddenly stop appearing while generation and consumption look normal, it’s likely a meter communication issue.
3. Check your inverter display for new error codes that have appeared since the meter change.
When to call PSW Tech Support:
- Anything unexpected started within a week of a meter change. This is almost certainly a commissioning issue that PSW needs to address with Synergy and/or Western Power.
Post-meter-change issues are common enough that they have a dedicated diagnostic path. Don’t spend hours trying to fix these; log the issue, and we’ll handle the coordination with Synergy and Western Power.
Still stuck?
If none of the symptoms above match what you’re seeing, or you’ve worked through the self-check steps and the issue persists, contact PSW Tech Support. The diagnostic starts with what you’re seeing and what you’ve already tried. The more information you have ready, the faster we can resolve it.
What to have ready when you call:
- Your system address and account reference
- Inverter brand and model (on the front of the unit)
- Battery brand and model (if applicable)
- Exact error code or state number visible on the inverter or in the app
- What time the issue started and what (if anything) changed just before
- What self-check steps you've already tried
PSW Tech Support is included with every PSW installation. No subscription, no call-out fee for warranty-covered diagnostics. For systems installed by another company, PSW can still help: a professional assessment fee applies, and we’ll confirm this before any work goes ahead.
Contact PSW Tech Support
- Phone: (08) 6171 4111
- Email: hello@pswenergy.com.au
- Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm AWST
For out-of-hours emergencies involving smoke, burning smell, sparking, or physical damage, follow the emergency shutdown procedure in the solar and battery operation guide and call 000 if there is any risk to life or property.
Related guides
- Solar and battery operation guide — the foundational reference for how your system works, including the full emergency shutdown procedure
- Brand-specific Wi-Fi reconnect guides: GoodWe, Fronius, Sungrow, SolarEdge, SMA, SAJ, Growatt, Huawei
- DEBS complete guide for WA solar owners (coming soon)
- First week with your new solar system (coming soon)
- Export limits explained (coming soon)
