Introduction. Put deposit on Solar Electric System.

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  • jzchen
    jzchen Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭✭
    Re: Introduction. Put deposit on Solar Electric System.
    BB. wrote: »
    Yea--My solar panels failed after about 6+ years. They apparently had a design/mfg issue with the junction boxes were the connections overheated over time (there were slight "coffee colored or almost like a light rust color under the glass over the j-boxes). It was pretty amazing. The array was working fine then over a couple of weeks the output went down to about 1/2 normal wattage. Called the installer and found about 1/2 the panels would no longer supply rated current.

    Also had several GT inverters too. The first one was working fine and Xantrex/Schneider mechanically replaced because earlier inverters had a history of failing early due to mfg defect. The new unit worked really well and had a new disconnect switch (old unit had a small twist on/off like a boat DC disconnect. New unit had huge spring loaded knife switches to disconnect AC/DC power--Very nice unit--But the inverter failed after about a year. Got a new/old stock replacement and that unit is working fine now... All the GT inverter stuff was replaced with no costs to me even though it was all out of warranty).

    I could not believe the flashing issue on my home... Lots of roof changes over the years and the roofers all missed the fact that the flashing from around a single dormer took a dive around the base of the window and dumped a nice little stream of water into the garage below. Saw the staining on the wood but never really noticed anything until I insulated and dry-walled the garage (give a little better fire barrier to the bonus room above and part of a general installing insulation in a 1930's home. Took another ~7 years before I figured out I had a problem. We are in a pretty dry area and we don't always have heavy soaking rains every winter. Had ripped off all the siding/trim on the dormer trying to find the leak (I fell off the stupid roof and tore a stupid tendon in my stupid arm when the stupid ladder slipped out from under me on a stupid low roof while looking for the stupid leak--Did I say it was stupid? :roll:).

    -Bill

    Wow, that is/are a lot of failures. It's nice to know that the bad got replaced, and even some stuff although they were out of warranty. Xantrex was pretty big when I first researched solar around 2003/2004.

    It's pretty dry most of the time here as well. (We are on the same coast.) But at times it can pour like crazy. Glad you didn't die. I am the third person I know in the family, two uncles have gone on their roofs, to go on a roof. I was squirming around like a worm because of my fear of heights. Both uncles have fallen. One died later due to complications in the brain. The other broke an arm. I may not do it again, although I was trying to save $450 in the process. Not stupid, just not worth it, especially if you fall...
  • jzchen
    jzchen Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited July 2019 #33
    ***Well, it's been just over 2 1/2 years since first operational, and I notice one panel is not producing anything on the SolarEdge monitoring portal.  I called the solar installer 2 days ago in the morning just before they open at 9 am and left a message.  I didn't get a call back the whole day, so on a hunch I sent a certified/return receipt letter to the office.  Somehow I get the feeling it will be a hard time to get them to come out and repair the issue.***

    (***I typed this comment October of 2015, and finally finding the forum again, remembering my login, and signing in, I find it.  Also in 2017 the main inverter with 18 south facing panels failed, really messing up our output and getting very high electric bills in the heat of summer***).

    Now I am trying to get the old inverter that is left retrofitted to California Rule 21, while the replacement easily got the proper update.  (The replacement was built when Rule 21 started taking shape it seems).

    Amazing how time flies.  I was up on the roof when the July 4th 6.4 Ridgrecrest Quake hit.  Funny my son thought whatever I was doing I severely shook the house!  Thankfully I did not fall...

    Got an update, a snippet of our monitoring page.


  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    " I didn't get a call back the whole day, so on a hunch I sent a certified/return receipt letter to the office. " 
    give the company at least one business day to get back to you IMHO.

    inverter should still be under warranty?  might be worth it to just call the inverter company up yourself and ask for warranty replacement and swap out the component yourself?