The short answer
A working system shows production during daylight in your monitoring app, no active error on the inverter or gateway, and monthly totals close to the same month in earlier years with similar weather. Your utility bill is a second check: if you export power, credits should keep appearing.
Safe checks you can do now
- Check the app around midday on a clear day
You should see production rising through the morning and falling in the afternoon. Tesla describes this daily wave shape. Source: Tesla Support: Understanding system performance.
- Look at the inverter or gateway lights
Learn what normal looks like for your brand. SolarEdge, for example, says a red LED indicates an error. Source: SolarEdge: Verifying inverter status.
- Compare the same month last year
Monthly totals in similar weather should be close. DOE’s federal O&M guidance recommends tracking production daily, monthly and annually over time. Source: U.S. DOE (FEMP): Operate and maintain an existing PV system.
- Read your utility bill
If you export power, look for export credits. A sudden fall in credits can confirm a production change.
- Look at the array from the ground
Check for new shade, heavy dirt, leaves or snow, and anything visibly broken. Stay off the roof.
Only do the checks on this page that need no tools: read the app, look at the inverter or gateway lights, reset a tripped breaker that is labelled for the solar system or gateway, and look at the array from the ground. Never open an electrical panel, inverter, combiner or junction box, never touch wiring or connectors, and never climb onto the roof. Solar equipment can stay energized while the sun is up even when the grid is off. If a breaker trips again, you smell burning, or you see scorch marks, water in equipment or damaged wiring, stop and call your installer or a licensed electrician.
If your system has no monitoring
Older systems or systems whose installer closed may have no working monitoring. Your inverter’s own display or lights may still show production. See installer went out of business for how to regain access through the manufacturer.
When to call your installer or an electrician
- An error light that stays on.
- No production at midday on a clear day.
- Monthly totals far below earlier years.
- Visible damage, scorch marks or a breaker that trips again.
If you are not sure, treat it as a job for a professional. Our free remote review can help you decide what to ask for, but it does not replace a licensed electrician or your installer.
Get a free remote review of your system
Tell us which monitoring app your system uses (Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, SMA, Fronius, Generac or another brand). We send you the steps to add our team as a viewer or installer from inside the provider’s own app. You never share your password with us. Once access is granted, our team connects your system and runs a free remote review of your production and alerts, then tells you what we found and the next step.
- 01Tell us your monitoring brand
- 02Grant viewer or installer access in your app
- 03Our team reviews it and reports back
Remote data can show when and where production changed, but it cannot always find the physical cause. Some issues need an on-site visit or your installer. We never ask for your monitoring password.
Prefer not to use the form? Start your free review here.
Questions homeowners ask
How can I check if my solar panels are working?
Check the monitoring app for daytime production, look at the inverter or gateway lights for errors, compare this month with the same month last year, and check your utility bill for export credits.
Can solar panels stop working without me noticing?
Yes. Enphase notes that small issues such as a device going offline or a drop in production can go unnoticed without regular checks of the app.
What if my solar has no monitoring app?
Check the inverter’s own display or lights and your utility bill, and contact the equipment manufacturer to restore monitoring access.
Related guides
Sources
- Tesla Support: Understanding system performance
- SolarEdge: Verifying inverter status
- U.S. DOE (FEMP): Operate and maintain an existing PV system
- Enphase: Troubleshooting and support
Brand-specific facts and error-code meanings come from the manufacturer’s own documentation, linked above, checked 2026-10-09. Manufacturers update their guidance; follow the current version for your equipment. Published by Solar Survey AI. Our safe-action advice is our own, not the manufacturer’s.