What a Professional Solar Health Check Includes

A professional Solar Health Check is a structured on-site inspection that confirms your system is safe, weatherproof and producing what it should for its size, age and orientation. Our technicians work through the panels and mounting, the isolators, the cabling, the inverter's fault history and your production figures, then give you a written report with photos and plain-English recommendations. For a residential system up to 10 kW, the visit is listed at a fixed $249 in our energy market. Like every price we publish, it is indicative: larger systems, difficult access or extra work are confirmed after we assess the site.

Why a system that looks fine can still need a check

Most solar faults are quiet. An inverter can keep running while one string of panels contributes very little, a connector can slowly overheat, and water can sit inside an isolator enclosure for months before anything trips. Production also varies naturally with the weather, so a gradual loss is hard to spot in a monitoring app. A health check separates normal seasonal variation from a genuine problem, and it finds safety issues that never show up as lost kilowatt-hours.

It is also a sensible first step before an upgrade. If you are thinking about adding a solar battery, more panels or an EV charger, the new equipment should be built on a system that has been checked.

The visit, step by step

Every system is different, but a typical health check follows this order:

1. Data review. We look at your monitoring history where you can give us access, and note the system size, installation date and equipment.
2. Inverter inspection. We read the display and fault log, check firmware status where accessible, confirm the unit has its ventilation clearances and is not baking in direct afternoon sun, and note any error codes that repeat.
3. Switchboard and labelling. We confirm the solar main switch, isolation points and shutdown procedure are clearly labelled, and that the signage emergency services rely on is in place.
4. Isolators and enclosures. Rooftop DC isolators (where fitted) and inverter-side isolators are checked for cracked covers, UV damage, water ingress and signs of heat.
5. Cabling and connectors. We look for cables lying on the roof surface, brittle conduit, failed cable ties, pest damage and discoloured connectors.
6. Panels and mounting. Where the roof can be accessed safely, we inspect panels for cracked glass, delamination, discolouration and heavy soiling, and check rails, clamps, fixings and roof penetrations.
7. Production against expectations. We compare what the system is producing with what a system of that size, orientation and age should typically deliver.

Roof work is carried out by our trained technicians with the right fall protection. Please do not climb onto the roof or open isolators or enclosures yourself before we arrive: DC solar cabling can remain live whenever there is daylight.

How we judge production

Numbers only mean something against a sensible benchmark. As a rule of thumb, a 6.6 kW system in Sydney produces roughly 24-27 kWh a day averaged across the year, with more in summer and less in winter. Panels also commonly lose around 0.4-0.55% of their output each year, so a ten-year-old system is expected to produce a little less than it did when new. We take orientation, tilt and shading into account rather than applying one figure to every roof.

If production is well below what we would expect and the cause is not visible on the day, we tell you which further test would find it rather than guessing.

What you receive afterwards

The written report is designed to be read by a homeowner, not an engineer. It typically includes:

• Photos of the inverter, isolators, cabling and array, including anything we are concerned about
• Findings grouped as "no action needed", "monitor" and "action recommended"
• A comparison of recent production with the typical range for your system
• The inverter's recent fault history and what the codes mean
• Recommendations, with a separate written quote for any repair or upgrade you ask us to price

There is no obligation to go ahead with any recommended work, and the report is yours to keep with your warranty documents.

Health check or a more specific service?

A health check is the broad starting point. Some situations call for a more targeted service, and our energy market lists each one. The prices below are indicative and confirmed after a site assessment.

How often a check makes sense

There is no single rule for every roof, but we generally suggest a health check every one to two years, and sooner in these situations:

• Your monitoring shows a drop on sunny days that you cannot explain
• After a severe storm, hail or a lightning strike nearby
• The system is more than five years old and has never been inspected
• You live near the coast, where salt air is harder on fixings and enclosures
• You are about to add a battery, more panels or an EV charger
• You are selling a home with solar, or have just bought one

If you would rather have a regular schedule than remember each year, our Care Plans combine remote monitoring with scheduled inspections at the Plus and Premium levels.

Next steps

You can order a Solar Health Check through the energy market, or contact our team if you are not sure which service fits your situation. If the check is part of planning a battery or a larger system, request a free quote and we will look at your existing system during the in-home site assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be home during a Solar Health Check?

We usually ask for someone to be home, or for access to be arranged, because we need to reach the inverter, the switchboard and sometimes the roof from the side of the house. Some checks also need the solar to be isolated briefly, and we explain before doing so. If pets are in the yard, let us know when you arrange the visit so the technician can plan safe access.

Will a health check affect my panel or inverter warranty?

An inspection by qualified people does not normally affect manufacturer warranties; warranty terms tend to exclude unqualified tinkering, not professional checks. If we find a fault that looks like a warranty matter, the report records it with photos, serial numbers and fault codes, which is the kind of evidence a manufacturer or original installer typically asks for when you lodge a claim.

Can you check a system that another company installed?

Yes. We inspect systems regardless of who installed them, which is useful if your original installer no longer offers service visits. We record the panel and inverter details in the report, so you have a clear record of the equipment on your roof even if the original paperwork has gone missing, and we note any parts that may be hard to match later.