Why Your Solar Panels Aren't Working and What to Do About It

Learning how to troubleshoot your solar panels can empower you to handle unexpected disruptions more confidently.

00:54 30 May 2025

If your solar panels stop working effectively, it may be confusing, frustrating, and stressful, especially since daily life depends on your solar energy. First, try to relax and take a moment to figure out what’s going on before reaching out to someone else. Many common problems that users and homeowners encounter can be taken care of by people themselves. Sometimes, just using a few tips makes it easier to diagnose and solve the problem on your own. This guide takes you through each step you need to follow to quickly find and solve the issue. In fact, learning how to troubleshoot your solar panels can empower you to handle unexpected disruptions more confidently. If you’re professionally certified as an electrician or solar expert, you can make extra money with help from the Renogy Electrician Referral Program; see details below.

Start with a visual check

When having problems with solar panels, a basic look at them should be the first thing you do. Check your solar panels from the outside. Is there any layer of dust, dirt, leaves, or snow across your solar panels? A little bit of debris on your solar panels can reduce their energy production by a lot. If your panels appear dirty, it means you should clean them gently. Use a soft cloth that will not harm the screen by wiping with clean water. In addition, you should check for signs that the screen has been damaged, such as cracks or warping, or if the mounting has come loose. Secure all the panels correctly and ensure that everything is in its proper spot.

Test the Voltage Output

Right after you’ve cleaned and inspected the panels, work on checking to see what voltage your solar system is putting out. To fix solar issues, we need to test the voltage from every panel using a multimeter, which is a basic but necessary tool. A standard 12V solar panel in direct sunlight should read about 18 to 22 volts when the wires to the rest of the system are removed. Low or lacking voltage may indicate a problem with the panel or issues in the cabling or connections. By checking the voltage, you will quickly know if all the panels are functioning successfully and if any are not performing the same.

Check Your Wiring

Solar panel problems are often caused when the wiring is not correct. After that, you want to take a close look at how the wires for your solar panels are linked to the system components like the charge controller and battery. Inspect the wiring for any marks of damage, rusting, cracked protective mesh, or singed connectors. Every one of these may result in electricity not flowing properly. Keep your terminals free of dust, let them breathe, and fix all connectors so nothing is loose. You need to understand if your system is wired in series, parallel, or a mix of the two. Since voltage combines in series, high-voltage devices are ideal for this type of wiring, which keeps the current unchanged. Since the voltage is the same in parallel wiring, the current will increase, perfect for battery storage since they often use low voltage.

Review Your Charge Controller and Inverter

Both your solar system’s charge controller and inverter are extremely important. The charge controller manages the energy from the panels and routes it to the batteries, and the inverter changes DC into AC electricity your appliances require. Check the charge controller’s display screen for error messages, unusual indications, or warnings. These signs can help you understand what’s causing the problem. If the controller isn’t showing anything, then troubleshoot the power and wiring setup once more. You should also review the inverter as part of the solar setup. In a similar way, your vehicle’s computer warnings give clues when something is wrong; your inverter may show you the problem too.

Inspect Your Batteries and Loads

Occasionally, your problems happen outside the solar panels or wiring. It may be the batteries or something attached to your solar setup. Batteries that have degraded, been over-drained, or damaged will not store the energy the panels produce and may make you think your solar system isn’t working. Check the battery bank’s voltage using a multimeter and judge it against what the battery should be at. An important thing to do is to inspect the loads your system is operating. Maybe it’s because you have too many large appliances hooked up at once. Using extra programs may drain your battery so much that your device shuts itself off or appears to freeze.

Update Your Firmware and Software

Many solar power systems are fitted with smart devices running embedded software. Making sure everything is updated is very important. Running older versions of software might give you the wrong energy readings, channel energy incorrectly, or report inaccurate test results. Go to any online accounts you have and see if new updates are available. After updating the software, the performance of the system gets better, and all data readings stay accurate. Although it’s easy to miss, this step can be very useful when you’re troubleshooting.

Advance Your Career with the Renogy Electrician Referral Program

Are you a licensed electrician or expanding your skills in solar energy? Now is the ideal time to join Electrician Referral Program by Renogy and elevate your career. This program connects certified professionals with customers in need of trustworthy assistance for solar system installations, maintenance, and upgrades.

Program Overview
To get started, submit a valid electrician’s license or an electrical engineering diploma, along with a link to your Facebook profile. Once verified, you'll receive a personalized referral link via the Impact platform. Share this link to promote Renogy’s solar solutions—and earn rewards with each successful referral.

Benefits of Joining the Renogy Electrician Referral Program

• Earn 7% Commission: Receive 7% cashback on the net value of every successful referral order (excluding taxes and shipping).
  
  
• Special Discounts: New members get 50% off their first purchase. Returning electricians can claim a one-time $300 discount on a future order.
  
  
• Marketing Resources: Access ready-to-use branded assets, comprehensive guides, and promotional videos to help you market Renogy products with confidence.
  
  
• Customer Advantages: Your referrals enjoy exclusive deals and can be referred back to you for professional installation services.

Trust Renogy for Quality and Reliability

You can prevent problems by choosing products of high quality. Renogy creates solar panels, charge controllers, inverters, and accessories that are dependable and user-friendly. Their pieces are strong and should be simple to put together with instructions. When your products are made to be dependable, figuring out problems is much easier. With easy instructions and tough components, MakerBoards and other Renogy tools are less likely to result in errors or system breakdowns for users.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to be intimidated when solving problems with your solar panels. When you work through each part of a car problem, you are likely to detect and solve it by yourself—and without extra cost or worry. In the beginning, inspect your full system, clean the panels, check the power, inspect the wiring, and often check your controller and inverter. It’s a good idea to look at your battery bank and examine the software as well. Should you need a professional, you can rely on Renogy’s Electrician Referral Program, which helps customers as well as those who install the purchase. Properly maintained solar equipment can be trusted for power supply, and with suitable help, it will keep giving you energy for a long time.