A Rhode Island homeowner was confused after their rooftop solar system produced just 5 kilowatt-hours on a clear day, while others in the area with a similar setup produced twice as much.
Two solar installations serve the home: a 13.5-kilowatt system and a separate 12-panel array. The homeowner shared their setup and asked commenters for output data in a Reddit post on r/solar.
Neither the app nor the installer tools explained the production shortfall; both showed the system's PV links making power. Despite three to five hours of direct sunlight, the homeowner said the panels delivered only about 8-10 kWh on clear October days.
For comparison, a smaller 7.75-kW system on an unobstructed, south-facing roof just a few hours' drive away averaged about 25 kWh daily that October, according to its owner.
Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, but the setup has to be done right and by trusted installers. Homeowners can use EasyHome's free explorer tool to see potential savings from vetted installers in their area. Solar leases can also deliver hundreds of dollars in monthly savings without upfront costs.
For the poster, October's running total stood at 374 kWh. During summer, however, a single day's production had typically reached roughly 50-65 kWh.
The homeowner moved two years earlier, and the equipment had been out of operation, leaving them without dependable records for comparison.
Two other commenters shared October totals of 332 kWh from an 11-panel, 4.84-kW system and 501 kWh from a 16-panel installation. The first commenter lived in Massachusetts, roughly 30 miles northeast of Providence. The second was a Newport homeowner whose system had produced 933 kWh in June.
Servicing the solar system proved difficult. The homeowner attributed local installers' unwillingness to work on it to warranty coverage issues.
One Massachusetts commenter's home panel had stopped generating electricity for three days, but an inverter reboot by Enphase restored production. Its status had appeared normal throughout the outage.
"My solar installer monitors my system but hadn't noticed anything because the status was normal," the commenter wrote.
Using monitoring tools can let homeowners know when something is wrong with their system.
The Rhode Island homeowner was already checking both the PWRview app and installer tools through a laptop connection. Anyone purchasing a home with existing solar can review actual production records and confirm who can service the equipment.
EasyHome can help homeowners compare vetted local installers and explore backup battery storage options. Pairing solar with a battery allows homeowners to maximize savings and power their home with solar when the grid goes down.
"Thankful I purchased the home with it but the amount of money and time I've already sunk into it and still not operating right is depressing."
Other homeowners have also struggled to explain why their solar panels aren't producing as much power as expected. These stories cover underperforming systems, possible wiring problems, unnoticed outages, and trouble getting repairs.
• A homebuyer's solar array produced a third of expected power, and installers wouldn't help.
• A UK homeowner's underperforming solar system potentially had two roofs sharing one string.
• A solar owner received just $5 in credits before discovering half their solar system offline.
• A Los Angeles homeowner reported declining solar output and a Powerwall that wouldn't fill.
• An 82-kWh production reading led a homeowner to suspect years of solar system failures.
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