My solar panel install went wrong when the inverter died on day three

I put up four panels on my garage roof in Austin last spring. The inverter gave out after just 72 hours and I was stuck with no power and no clue what to do. The installer blamed the manufacturer and the manufacturer blamed the installer. It took me six weeks and three phone calls to get a replacement under warranty. Has anyone else had a solar company just disappear on them after the sale?

3 comments

3 Comments

carr.abby2d ago

Oh MAN, that is EXACTLY the kind of nightmare I went through! My inverter crapped out after about a week and the installer suddenly stopped returning my calls completely. Took me TWO MONTHS of calling around before I finally got the manufacturer to send a direct replacement, and I had to beg a neighbor's electrician buddy to install it. It's like once they cash your check, you're suddenly their LAST priority.

the_alice1d ago

Used to think solar was foolproof, but stories like this changed my mind completely.

felixlane2d ago

Funny how nobody talks about the insurance side of this. If your inverter fails and your panels are still pumping power into a dead unit, that can actually damage the panels themselves over time from voltage spikes. My buddy's system did that, and his homeowners insurance had a clause specifically excluding "inverter-related panel damage" because it's considered a maintenance issue, not an accident. So you end up with dead panels AND a dead inverter, and insurance just shrugs. The installer sure as hell isn't going to cover that either. Makes you wonder if these companies know exactly how long their inverters last and plan the whole disappearing act around that.