Solar · Service

Solar panel repair, including when your installer is gone

Most solar faults are not the panels. They are inverters, connectors, communications links and roof penetrations — and the hardest part is finding someone willing to work on a system somebody else sold. We match you with local pros who take on third-party systems.

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In short

What is solar panel repair?

Solar repair is usually electrical diagnosis rather than glass replacement. Panels themselves fail rarely; the common faults are inverter failures, dead microinverters or optimisers, corroded or unseated DC connectors, tripped rapid-shutdown devices, rodent damage to wiring under the array, and monitoring links that have quietly dropped off your Wi-Fi. Before anyone climbs on the roof, the important question is which warranty applies — panels, inverter and workmanship are three separate documents held by three different parties.

Triggers

Signs you need solar panel repair

Production has fallen against what the same system did in the same month last year, without a change in weather or shading
Your monitoring app shows one string or one panel flat at zero while the rest of the array reports normally
The inverter is showing a fault code, has an error light, or is silent when it should be running on a bright day
Your electricity bills have crept back up and you have not looked at the monitoring in months
You can see a stain, drip or damp patch on the ceiling below where the array is mounted
There is visible damage — a cracked module, a lifted panel edge, sagging conduit, or chewed wiring and nesting material under the array
Nuisance breaker trips on the solar circuit, or the system keeps shutting down and restarting itself

Seeing something not on this list? Browse solar problems by symptom →

The job

How solar panel repair actually works

Establish the fault from monitoring before anyone is dispatched

A good service company starts in the data. Panel-level or string-level monitoring usually localises the problem before a truck moves — one dead microinverter looks completely different from an inverter that has stopped, which looks different again from a communications dropout where the system is fine and only the reporting has failed.

Watch for: A company that will not look at your monitoring first and quotes a roof visit immediately. A meaningful share of "system down" calls are a dead router link, not a dead system.
Work out which warranty applies, and to whom

You hold three separate promises: the module manufacturer covers the panels, the inverter or microinverter manufacturer covers its own hardware, and the installer covers workmanship, mounting and roof penetrations. Manufacturer warranties commonly cover the replacement part but not the labour to fit it.

Watch for: Assuming the original installer still exists. Many residential systems were sold by companies that have since ceased trading, and workmanship coverage generally does not survive them. Manufacturer warranties usually do — find your equipment serial numbers and register or claim directly.
Diagnosis on site: electrical first, roof second

The technician checks inverter fault history, string voltages and currents, DC connectors and rapid-shutdown devices, then works up to the array. Loose or mismatched DC connectors and moisture ingress are common and are also a genuine fire risk, which is why this is not a job for a general handyman.

Watch for: A quote to replace panels before any electrical measurements have been taken. Panels are the most expensive and least likely thing to have failed. Ask for the readings that led to the conclusion.
Repair, replacement and the module-availability problem

Inverter and microinverter swaps are routine. Panel replacement is harder, because a module from an array installed years ago is often discontinued, and a substitute has to be electrically compatible with the string it is joining rather than merely similar in appearance.

Watch for: A mismatched replacement module dropped into an existing string. On a string design, the whole string can be dragged down to the weakest member. Ask specifically how the replacement matches the existing electrical characteristics.
Roof leaks, re-flashing and re-commissioning

Where the fault is water rather than electricity, the repair is roofing work: panels come off the affected area, the penetration is re-flashed properly, and the array goes back. Afterwards the system should be re-commissioned and monitoring confirmed working, not simply switched back on.

Watch for: A leak sealed with a bead of sealant over the top of the existing detail. That is a repair with an expiry date. Insist the flashing is corrected, and get the roof and the solar work documented separately in case you need to claim.

Money

What does solar panel repair cost?

Repairs range from a low diagnostic call-out to a substantial inverter replacement. What drives the bill is labour and roof access, not parts — and whether a manufacturer warranty covers the component but leaves you paying for the fitting. Ask for the diagnostic fee and whether it is credited against the repair.

See the full solar panel repair cost guide — by material, size and region →

Solar tools and calculators → Compare what your system should be producing against what it is.

Straight answer

When solar panel repair is the wrong call

Everyone else ranking for this is paid when you say yes. Here's when you shouldn't.

Production is down but nothing has broken. Seasonal sun angle, a snow cover, heavy soiling, wildfire smoke or a tree that has grown two summers can all cut output. Compare against the same month in previous years, not against last month, before you pay anyone to look.
The inverter is near the end of its expected service life and this is its second failure. Repeated repairs on ageing electronics is money spent to defer a replacement you are going to make anyway. Ask what a full replacement costs before authorising a second fix.
Only the monitoring is broken. A dropped Wi-Fi link, a replaced router or a dead gateway makes a healthy system look dead in the app. Check whether your meter and your bills still show production before booking a repair.
The system is under a lease or PPA. You almost certainly do not own the equipment, and repairs are the owner's obligation. Calling in your own contractor can breach the agreement and void coverage. Make the third-party owner perform first — in writing, with dates.
The roof underneath is failing anyway. Repairing a penetration on a covering that is at end of life is temporary. Price the re-roof, including array removal and re-set, and decide once rather than twice.
The damage is storm or fire related. That is likely a homeowner's insurance matter first. Document everything and open the claim before repairs begin, because work carried out beforehand can complicate the assessment.

Before you sign

What to check when hiring for solar panel repair

Do you service systems you did not install, and are you licensed to work on this equipment?

The core problem in solar service. Many installers only maintain their own work. Confirm before you describe your fault at length.
What is the diagnostic fee, and is it credited against the repair if I go ahead?

Solar diagnosis is billed differently by every company. Establish it up front so a call-out cannot turn into an unexpected invoice for finding nothing.
Can you review my monitoring data before you come out?

It shortens the visit, narrows the fault, and separates a genuine hardware failure from a communications dropout that needs no roof access at all.
Which manufacturer warranties do you file on my behalf, and which must I file myself?

Module and inverter warranties are usually claimable regardless of whether your original installer still trades — but only if someone files them with the serial numbers.
If panels come off the roof, who is responsible for the flashing and the watertightness afterwards?

Repairs create fresh roof risk. Get the responsibility named, in writing, before anything is unbolted.
Will you re-commission and confirm monitoring is reporting before you leave?

Otherwise you find out at the next bill. A repair that ends without verified production reporting is not finished.
What warranty do you give on your own repair work?

A repair with no workmanship warranty on a system whose original installer is gone leaves you with no coverage at all.

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Local pros

Solar Panel Repair near you

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Related work

Often done at the same time

Solar Maintenance

Catching faults before they cost you a season

Solar Panel Installation

When replacement beats repair

Solar System Expansion

Adding capacity while the crew is up there

Solar Battery Installation

Storage faults and inverter compatibility

All solar services →

FAQ

Solar Panel Repair — questions people ask

Still have a question? Talk to our team →

My installer went out of business. Who repairs my system?

Independent solar service companies increasingly specialise in exactly this, and it is now a normal request rather than an unusual one. What you lose with the original company is the workmanship warranty on mounting, wiring and roof penetrations. What you keep are the manufacturer warranties on the modules and the inverter, which are held by the equipment makers and are generally claimable directly — provided you can produce the equipment serial numbers and proof of the installation date.

Can a single cracked solar panel be repaired?

Practically, no. A cracked module is replaced, not repaired — the glass and the encapsulation are a sealed unit and a compromised one is an electrical hazard as well as a performance loss. The complication is matching: a module from an older array may be discontinued, so the replacement has to be chosen for electrical compatibility with the string it joins rather than for appearance.

How do I know whether it is the panels or the inverter?

Usually the monitoring tells you before anyone visits. If the whole system reports zero, suspicion falls on the inverter, the AC disconnect or a tripped breaker. If one string or one panel is flat while its neighbours are normal, the fault is local — a microinverter, an optimiser or a connector. If production is uniformly low across everything, look at soiling, shading and season before hardware.

Does my solar warranty cover labour?

Often not. Manufacturer warranties on modules and inverters commonly supply a replacement part while leaving you to pay the labour, the roof access and any equipment hire to fit it. Workmanship warranties from the installer are the ones that cover labour, and those are the ones that disappear if the installer stops trading. Read which of your three documents covers what before you agree to a repair.

The array is leaking onto my ceiling. Who do I call first?

Call a solar service company that will take responsibility for both sides, or coordinate a roofer and a solar technician together. Panels have to be lifted for the penetration to be re-flashed correctly, and a roofer alone should not be disconnecting live DC wiring. Get the cause documented, because whether it is a workmanship defect or ordinary roof wear determines who ought to be paying.

Why has my production dropped without any fault showing?

The usual causes are not faults at all: soiling, a tree that has grown, seasonal sun angle, smoke, or snow. Beyond those, look for a single underperforming string, a failing optimiser, or an inverter running in a derated state rather than reporting an error. Compare month against the same month in earlier years — comparing against last month mostly measures the season.