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  • Production issue enphase microinverters

    Hi all,

    my first post here. We have installed 3.5 kw system with LG panels and enphase microinverters a few weeks ago. We just had a major snow storm and all the panels are covered with snow.
    In my enphase app, I got a notification saying there is a "system production issue" with some of the microinverters. It says "this microinverter is reporting a production issue. Contact your maintainer for help".

    Is that expected when panels are covered by snow? Will that fix itself when the snow melts?

    i did ask the contractor who installed the system. They said this is expected during snow/Winter season.

    TIA!

  • #2
    Hi kk07,

    Welcome to solar panel talk, in relation to your questions Yes and Yes...cheers

    Comment


    • #3
      Some important thread drift.

      FYI generic to any roof mounted PV system in snow zones is you want to very careful about being in the path of snow slides from solar panels. Installers rarely warn owners about this as they get commissions to sell systems and generally understate production impacts from snow and potential hazards from snow slides. Snow on solar panels tends to come down in large chunks at a fast speed. It can seriously injure or kill someone in its path and can do damage to landscaping and anything else in the trajectory. Its important to note that the effects are going to vary storm to storm so you need to expect a range if impacts. Frequently its a delayed event as the snow will stick to the panels initially during the storm and may stay there for a day or so until the sun gets the air gap under the panels under the panels warm enough to melt to overcome surface friction. The hardware sticking out of the panels tends to hold the snow until gravity overcomes it and the snow comes down in a big clump. When it first happens new owners may think their house was just hit by a truck. Until you get to know how your particular array is going to respond to snow its important to keep anyone and anything of value from under the potential path of the snow. It will smash windshields and bend sheetmetal so definitely do not park any cars under it. If there is door or a walkway under it, block them off. Even though it might have been fluffy snow when it fell from the sky, the snow that slides off the panels when it hits the ground its like concrete. A big warning is that the temptation is to use a snow rake or equivalent to pull snow of the arrays. The normal place to rake from is down below the array in the path of snow slide. Frequently the snow is ready to let loose and is just being held by the lower edge of the roof so when someone pokes at it with a rake it lets loose and the person raking is right in the path of potentially tons of snow. Roofers familiar with metal roofs can install snow brakes and clips to reduce the potential for slides but that means the panels are going to hold onto snow for longer periods of time before they start producing power.



      Note that some panels have surface coatings that can be damaged by rakes, some folks use a foam covered rake to minimize damage.

      Comment


      • #4
        Thank you folks. Happy to report my system is no longer reporting any production issue due to the lovely sun which melted most of the snow. Yes, we are aware of snow sliding off these panels. Our installer is coming to install the snow guard next week (fingers crossed).

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