What to Do if Your Solar Panels Stop Producing After a Storm
Storms bring wind, rain, hail, and — occasionally — a solar system that's behaving differently afterward. If your monitoring app is showing a production drop, a flat line, or an outright zero after significant weather, don't panic. There's a logical sequence to work through before calling a professional, and some of the causes are simple to resolve yourself.
Step One: Check Your Monitoring System
Before doing anything else, look carefully at what your monitoring system is actually telling you.
Is the drop recent or gradual? A sudden drop to zero on the day of a storm is different from production that's been slowly declining over several weeks. The former is likely storm-related; the latter may be a separate issue.
What time did it happen? If production stopped or dropped at night or during overcast weather, that may be normal system behavior rather than storm damage. Many inverters go into a standby or low-production mode during low-light conditions.
Is the monitoring app itself connected? Monitoring systems rely on an internet or cellular connection. If the storm knocked out your internet, the app may show no data — not because the system isn't working, but because it can't communicate.
Step Two: Check Whether Your Power Is On
This sounds obvious, but it matters: grid-tied solar systems are designed to stop producing when the grid goes down. This is a safety feature, not a malfunction. If your utility power is out — even partially, with some circuits working and others not — your solar system may have gone offline as a result.
Check with your utility's outage map or call their outage line to confirm whether there's a service interruption in your area. Once grid power is restored, your system should resume production.
Step Three: Check the Inverter
The inverter is the component that converts the DC power from your panels into the AC power your home uses. It's also the component most likely to have tripped off or displayed an error after a weather event.
Locate your inverter — typically mounted on a wall in a garage, utility room, or outside near the panel. Look for:
- Status indicator lights or a display screen
- Any error codes or warning lights
- Whether the unit appears to be running (some have audible fan noise or a display that's visibly active)
Many inverters have a manual restart procedure, often as simple as switching the AC disconnect off, waiting a minute, and switching it back on. Check your inverter manufacturer's documentation for the specific procedure. A power cycle clears transient errors and is a reasonable first step.
Step Four: Do a Visual Inspection From the Ground
Once you've checked the monitoring and the inverter, do a careful visual inspection of the panels from the ground — not from the roof. You're looking for:
- Obvious physical damage: cracked glass, dented frames, panels that appear shifted
- Debris lodged on or between panels
- Anything that looks structurally different than before the storm
In New Mexico, where summer monsoon storms can bring hail and high winds, it's worth a careful look after significant weather. If hail was large enough to damage vehicles or roofing in your area, the panels warrant professional inspection.
When to Call a Professional
Call a licensed solar service technician if:
- The inverter displays an error code that doesn't clear after a power cycle
- Production remains low or zero after the grid is confirmed working and the inverter has been restarted
- You observe visible physical damage to panels, wiring, or mounting hardware
- You're not comfortable doing any of the above steps
Some post-storm issues are simple connection problems; others require component replacement. A professional can run production diagnostics that tell you exactly which panels or strings are underperforming, rather than guessing.
What Not to Do
Don't get on the roof to inspect or clean panels without proper fall protection and comfort working at height. The electrical risk from damaged panels combined with wet conditions after a storm makes roof access especially worth leaving to professionals.
Ready to Schedule an Assessment?
If your system isn't behaving normally after a storm and you've worked through the basic checks, request a solar service quote and we'll send someone out to diagnose what happened.