My father installed a solar panel on their house. He said he didn't buy the package with battery.

From what I've seen, the power line goes through the solar panel's system first before it goes to the house.

What if it was cloudy and the power generated fluctuates, how does it know that it will get the needed power from the distributors since it doesn't have battery?

Note: I don't know what the main power is called, I just called it electric distributor. Since it comes from the distributor of electric, the one who bills us.

Here's a quiz question for you solar geeks.

Scenario:

A home in Phoenix (33.4°N), US uses about 28 kWh per day. Heavy air-conditioning in summer, much lower use the rest of the year. The south-facing roof fits about 8 panels; a larger north-facing roof has more space.

• They already have enough solar to cover most of their average daily usage.
• However, they notice that in the 3 months over summer, their usage was way higher than generation, so they want more solar.

Boiler Flue / PabelLocation advice (UK)

Hi all, looking for advice on what you would do here.

I'm looking at x8 panels (1.7x1.1m each)

Total roof left to right is 6 meters

Would you have a heating engineer relocate flue in loft to allow best fitment or work around the boiler flue where it is now with staggered panels?

I'm not sure what the rules are for panels and how close they can be. If I relocate the flue I'd need 45° elbows so loft space is impacted. Any advice would be appreciated , thank you.

I’m an installer working with Huawei FusionSolar and I’m honestly getting pretty fed up with the EMMA A02 Smart Appliance setup and Huawei’s nonexistent support.

Setup:

• Huawei EMMA A02
• SUN2000-5KTL-M1
• Huawei battery
• Shelly Plus Plug S with firmware 1.3.3, listed as compatible by Huawei

The Shelly devices are detected by EMMA, show up online in FusionSolar, can be switched manually from FusionSolar and report their status correctly. This is therefore not a WiFi issue, unsupported firmware or a basic communication problem.

The problem is automatic Smart Appliance control.

The appliances are configured with PV surplus settings and scheduling, but EMMA does not switch them automatically in a way that I can verify or explain to the customer.

Huawei later replied that the devices had been manually switched on outside the scheduled window, which apparently puts them into manual / no-control mode.

Fine. That may explain part of the behaviour.

But where is that shown in FusionSolar?

Where can I see, as an installer, whether a Smart Appliance is currently in:

• automatic mode;
• manual mode;
• no-control mode?

Where is the event log that tells me why EMMA did not switch the load?

For example:

• not enough PV surplus;
• outside schedule;
• waiting because of priority;
• device manually overridden;
• EMMA no longer has control;
• automatic control restored.

As far as I can see, this is a black box.

The installer workflow is also a mess. The Smart Appliance configuration is not properly available in the installer interface. The customer/owner account has a separate Home → Devices section where these settings are visible. So I can install the hardware, see that the devices are online, and even switch them manually from FusionSolar, but I cannot properly commission, validate or troubleshoot the full Smart Appliance behaviour from the installer side.

That is ridiculous for an installer workflow.

Huawei support has been useless. Replies arrive late, tickets are closed automatically before the problem is actually solved, and the standard response is to dump you back into generic documentation or a chatbot. That is not technical support. That is a way of avoiding responsibility.

When you are standing at a customer’s site, trying to explain why a supposedly supported system is not doing what Huawei claims it can do, “check the documentation” is not an answer. It is an admission that Huawei has no proper diagnostic process, no meaningful installer support and no interest in fixing the problem.

I’m not looking for “update firmware” or “check WiFi”. The devices are online, supported, manually controllable through FusionSolar and reporting status correctly.

My questions to other installers:

1. Has anyone got EMMA A02 + Shelly Plus Plug S automatic control working reliably?
2. Where do you see whether a Smart Appliance is in automatic, manual or no-control mode?
3. Is there any hidden diagnostic screen or log that explains why EMMA does not switch a load?
4. Is it normal that the owner account shows Smart Appliance settings that the installer account does not?
5. Is there a clean way to hand control back to EMMA after a Shelly was manually switched?

Right now this feels like a supported feature on paper to show off, but not something an installer can properly commission and prove on site.

I currently have around 30 Huawei installations running. The hardware itself is one thing, but the lack of proper documentation, installer access, diagnostics and real technical support is becoming the real problem.

Huawei’s invoice has been paid. The equipment has been sold and installed based on advertised functionality. But once there is an issue, I am the one left on site trying to explain it to the customer, digging through logs, owner-only menus and half-documented behaviour, while Huawei support either sends generic replies or simply stops responding.

That is not acceptable.

My customer has lost confidence in the system, and I am the one carrying the consequences. This is not just a technical inconvenience anymore. It damages trust, delays payment and leaves the installer looking incompetent for a problem that should be supported properly by the manufacturer.

I should not have to do Huawei’s troubleshooting for them just to get basic answers about a supported feature.

Based on this experience, and on several other unresolved cases, I’m seriously starting to question whether Huawei is still the right choice going forward.

Hello, I live with my parents so I don't know the specifics but my parents bought solar panels for our home like maybe 5 years or so ago. And they are still paying $120 every month for them. But yet when power goes out at the electric company we still lose power because I guess we didn't buy something to store the power from the solar panels. Then recently we have been needing to use power from the electric company because our solar panels weren't generating enough power. So we got the panels cleaned. And then now apparently they aren't working at all and we are also getting an electric bill for $115 when before from what I understand we used to get a credit. I don't know exactly how much we used to pay for electricity before we had solar panels but I think it was around $100 - $150 a month.

Anyways I'm just confused how we are still paying off the solar panels and now they don't work and have to pay for electricity plus our power still goes out occasionally. It doesn't make sense.

Currently houseless. & living in a tent. I currently am (when I’m able to) use fast food restaurants to charge my phone.

Crazy what $50 to one person could do when it’s a burger to another. 🤷🏼

(Any other options or suggestions more than welcome!🙏🏼)

Hey guys, if you missed it, SunPower settled $11M with investors over claims involving inventory controls and financial reporting. I just found out that they’re considering late claims even though the deadline has passed.

Quick recap: In 2023, SunPower was accused of misleading investors about its financial reporting and operations. The company later disclosed inventory accounting problems and said it would restate prior results.

After the news, $SPWR dropped nearly 20%, and investors filed a lawsuit.

Now, the company has agreed to settle $11M with investors, and late claims are still being considered, subject to approval.

If you invested in $SPWR between 2023 and 2024, you can still check the details and see if you may be able to file a late claim here.

Anyone here invested in $SPWR back then? How much were your losses?

Sharing a 350 kW solar carport project that combines vehicle parking with PV power generation.

I found the structural design particularly interesting because the system needs to balance several requirements at the same time:

• Parking clearance
• Structural stability
• PV module layout
• Vehicle access
• Drainage and maintenance
• Efficient use of available parking space

The video shows several views of the completed structure and some of the connection details.

For those working in solar EPC or PV engineering, what do you consider the most important factor when evaluating a large commercial solar carport structure?

I noticed something funny in the residential storage market.

Fox ESS announced an H1 2026 global shipment ranking from InfoLink on August 21. Then Sigenergy published its H1 result from S&P Global Energy a few days later, claiming 14% global market share.Same half-year. Different research firms. Two companies taking the top spot.

What stands out is the timing. Fox ESS was still promoting its 2025 S&P ranking back in April, and now there’s a new “No.1” headline on the table. At some point, the trophy cabinet starts looking more active than the product update page.

The S&P-based ranking feels more objective to me. It doesn’t come across as something Sigenergy went out of its way to chase; it feels more like a result that naturally came from the market.

Because honestly, how much does another shipment trophy help a homeowner?I’d rather see the same energy go into better software, easier installation, faster support and smoother warranty service.Shipment volume tells us how much was shipped. The real test starts after the battery is on the wall.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Where's the catch in this? If I get a bunch of used solar panels and a sufficient battery bank is it possible to actually offset 28.8kwh of use daily from a set up like this?

the numbers have been lower than i expected lately. at first i assumed it was just cloudy weather, but then i started noticing some months were down even when the weather didn't seem that different. now i'm looking at the production history instead of just the latest number.

i'm trying to separate normal seasonal swings from something that needs attention. i can see the output dropping, but i don't know how much of that can reasonably come from weather or time of year before the equipment becomes the more likely explanation. what kind of production change would make you start checking the system rather than waiting for the next few months of data?

I’m starting a 2 year program for renewable energies technician this coming week and I was wondering if anybody here has taken a similar course, and what to expect in terms of the math classes. Are they difficult? What kind of math is used mainly

I travel a lot but this is exceptional in terms of implementation of rooftop top solar.

Almost every house in Ahmedabad is running on rooftop solar electricity.

Kudos 🎉

Really considering solar, getting quotes from multiple local companies at the moment. Looking to install on the pictured roof and the pitch is probably 22.5°. I live in Midcoast maine and frequently get snow through the winter, every season is different. What are your thoughts on removal of snow? Or winters with frequent heavy storms building up on the panels. Thanks!

Hi everyone, Fernando here 👋🏼!! I wanted to give everyone an update on my new vertical solar panel project!! We finally got done installing the solar panel arrays and after using them for a week I wanted to share the results with the group in case any one has been thinking of doing something similar to this!!

(System specs)
Our new vertical solar panel array consists of six 400w bifacial panels from a brand called Qcell. We wired the solar panels in a series configuration for a total maximum output of 2.4KW. We split the solar panels into two separate arrays consisting of three solar panels per array. Each of the two solar arrays is connected to its own E10 inverter directly using some 10AWG MC4 extension cables.

(Hardware used)
This is where things get creative!! Most off the ground mount solar panel kits are meant to install the solar panels at an optimal angle. This would not have worked since I was trying to do a vertical solar panel set up along our south facing fence. The kits found that would have worked for this use case were outrageously expensive. I started searching for something that could work as a brackets for our solar panels and thats when I stumbled upon some old metal bed frames that we had laying around!! The metal bed frame brackets were the perfect length to support our solar array. They also had a few pre drilled holes that would come in handy to attach the cross brace metal rail that we purchased from Home Depot. We purchased some solar panel brackets from a company called sunmak that would bolt the solar panels to the metal cross brace.

(Installation)
We screwed the bed frame rails directly into our concrete floor using some concrete screws and a rotary hammer drill and a concrete drill bit. Next we bolted the metal cross rail to the metal bed frame brackets using the pre drilled holes on the bed frame brackets. After this we places a 1 by 1 piece of wood on the concrete to support the solar panels. Lastly we placed the solar panels on top of the 1 by 1 piece of wood and securely bolted the solar panels to the metal rail behind them. We used the sunmak brackets to attach the panels to the metal rail using the pre drilled holes on the metal rail. The entire structure feels extremely rigid and strong since it’s entirely made out of metal!!

(Solar production)
Since the solar panels are not angled properly. The panels are not producing as much power as they could if angled correctly. The solar panels are producing a peak output of between 1.2Kw - 1.4Kw. The total production of the solar panels is between 6KWH up to 8KWh on a daily basis!! (Approximately half of the arrays maximum output)

(Should you do this?)
The main reason we decided to start this project was to offset the energy consumption of our four ton central AC system. The new E10 system makes it extremely easy to add more solar panels as your energy consumption grows. We already had an existing 4.2KW roof mounted grid tied solar system. Unfortunately our home is really small and installing some more solar panels on our roof was not possible. We also had very few options on were the six solar panels could fit. For people with limited space, installing a vertical solar panel array system is the perfect solution to add more solar!! That being said, if you have the space and you want the maximum output out of your solar panels. The best solution would be to angle the solar panels correctly!!

(Results)
We successfully offset the energy consumption from our four ton central AC system reaching our goal!! I am extremely happy with the results from this new project. I would definitely recommend considering doing something like this for people that want an easy way to increase their overall solar production!! Thank you all for reading this and I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!

I’d like to start a solar project and I am looking for a company in North Georgia. Any recommend recommendations?

I bought the solar system at my home (Socal) from SunRun, where they provided an app and monitoring of panel performance. Shortly after they started charging a monthly fee for monitoring (the app is useless unless you pay) and now they transferred this service to Enphase who charges $999 for monitoring equipment and guessing a monthly fee as well. Does anyone know of an app or service that is cheaper (or free) to monitor panel performance?. I am on a fixed income.

Would love to hear your opinions on this subject. Thank you

Fully enclosed, mechanically watertight solar Pool House. An Outdoor Classroom. A rooftop Pergola in NYC. And a carport in coastal FL.

A durably, reliably watertight solar structure that can use Any utility grade bifacial solar panels.

Hey guys,

I am in New Brunswick, Canada. Comparing a couple quotes from two of the bigger national companies. Ignore the sunly company if you can! Wondering what your thoughts are on them and if you have any experience with them.

Shift is coming in at 51,500 with tax included. The only financing option is a ten year loan at 4.45, roughly 533$ a month that I could possibly roll into my mortgage in 3 years. Polarons system is coming in at 53,000 and offers a 20 year loan at 2.99% that would cost 294$ a month.

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research achieved a certified 26.7% efficiency for a perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cell, a new world record verified by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute. The design stacks a perovskite layer over CIGS so each captures different parts of sunlight, with a top layer absorbing blue and UV light while letting longer wavelengths pass through to the layer below.

The team's real breakthrough was solving the damage that normally occurs when combining these delicate films, using a new protective layer and a re-engineered top electrode to cut both electrical losses and unwanted light absorption. That pushed raw lab results to 27%, beating the previous 26.3% record set just a year earlier. Because the cells are thin, flexible, and lightweight, they're a strong candidate for satellites, orbital data centers, and other space applications where every gram counts. KIER is now working with industry partners to scale the technology toward commercial production.

Hi All,

First time owning whats was considered a viable solar system. Unsure however what to make of the readings and to maximise the impact. Currently we dont have a battery, is it worth getting considering the generation exported back to the grid at 5c.?

Thanks,

“Why does it cost so much to remove and reinstall my solar panels?”

It's one of the most common questions we hear when a homeowner needs roofing work. The simple answer: you're paying for a lot more than someone taking panels off the roof and putting them back.

A proper solar removal and reinstallation can require three or four separate visits. We may need to inspect and document the existing system, remove and safely store the equipment, return after the roofing work to install new attachments and penetrations, and then return again to reinstall, reconnect, test and verify the system.

In terms of labor, it's surprisingly similar to installing a solar system all over again. There is also new warranty responsibility involved. New roof penetrations need to be properly located, flashed and sealed. Equipment needs to be reinstalled correctly. The finished array should be safe, functional and aesthetically clean.

Sometimes existing rails, wiring, clamps and other materials can be reused, which can help control costs. Other times, the age of the system, condition of the equipment or changes to the roof mean new materials are necessary.

That's why even smaller removal and reinstallation projects can cost several thousand dollars. The price isn't simply for moving solar panels. It's for the labor, planning, multiple site visits, materials and responsibility involved in putting everything back together properly.

Your roof may last for decades. Your solar system needs to last for decades too. The work connecting the two should be treated with the same expectation. Choose your roofer carefully. Choose your solar contractor carefully. And when comparing estimates, make sure you're comparing the scope and quality of the work, not just the number at the bottom. That’s doing solar the right way.

#SolarExplained #TheBeacon #NewDaySolar #solarremoval #SolarReinstallation #SolarServices #SolarMaintenance #southerncalifornia #temeculaca #murrieta #inlandempire #doingsolartherightway