Should I be worried about an earth fault?
Before you worry about an earth fault please refer to the article on ‘What actions are required on my end? (Zero Generation)’ and try to confirm if the zero generation alert you are receiving is due to an earth fault or not. This can be done by firstly completing the steps in the above-mentioned article and then getting in touch with your installer and discussing the inverter fault code with them.
If you believe there is an earth fault occurring with your solar system, there is cause for concern & you should act with caution.
Please Note:
- An Earth fault can present an electrical hazard for anyone touching the array or surrounding structures. DO NOT climb on your roof or touch your solar panels at any time.
- Avoid all unnecessary contact with appliances and components of your solar system.
- Earth faults can come and go, but, should be investigated immediately. Just because the inverter switches back on and solar production goes back to normal, this does not mean the problem is solved.
As mentioned in the ‘What is an earth fault?’ article, in an earth fault the electricity is flowing through an unintended path, if you touch this path and provide a path for the electricity to flow through (e.g. aren’t standing on sufficiently thick rubber or are not wearing appropriate electrical safety equipment) you become part of the path- and get electrocuted! If a portion of your house becomes part of the path a spark could occur and there is a risk of a fire occurring.
There could be many reasons for an earth fault occurring an example is poor wiring insulation, causing inverter shutdown. This often occurs in the presence of moisture. (e.g. rain or condensation). In the event of an Earth fault, Solar Analytics will notify you via email and the dashboard and advise you of the recommended course of action to resolve the fault. This notification provides compliance with the new AS5033, clause 3.4.3 requirement for Earth Fault alarms effective from 11 July 2015.
If you are unsure about what an earth fault is please refer to our article on: ‘What is an earth fault?’