Many installers didn’t provide their customers with any form of monitoring for the solar PV systems. Unfortunately this means that in the event of a fault, the customer is often none the wiser which can result in Feed in Tariff revenue losses of several months. On the older, more lucrative tariffs this can amount to hundreds of pounds.
No solar PV system should be without some form of monitoring. Many people choose not to purchase a monitor and instead look at the readings on the generation meter. This is very limited as it only allows you to monitor system performance over a period of time (i.e. the time since you last checked the meter). It will not indicate if the system has been off for a period during that time.
Monitoring gives you the instantaneous figure, i.e. what your solar panels are generating right now. Some monitors also show you the house consumption, and some can even show you what individual appliances are consuming. It allows you to engage with your investment and make the best use of your generated electricity. When you see that your system is producing good yields, it’s a great time to put on your laundry appliances.
Solo II PV – for solar panel microgeneration