The hot water consumption circled in red should be below the solar curve
In this story we describe a great quality system, expertly installed and supported by an exceptional solar company, and then a series of customer complaints despite the system performing better than promised.
Solar power systems are a modern miracle. They turn sunlight into savings, but they’re not magic. They are subject to the laws of physics, the realities of weather and the limitations of network infrastructure.
False expectations and breakdowns in communication can lead to frustration on all sides.
This isn’t just the story of an angry customer; This is a warning to anyone doing business. Here’s why it’s important to manage expectations and maintain civility, and what you can learn from this scenario to avoid the same pitfalls.
A solar success story – or is it?
The Sungrow system in question was a professionally designed and installed facility that included:
- High quality panels with modern split cell technology for better shading tolerance.
- Intelligent data collection with native monitoring from Sungrow’s iSolar Cloud
- A system design based on months of real data exceeded the quoted estimates.
Still, the customer complained about the system’s performance, particularly in the morning when the shade of tall trees on the median cast a shadow on the front of the house and portions of the east-facing property.
Why the system starts slowly
The main complaint was the system’s lack of morning performance. The customer noted that the inverter “wakes up” around 6:30 a.m. but takes time to produce significant energy.
That’s not unusual. In the early morning, sunlight penetrates more of the atmosphere, causing its intensity to decrease. When the sun rises, the light becomes more direct and energy production increases.
In winter the morning shadow was particularly bad
Although there are cloudy eyes in the morning sun, the performance increases slowly but surely for an hour or more. When the sun leaves the trees, this system pulls up its socks and goes.
Shading: The real culprit
Split cell solar panels are essentially two panels under the same piece of glass. However, shading loss is still a reality and is probably the primary cause of this complaint.
When the installer explained, “Modern panels work in the shade,” he meant that they could handle it. A saucer-sized patch of shadow doesn’t triple ⅓ of your panel.
The customer misinterpreted “modern panels work in the shade” and believed they could magically create energy out of thin air.
Analysis of the evidence
I sought a trial version of Solar Analytics for this job in order to receive unambiguously independent and unbiased advice. Even though it is free for the first month, the complainant was always undecided about activating it.
Solar Analytics uses an algorithm to identify persistent shading patterns in the yield curve (e.g. trees) and estimate the percentage of energy lost.
Random throttling events such as export throttling are not captured. However, there is always a certain approximation.
In this case, shading was already taken into account in the system design, and moving panels to avoid this wouldn’t have improved performance, but it’s nice to have a number for it.
Compared to an “ideal” system, perhaps 4 to 5 kWh per day is lost due to shading.
What is behind the “Flatline”?
The customer stated early in the morning that the system was “flatline.”
First of all, the yield grew, but only slowly. To confuse matters, SAPNs flexible export throttling occurred later some mornings. This grid management policy, intended to prevent overloading during peak solar power generation periods, sets a truly flat cap on solar exports.
What the customer described as a flat line was a gentle slope
This throttling is not a fault of the system. It’s part of living in a region with high levels of sunlight. Still, it can be confusing for customers, especially if they already have doubts about the returns.
Graphics that tell the story
Shading is a common challenge for solar installations, especially in urban areas with trees, buildings or other obstructions. The original system design called for the majority of capacity to face north. While some were west-facing, there was no east-facing facility to capture the morning light.
This offer was accepted and the contract began with the estimated returns shown in blue.
Since this suburb is suffering from some gentrification, the client was concerned that some panels might be overshadowed if the neighbors built a two-story house.
It was agreed that an east-facing solar system would be a good idea. Although some aesthetic concerns were raised, the installer assured that it would produce a better result, which is confirmed in the yellow columns below.
June didn’t quite meet the estimates, but the actual measured yield is otherwise close.
The real results exceed the specified design
I was told that all 8 panels should have been installed at the front of the house on the south side. It’s not the first time a customer has tried to have a technical dispute over an aesthetic opinion…
As I’ve written before, the South shouldn’t be ignored, but it’s almost always the last option.
To test the theory that a south-facing solar array in the sun is better than an east-facing solar array in some shade, I ran a separate design through the software.
As the green columns show, it makes no sense to move panels to the south side of the house. The best trick is to just add more.
The key to success: the system worked better than promisedThis proves that the design was correct and the installation was electrically correct.
The original design above and the executed system below which performs better.
Data showed that further savings are hardly possible
Since I didn’t have the ability to cut down trees or bend the light, my advice for reducing electric bills continued:
- Hot water diversion. Install a Catch Control or Sunshine circuit to divert excess solar energy into a hot water system, eliminating the need for off-peak grid power. (see the graphic in the header image)
- Battery storage. Use tools like the SolarQuotes Battery Calculator or Solar Analytics to determine what size battery would provide a good return on investment.
- Retail plan optimization. Using solar analytics to determine better energy plans based on actual usage patterns.
These steps could have significantly reduced the customer’s bills, but the advice was largely ignored.
Solar energy is a long-term asset
Solar power is not a one-time purchase. It is a long-term asset that requires continuous monitoring and regular maintenance at least every 5 years. Occasional adjustments may be required if you change the WiFi network or automation for things like hot water or battery. This case illustrates some important lessons:
- Manage expectations. Understand that solar output varies depending on weather, grid conditions and seasonal factors.
- Document your requirements. Make sure your installer designs the system to achieve realistic rather than idealized goals.
- Trust the experts. Installers and monitoring tools like Solar Analytics can help you with this. If they tell you the system is working, it probably is.
- Maintain politeness. A respectful relationship with your installer is essential to the long-term success of your solar investment.
The meaning of solar people
Aside from having to bite my tongue, the most frustrating thing about this case was the customer’s behavior.
Despite the installer’s extensive efforts to explain the system, conduct analysis, and provide solutions, the customer responded with impatience, distrust, and even hostility.
Solar installers are not just service providers – they are long-term partners and in my experience they care about what they do.
Systems are guaranteed for 10 to 20 years. A good relationship with your installer is critical for warranty support, maintenance and upgrades. It just makes sense to keep people engaged.
Final Thoughts: Don’t be that customer
This story isn’t just about an unhappy customer; It’s about the importance of education, communication and mutual respect.
Solar is an incredible technology that can provide decades of clean energy and financial savings, but only if approached with the right mindset.
By understanding your system, trusting your installer and being realistic about its limitations, you can avoid unnecessary anxiety and get the most from your investment.
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