What tends to be overlooked during quick installations
At the peak of the boom, time was everything: the team, the roof, the panels, the invoice. Elements where "savings" were most often made - consciously or not:
- surge protection (SPD) on the DC and AC side - this is what absorbs surges after discharges in the area; without it, a storm can take out the inverter, and sometimes the electronics in the house too;
- earthing and equipotential bonding of the structure - aluminium rails on the roof should be covered by the earthing system;
- quality of MC4 connectors - a poorly crimped connector is the most common point of failure and heating;
- cable routing - sharp edges of sheet metal, lack of roof penetration guards, cables "tightly touching" the roofing;
- documentation - schematic diagram, measurement reports for the DC and AC side. If you do not have them, it is a sign that measurements might not have been carried out at all.
What a PV installation inspection includes
- visual inspection of panels, structure, and cable routes (from the roof, not from the pavement);
- checking and tightening connections, assessing connectors;
- measurements: insulation resistance of the DC side, continuity of earthing and equipotential bonding, AC side parameters;
- verification of SPDs - whether they are present, properly selected, and not already "worn out" (SPD cartridges require replacement after operation);
- inverter reading: the error history tells you more than many a visit;
- a report with recommendations - also to meet the requirements of the home insurer.
When an inspection makes sense
After every major storm or hailstorm, when there is a noticeable drop in yields, after inverter error messages - and periodically, every few years, even when "everything works". Photovoltaics is an electrical installation on the roof, working in rain, frost, and heat - it deserves the same standard as the installation inside the house.
Where this is heading: storage and energy management
More and more often, we add energy storage and self-consumption control to PV - the trend is visible even in public investments (an example from our area: the modernisation of the Water Recreation Centre in Świebodzice included PV, energy storage, and heat pumps - according to the report on the state of the municipality for 2025 ). If you are thinking about expansion, it is worth sorting out the foundation first: measurements, SPD, earthing - and only then building further devices on top of it.
Is the inverter reporting an insulation fault? Do not clear the alarm "until it works" - this is a message about a real current leakage, most often on the DC side. This is a signal for measurement, not for a restart. Book a PV installation inspection.
