Insulation Resistance Issues? – Behind the scenes

Could rats be gnawing away at your Solar PV?

It is a term you may never have heard of, may not understand or think is far too technical to even comprehend.

But insulation resistance could be losing you hundreds or even thousands of pounds without you even realising.

What is insulation resistance?

Without getting too technical, all Solar PV systems work through an earth wire that links the panels, connectors and DC cabling to the ground.

This is the crucial artery that keeps the whole operation going – so any faults (or insulation resistance), and the inverter will shut down.

How do I know it’s affecting my system?

Your Solar PV system should be generating at as near to capacity as possible at all times – when it’s not, then you could well have a problem.

While it’s an industry that relies on the sun, it should still be producing energy when the skies are grey or there’s heavy rain.

So check regularly if the inverters are working – particularly early in the morning, in wet weather and in winter.

Unexpectedly low performance is a sign there may be insulation resistance.

What causes it to happen?

The reasons are varied, from rats and other types of rodents mistakenly seeing them as a meal and gnawing through wires.

Then there are birds such as crows or pigeons, tired after a long journey and spotting somewhere to rest and perch for a while, who could cause damage if cables are exposed on a roof.

With many Solar PV systems more than 20 years old, they may have been fitted badly or at a time when the technology was in its infancy and not as durable.

While they are designed to withstand being battered by wind, rain or snow, being submerged in any of these for long periods could damage them.

So panels particularly exposed to the elements in the British winter could be potentially at risk.

What is the potential impact?

Your Solar PV system is probably one of your most valuable assets that you spent thousands on and rely on to provide you with income and energy.

Put simply, insulation resistance, if left untreated, could hit you hard in the pocket on both fronts.

In terms of day-to-day, our estimates suggest it could add up to hundreds or even thousands of pounds a month in lost generation.

But on the actual Solar PV system – that may have cost a six figure sum to buy and install – the result could be catastrophic.

Corroded cables can heat up and if you’re lucky just burn out … if you’re unlucky, they can cause electrical fires that destroy all or some of your system.

Now for some good news …

While it can be hard to spot insulation resistance, it can be even harder to find engineers with the skills to ensure it never affects you and costs you money.

The first thing we can do is offer you a free health check, where we will ensure your Solar PV system is functioning as it should be.

After we have got it producing at full capacity, we can make sure you never need to worry again.

By using a unique piece of technology we have developed called the HIT Energy Guard, we can monitor it 24/7 all-year-round,  ensuring the term insulation resistance becomes a thing of the past.

Why use the HIT Energy Guard?

We now look after Solar PV worth £18.5m – enough to power 3,500 homes.

More and more system owners are joining our network every day, while we continue to innovate at our Lincoln University base, making the HIT Energy Guard the go-to industry product.

Last year we beat hundreds of other organisations to be named seventh in the Midlands Tech 50 list of the areas top innovators.

The company also won innovation product of the year and was highly commended in the innovation in sustainability category at the Lincolnshire Technology and Innovation Awards 2019, while we won Online Innovation at the NEC’s LAMMA 2020.

We are saving some of our customers hundreds or thousands a month with our unique oversight and ability to rectify any problem at any site in the U.K. and Ireland quickly.

Join our solar revolution today. Contact Us

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