More and more homes have solar - but how do you know if the system is actually working? You don’t need to be a solar pro to spot the early signs of issues. Here are two easy checks.

Quick Visual Checks

Inverter Lights:

The inverter is the “brain” of the solar system — usually mounted near the main electrical panel or on an exterior wall near the meter. If the inverter shows red lights, there’s likely a problem. A green light usually means the system is working properly.No lights could indicate the system is powered off or has electrical problem.

Meter Direction:

During peak sun hours (10 AM – 2 PM), on a sunny day, check the electrical meter. Arrow pointing left - this means the system is producing more energy than the house is using. Arrow pointing right, the home may be pulling from the grid, meaning the system isn’t producing at the moment (which could be shade, inverter issues, or system downtime).

Not all meters display arrow - some may have a digital readout showing “delivered” vs. “received” energy. If you see “received” numbers climbing mid-day, that’s production happening.