My solar app says the system is offline. Are my panels broken?

Probably not. Offline usually means the gateway lost its internet connection. Check the inverter status light and the solar breaker. If the inverter shows it is producing, the panels are working and the fix is the connection.

I got a new router. How do I reconnect my solar monitoring?

Most gateways have a network setup mode, and the steps depend on the model. If the gateway is in an attic or behind the panel, or it needs a data cable run to the new router, book a visit and we reconnect it.

Can my electric bill show my solar production?

No. Dominion and NOVEC both say the meter does not measure total production. The energy your home uses directly never passes through the utility meter, so only the inverter or the monitoring shows the full number.

How much does it cost to fix solar monitoring?

A booked visit carries the $99 dispatch fee, waived for members. If the problem is the network, the fix is often quick. Repairs and hardware are priced in writing before we start.

Is my system still saving me money while monitoring is down?

Yes, if it is producing. Monitoring only reports. The array keeps offsetting your use and sending extra energy to the grid for net metering credit whether or not the app is connected.

Solar monitoring

Solar Monitoring Not Working: What to Check

Name: AJ Long Electric
Address: 2724 Dorr Ave, Suite 102, Fairfax, VA, 22031, US
Telephone: (571) 444-6886

Most of the time the monitoring stopped and the solar did not. Check whether the system is producing before anyone replaces hardware. If it is not producing, it is an electrical fault, and that is our trade.

Get a roof study Call (571) 444-6886

Reviewed 2026-09-24

Closed charcoal load center, disconnect, monitoring module with three indicator lights, and strapped metal raceways on a utility-room wall

Google reviews

1,463 across four profiles

Family-owned

Since 1996

Licensed and insured

VA 2705031092

On every install

Licensed electricians, since 1996

Backed by

Workmanship warranty

Answer first

Why solar monitoring stops working

Solar monitoring usually stops because of the network, not the panels: a new router or Wi-Fi password, a gateway that lost power, a communication wire that was cut or disturbed, or a cellular modem that lost service. The way to tell is to check whether the system is producing. If it is producing, the fix is the connection. If it is not, the fault is electrical, and we test the breaker, the disconnect, and the inverters to find it.

Your electric bill cannot tell you, because the power your home uses directly never passes through the utility meter.
Check the inverter or gateway status light and the solar breaker first. Those two answer most of the question.
A booked service visit carries the $99 dispatch fee, waived for members. Troubleshooting and repairs are priced in writing before we start.
We work on monitoring for systems other companies installed.

Three checks before you call

These take five minutes and tell us where to start.

01
Look at the inverter or gateway
Status lights or a screen show whether it is producing, faulted, or offline. No light at all means the device has no power, which is its own clue.
02
Check the solar breaker and the disconnect
Find the breaker labeled solar or PV in your panel and the AC disconnect near the meter. If the breaker tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call, because a repeat trip is a fault.
03
Watch the meter on a sunny afternoon
Many net meters scroll through separate readings for energy delivered to you and energy you send back. If the sent-back number climbs on a sunny day, the array is producing.

Network causes: the router and the gateway

The gateway is a small box that collects data from the inverters and sends it to the manufacturer's servers over your internet connection. Anything that changes that connection breaks the reporting.

A new router, a new internet provider, or a changed Wi-Fi name or password.
A gateway plugged into a switched outlet, a tripped GFCI outlet, or a power strip someone turned off.
A gateway unplugged or moved during a remodel or a panel replacement.
A mesh or extender network that no longer reaches the garage or utility room.
A cellular modem that lost its carrier service.

Communications wiring

Gateways talk to inverters in one of three ways: over the house wiring, over a dedicated data cable, or wirelessly. Communication over house wiring is sensitive to where the gateway is plugged in. Moving it to an outlet far from the solar circuit, or behind surge or filtering equipment, can drop some or all of the inverters.

Many systems also carry small current transformer wires in the panel to measure your home's use. Panel work can disconnect or reverse them, and the app then shows production but wrong consumption. Data cables in attics and crawlspaces get damaged by remodeling and by animals. Finding these is electrical troubleshooting, and it is what we do.

When it is a real production fault

If the checks point to no production, the cause is on the electrical side: a tripped or failed solar breaker, a failed AC disconnect, an inverter fault, failed microinverters that show as blank modules in the app, a ground fault, or water in a junction box. We test from the panel to the array and find which one before anything is replaced.

A partial loss is harder to spot. Compare this month to the same month last year. A drop well beyond the weather usually means a group of modules or an inverter is out. Keep in mind that the expected production in your original proposal was a modeled estimate.

Solar panel repair and service

What a monitoring visit costs

A booked service visit carries the $99 dispatch fee, and members never pay it. Troubleshooting and repairs are priced in writing before we start. When a failed part is under the manufacturer's warranty, we document the fault so you can file the claim.

AJ Long Membership

When the monitoring account belonged to your installer

Some installers registered systems under their own company account. If that company closed, the app can go dark even though nothing changed at your house. We reconnect the gateway and work with the manufacturer's support to move the system into an account you control.

When your solar installer went out of business

Straight answers

Questions

My solar app says the system is offline. Are my panels broken?: Probably not. Offline usually means the gateway lost its internet connection. Check the inverter status light and the solar breaker. If the inverter shows it is producing, the panels are working and the fix is the connection.
I got a new router. How do I reconnect my solar monitoring?: Most gateways have a network setup mode, and the steps depend on the model. If the gateway is in an attic or behind the panel, or it needs a data cable run to the new router, book a visit and we reconnect it.
Can my electric bill show my solar production?: No. Dominion and NOVEC both say the meter does not measure total production. The energy your home uses directly never passes through the utility meter, so only the inverter or the monitoring shows the full number.
How much does it cost to fix solar monitoring?: A booked visit carries the $99 dispatch fee, waived for members. If the problem is the network, the fix is often quick. Repairs and hardware are priced in writing before we start.
Is my system still saving me money while monitoring is down?: Yes, if it is producing. Monitoring only reports. The array keeps offsetting your use and sending extra energy to the grid for net metering credit whether or not the app is connected.

Sources

Next step

Get your monitoring reporting again

Send a photo of the inverter or gateway lights, a screenshot of the app, and who installed the system if you know. We tell you whether it is the network or the system before we book the visit.