A solar+storage customer was frustrated with unexpectedly high power bills and called their solar provider to share their concerns. The solar provider first checked the solar and battery monitoring, but nothing looked out of place.

It wasn’t until they reviewed the SolarFax smart meter data that the issue became clear: the battery was discharging all of its stored energy to the grid starting at 4pm. By 6pm, the battery was empty, forcing the customer to buy expensive grid power through the rest of the on-peak period (until 9pm).

Instead of saving money, they were “selling low and buying high.”

By reviewing the customer's hourly energy consumption data over multiple days, it became clear that the battery was discharging all of its energy every day starting at 4pm, and had been doing so since the solar+storage system was installed.

This kind of issue isn’t about faulty equipment, it’s about incorrect battery charge/discharge settings. And it can’t be easily identified through the battery’s app alone.

This is why SolarFax is such a powerful tool for solar service teams. By giving you direct access to smart meter data, SolarFax provides the extra layer of insight needed to quickly diagnose configuration problems before they turn into unhappy customer calls.