Guides · Faisalabad, Lahore, Punjab
Your First 30 Days With a New Solar System
Short answer
In the first 30 days, keep your handover documents together, get the monitoring app working on your own phone, and learn what a normal day looks like for your system. Expect output to swing with the weather, and expect your first electricity bill after solar to need careful reading, especially under net billing. If the same alarm appears more than once, or output is far below normal on clear days, report it rather than waiting.
This guide does not replace the operating instructions for your own inverter and battery.
Day 1: Handover and the documents to keep
At handover, the installer should walk you through how to operate the system, the inverter and the monitoring app, and how to read basic system status. You should also receive the project documents. The exact package depends on the project and equipment, but make sure you leave with, or can get, the following:
| Document or item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Final quotation or BOQ with brand, model, quantity and warranty for each item | Shows exactly what was installed |
| Final invoice | Needed for every warranty claim |
| Serial numbers of panels, inverter and batteries (photos of labels are fine) | Warranty claims and DISCO records |
| Manufacturer warranty terms per product, in writing | Tells you what is covered and for how long |
| Datasheets for panels, inverter and battery | Reference for settings and limits |
| Monitoring app login, in your name | Your view of the system; useful evidence for faults |
| Shutdown and restart steps for your inverter | So you can act safely in an emergency |
| Installer's service contact and complaint process | Who to call, and how |
| Net billing papers, if applied for | Your agreement, meter and billing details |
Keep paper copies in one folder and photos on your phone. Our solar warranty guide explains what to look for in each warranty.
Questions to ask before the team leaves
- Which breaker or isolator do I switch off in an emergency, and in what order?
- Which loads are on backup, and which are not?
- What mode is the inverter set to, and why? (See SBU, SUB and utility-first modes.)
- What is the battery's minimum state of charge setting?
- Is export to the grid allowed yet, or is export limiting on?
Your first 30 days
Week 1
Learn the app and the modes
Weeks 2–3
Compare daily units with the bill
Day 30
First bill on solar
Week 1: Set up and learn the app
Make sure the app is on your phone, logged in with your own account, and showing live data. Our solar monitoring app guide explains the main screens. In the first week, look at four things each evening:
- Today's generation (kWh). Note it next to a word about the weather: clear, hazy, cloudy.
- Battery state of charge. On a sunny day, does it reach full by afternoon?
- Grid import and export. How much did you still take from the grid?
- Alarms. Any new alarms, and did they clear?
A dongle that drops offline does not mean the inverter has stopped. If the app goes blank, check the inverter screen and your Wi-Fi first. Changing your router or Wi-Fi password usually means the dongle needs reconnecting.
What normal output looks like
New owners often worry on the first hazy day. Output depends on sunlight, so it moves every day.
- Daily curve. Production rises from morning, peaks around midday and falls by late afternoon. A smooth hump on clear days is healthy.
- Day-to-day swing. A cloudy or smoggy day can give a fraction of a clear day. That is normal.
- Season. Spring days give the most, winter days far less. Our guide to how many units a 5, 10 or 15 kW system produces in Punjab gives indicative ranges and the seasonal pattern.
Example arithmetic only: using an indicative range of about 1,300 to 1,600 units per kW per year, a 10 kW system averages roughly 36 to 44 units a day across the year. In a single clear spring week it may run above that; in a foggy December week, well below. Treat these as planning figures, not a promise for your roof.
Signs something needs a look
- Output on clear, clean days is far below other clear days, with no change in weather.
- The output curve has a flat top every midday, or sudden drops to zero.
- The same alarm appears on several days.
- The battery never reaches full on sunny days, or empties much faster than expected.
- A breaker trips more than once.
For safe owner checks, see solar inverter faults and error codes. Do not open the inverter, battery or junction boxes.
Weeks 2 to 3: Settle your routine
- Shift heavy loads to midday. Washing machines, irons and water motors cost far less when solar is producing. Our guide to sizing under net billing explains why self-use matters.
- Watch the dust. Punjab dust builds up fast. If a clear day gives noticeably less than a clear day a week earlier, cleaning may be due. Follow our solar panel cleaning guide: clean water and a soft brush, early morning or evening, never a pressure washer.
- Keep the inverter and battery area clear. No boxes or clothes against vents. Heat shortens battery life; see lithium battery lifespan and care.
- After the first storm, look at the roof from a safe position and report loose cables or shifted panels.
Week 4: Your first bill after solar
The first bill can confuse people, for three reasons:
- The billing period may not line up with the installation date. Part of the month may be before solar.
- Fixed charges stay. Solar reduces the units you buy, but fixed and other charges on the bill do not disappear. Our guide on how to read your electricity bill explains each line.
- The meter and agreement may still be in progress. Until your DISCO has approved the connection and installed the right meter, you should not export.
If you are on net billing
Under net billing, which applies to new connections since 9 February 2026, the bill works differently from the old net metering:
- Every unit you import is charged at your normal tariff.
- Every unit you export is credited at a much lower rate, the national average energy purchase price.
- Billing runs on 30-day cycles, and any net credit carries forward or is paid quarterly.
So the most useful number on your first bill is units imported, not units exported. Compare imports with the same month last year. Our net metering and net billing guide has a worked example, and our AMI smart meter guide explains how the meter records both directions.
If you have no agreement yet
Export must stay off until the DISCO approves your connection. The system should be set for zero export; see our zero export device guide.
Day 30: A quick review
Review the month's generation, grid imports against last year, and any alarms, and write down questions for your installer. From here, our annual solar maintenance checklist takes over.
What Solar Works provides after handover
On systems we install, the handover covers system and inverter operation, the monitoring app, basic system status, relevant operating information and project documentation, depending on the project and equipment. After that:
- After-sales complaints are handled by our own engineering and technical staff.
- Once a complaint is registered, we target sending service personnel within 48 hours to begin diagnosis. That is a target for reaching you, not a promise that every fault is fixed within 48 hours.
- Our 1-year service warranty includes breaker replacement, subject to the applicable project terms. Structures carry our 3-year structure warranty.
- Panels, inverters and batteries are covered by their manufacturer's warranty per product.
Our after-sales service guide explains how to register a complaint, and our solar installation services page covers the full process.
Get today's price or a free site survey
Have a question in your first month, or planning a system? Talk to our engineers.
- WhatsApp or call: 0336 666 4321
- Email: info@solarworks.pk
- Head office: Main Boulevard, Sargodha Rd, Block F FDA City, Faisalabad
- Lahore branch: 2nd Floor, Jeff Heights, Gulberg, Lahore
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, daily
- Service area: all of Punjab. See our Faisalabad and Lahore pages, or contact us.
Site surveys for new systems are normally free.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my new solar system producing less on some days?
Output follows sunlight, so cloud, haze, smog and dust all reduce it. Compare clear days with clear days. A drop on clear, clean days with no weather change is worth reporting.
How many units should my new system make per day?
It depends on size, season, orientation, shade and dust. As an indicative planning range, Punjab systems give roughly 1,300 to 1,600 units per kW per year, which averages about 3.6 to 4.4 units per kW per day. Your own figure will vary.
Why did my first bill not drop much?
The billing period may include days before solar, fixed charges remain, and evening and night use still comes from the grid. Under net billing, exported units also earn much less than imported units cost. Look at units imported compared with last year.
My monitoring app shows offline. Is the system off?
Not necessarily. Usually the Wi-Fi dongle has lost connection, often after a router or password change. Check the inverter screen: if it shows normal operation, the system is still working.
Which documents should I keep after installation?
The quotation or BOQ, invoice, serial numbers, manufacturer's warranty terms, datasheets, app login, shutdown steps and any net billing papers. Keep paper copies and phone photos.
When should I clean my panels for the first time?
When clear-day output has dropped noticeably compared with earlier clear days, or dust is visible. In dusty Punjab months that can be within a few weeks. Use clean water and a soft brush in the early morning or evening.
Sources
- NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026, SRO 251(I)/2026 (copy hosted by K-Electric)