Inverter Damaged by Lightning: What to Do Next

This page is about what to do after the damage. To reduce the risk before the next monsoon, read our storm and lightning safety guide.

Safety box. Stay off the roof until the storm has fully passed. If you smell burning, see smoke, scorch marks or melted plastic, leave the area and follow our burning smell guide. Do not open the inverter, battery or DC boxes. The panels produce DC voltage whenever there is daylight, even with everything switched off, and a surge can damage insulation in ways you cannot see.

Is it an inverter damaged by lightning? The signs

Lightning rarely hits a home system directly. It usually strikes nearby, and the surge travels in through the grid cable, the long DC cables from the roof, the earth system or communication wires. The inverter sits where these meet, so it often fails first.

Typical signs of surge damage inverter owners report:

• The inverter is completely dead after the storm: no screen, no lights, no fan.
• The screen is on but shows a permanent fault, often a hardware, internal, relay, DC bus or self-check error.
• The inverter starts, then trips straight away with an isolation or earth fault.
• One MPPT input reads zero while the other works.
• The Wi-Fi or data dongle no longer connects, so the app shows offline.
• A surge protection device (SPD) shows a red indicator, or a breaker or fuse has operated.
• A smell of burnt electronics near the inverter or DB.

Not every dead inverter after a storm is lightning damage. A tripped breaker, a grid outage or a battery that shut down can look the same, which is why the checks below come first.

Diagram

After a lightning strike

Switch off

If safe

Inspect

Inverter, SPDs and cables

Claim

Photos for warranty or insurance

Quick-check table: inverter dead after storm

Safe owner checks after a lightning strike

Work through these in order. None of them needs tools or opening anything.

1. Wait until the storm is over, then smell, look and listen from a distance. Burning, smoke or crackling means stop and call for help.
2. Photograph everything before switching anything. The inverter screen, any error code, the DB with breaker positions, SPD indicator windows, the roof from a safe position, and any visible damage to trees, the grid line or the building. Note the date and time of the storm.
3. Check the distribution board. Note which breakers, if any, have tripped. Do not reset a breaker more than once.
4. Check if the grid is present in the rest of the house and with neighbours. A dead grid makes an on-grid inverter go dark, which is normal.
5. Try one restart, in the manufacturer's order, only if there is no smell, no visible damage and nothing tripped repeatedly. Our safe restart guide explains the sequence. If it does not come back, or shows a hardware fault, leave it off.
6. Do not keep cycling power. Repeated restarts on damaged electronics can turn a small repair into a total loss.
7. Send the photos and the inverter model to your installer, and call your insurer if you have a policy.

If the inverter shows no life at all and nothing has tripped, our inverter not turning on guide covers the other possible reasons.

What an engineer will check

A proper post-storm inspection covers the whole path the surge could have taken:

• PV strings: open-circuit voltage and insulation resistance of each string, and a visual check of panels, junction boxes and connectors.
• Surge protection devices on the DC and AC sides: many have a status window that turns red when used up, and a plug-in cartridge that must be replaced.
• Breakers, fuses and isolators: contacts, signs of arcing, and correct operation. See breakers and protection.
• Earthing: continuity from frames and structure to the earth bar, and earth electrode resistance. A strike can loosen or burn an earth connection.
• The inverter: fault log, self-test results and whether it is safe to power up. Internal repair is a matter for the manufacturer or its service partner.
• Battery and BMS: whether the battery communicates, and its alarm history.
• Communication devices: data dongle, meter or CT links, and the router.

The engineer should give you a written list of what failed and what was replaced. You will need it for any warranty or insurance claim.

Warranty and insurance: who pays?

Manufacturer warranties cover product defects, and most exclude damage from outside events. For example, Sungrow's published inverter warranty terms (Australian edition) list lightning, and voltage surges coming from the PV array or the grid, among the exclusions. Read the warranty terms you received with your quote; our solar warranty guide explains what to look for.

So in practice:

• If you have insurance that includes lightning, storm or electrical surge, claim on it. Our solar system insurance guide lists the documents insurers usually ask for: purchase invoice, serial numbers, photos and an engineer's report.
• If you do not, the repair or replacement is normally at your cost. The manufacturer may still be able to repair a unit for a fee.
• Never remove or damage the serial label, and do not let anyone open the inverter before the manufacturer or insurer has seen it, or you may lose any chance of a claim.

If the inverter needs replacing, our solar inverter price guide compares hybrid and on-grid options from the brands we supply.

How to prevent it next time

• Fit DC and AC surge protection devices of the right type, connected to a good earth by short, straight conductors. Our earthing and surge protection guide explains how they work.
• Have the earthing tested before each monsoon and after any strike nearby.
• Check SPD indicators after every major storm, and replace used cartridges promptly. A used SPD gives no protection.
• Keep DC cable runs tidy and short, away from roof edges, and avoid large loops that pick up surges.
• Insure the system if a loss would be hard to absorb.

No protection makes a system immune to a direct strike, but it greatly reduces damage from the far more common nearby strikes.

How Solar Works Pakistan handles storm damage

For systems we install, WhatsApp 0336 666 4321 with photos of the inverter screen, the DB and any damage, plus the inverter model. Our own engineering staff handle the complaint, and we target sending service personnel within 48 hours of a registered complaint to begin diagnosis. Repair time depends on the damage, parts and manufacturer involvement. Our 1-year service warranty applies under the applicable project terms; lightning damage to equipment is normally a matter for insurance rather than warranty. See how after-sales service works.

We can also inspect lightning-damaged systems installed by other companies and prepare a written report for your insurer, as a chargeable service, across Punjab.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my inverter was damaged by lightning?

Signs include a dead inverter after a storm with nothing tripped, a permanent hardware or internal fault, a sudden isolation fault, one dead MPPT input, a red SPD indicator or a burnt smell. An engineer's tests confirm it.

Why is my inverter dead after storm but the grid is on?

A breaker or fuse may have tripped, the battery may have shut down, or the inverter's electronics may be damaged by a surge. Check the DB, try one restart in the manual's order, and call an engineer if it stays dead.

Does warranty cover surge damage inverter claims?

Usually not. Most manufacturer warranties exclude lightning and surges from the grid or the PV array. Check your warranty terms in writing, and claim on insurance if your policy covers lightning or electrical surge.

Can a lightning strike solar system damage the panels as well?

Yes. A nearby strike can damage bypass diodes, junction boxes, cable insulation and connectors. That is why the whole system, not just the inverter, should be tested after a strike.

What should I photograph after a lightning strike?

The inverter screen and error code, the serial label, the DB with breaker positions, SPD indicator windows, the roof and panels from a safe position, and any damage nearby such as a burnt tree or pole. Note the date and time. Insurers and manufacturers ask for these.

My SPD shows red after the storm. Is that bad?

It means the SPD absorbed a surge and is now used up. It may have saved your inverter, but it no longer protects anything until the cartridge or device is replaced.

Sources

1. Sungrow, Inverters 10-Year Limited Warranty terms (Australia, V4.2), exclusions section
2. ABB, OVR PV Type 2 surge protective devices (end-of-life indicator and plug-in cartridges)