Rural Solar PV & Battery Storage Fault Finding – Wynford Eagle, Dorchester
Overview
In the rural village of Wynford Eagle near Dorchester, a homeowner with multiple outbuildings relied heavily on a substantial solar PV system and battery storage setup to support both domestic and agricultural energy needs.
The property featured:
- Over 40 solar PV panels mounted across barn and outbuilding roofs
- Three solar inverters supplying various buildings
- A battery storage system designed to maximise renewable energy usage
- Heavy reliance on off-grid solar contribution due to the rural location
The customer found JME Energy Ltd through Checkatrade, specifically searching for a trusted MCS-approved solar PV installer and fault-finding specialist capable of diagnosing complex issues that other installers often misinterpret.
Initial Investigation
Upon attending the site, the system layout was immediately identifiable as a large-scale rural renewable setup.
Early testing confirmed:
- Strong DC generation from all solar PV strings
- Battery storage offline because the inverters were tripping
- No AC export on certain buildings
- Repeated tripping issues whenever the inverter attempted to energise the system
- Given the reliance on renewable energy in this remote setting, restoring the solar PV system was essential.
Detailed Diagnosis – Identifying the Earth Fault
Rather than condemning the inverter (a common misdiagnosis by less experienced installers), a full MCS-aligned solar PV inspection was carried out.
Through step-by-step testing of the AC supply and inverter feeds, the underlying fault was identified:
A persistent earth fault on the AC side
This earth fault was causing the inverter to trip each time it attempted to energise its output. Although the panels and DC conversion were performing correctly, the inverter was shutting down for safety — preventing both AC export and battery charging.
This type of fault is easy to miss without proper solar PV fault-finding experience, especially on systems spread across multiple rural buildings.
Solution Provided
During the same visit:
- The earth fault was traced and isolated
- Corrective steps were taken to remove the tripping issue
- AC supply to the inverter was safely restored
- The inverter synchronised immediately
- Battery storage resumed normal operation
The customer was impressed with the thorough, honest approach — especially as many installers would have immediately condemned the inverter or suggested unnecessary replacement.
Outcome
- Full solar PV system restored in a single visit
- Battery storage reactivated and operating efficiently
- No inverter replacement required
- Significant cost savings for the customer
- Improved renewable energy reliability for the rural property
The customer praised JME Energy’s transparency, professionalism and expert-level MCS-certified knowledge in diagnosing complex solar PV issues accurately.
