Solar Panel Monitoring: How It Works & Best Monitors

Solar panel monitoring systems are a great way to measure the solar panel efficiency and energy production of your solar array. They can even help you pinpoint particular problem areas in your system should they arise.

Solar monitoring systems measure information about your system’s energy production, usually from solar inverters or a charge controller. The DC current is converted from the solar array into AC energy for use in your home. 

There are numerous ways by which this data can be accessed and stored; some systems offer internet connectivity through Wi-Fi and/or ethernet, and some include cellular functionality so that you can access system monitoring during internet outages.

Methods and systems for solar panel monitoring vary between manufacturers and can be included with your equipment or sold as an add-on. We’ve listed some of our recommendations for monitoring solutions by system type and brand in the following sections.

Grid-Tie Solar Panel Monitoring Systems

The purpose of a grid-tied solar system is to generate energy from the sun for storage in a utility grid. This allows you to access energy whenever it’s needed. 

Grid-tie solar offers a number of benefits if you already have access to a utility grid. It has a lower upfront cost since there’s no need to purchase batteries to store generated power. The utility grid is your storage unit. 

Grid-tie monitoring helps support your entire solar system to operate efficiently, transmitting data to monitor and regulate solar panel output. The following products offer superior grid-tie support.