Your panels will likely outlast two inverters. If yours has failed, is throwing error codes, or is simply old enough that parts are no longer made, Advoltage Electrical replaces solar inverters across Brisbane at a fixed price, agreed before we start.
We’re licensed electricians. We’ll tell you whether the unit is worth repairing, whether it’s still under warranty, and what a sensible replacement looks like for your system — not just quote you the most expensive one on the shelf.
Solar panels are generally warranted for 25 years. Inverters usually aren’t. Most are built for somewhere around ten to fifteen years, and Brisbane’s heat doesn’t help — a unit mounted in full afternoon sun on a west-facing wall works considerably harder than the same model sitting in a shaded garage.
That matters right now because of when Australia installed its solar. A very large number of Brisbane systems went up in the boom years around 2011 to 2013. Those inverters are well past the decade mark, and a lot of them are failing at the same time.
If your system is that vintage and still running, it isn’t broken — but it’s worth knowing what your options are before it fails on a 38-degree day in January.
Not all of these mean replacement. Some faults are external to the inverter entirely — grid voltage issues and DC isolator failures both produce symptoms that look like a dying inverter. That’s why we diagnose before we quote. See our solar repairs and fault finding page for how that works.
Our honest position: if the unit is under ten years old and the fault is a known repairable one, repair it. If it’s older, discontinued, or the repair cost is a meaningful fraction of a new unit, replace it.
Three things we check before recommending either:
Manufacturer warranties on inverters commonly run five to ten years, sometimes longer with registration. If yours is still covered you should be claiming it, not paying us. We’ll tell you if that’s the case even though it means we don’t get the job.
A number of inverter brands have exited the Australian market over the years, taking their spare parts and warranty support with them. If yours is one of them, repair usually isn’t realistic and replacement is the sensible call.
There’s no point putting a new inverter behind a failing isolator or degraded rooftop wiring. We look at the whole installation so you’re not paying us twice.
The replacement doesn’t have to match the old unit, but it does have to suit your array. We size it against your actual panel configuration and string voltages rather than just matching the number on the old sticker.
Worth thinking about at the same time:
If your system was installed early enough to be on the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme — the legacy 44 cent feed-in tariff — be careful before changing anything about the system’s capacity.
That scheme is closed to new customers, and eligibility comes with conditions attached to the system as it was originally installed. Replacing a faulty inverter is generally handled differently to increasing your system size, but the consequences of getting it wrong are significant and ongoing.
We’ll flag it before we quote, and we’ll tell you to confirm your position with your electricity retailer before any work goes ahead. Better a phone call now than a nasty surprise on the next bill.
We replace and repair inverters across Brisbane’s southside, eastern suburbs, bayside and the Redlands, including Wynnum, Capalaba, Carindale, Camp Hill and Coorparoo.
Where a switchboard needs work to accommodate the replacement, we handle that too — see switchboard upgrades for solar.
Helpful guides
It depends on the size of your system, the brand you choose and the condition of the existing wiring and switchboard. We quote a fixed price after inspecting the installation rather than guessing over the phone.
Sometimes, but there are limits — your array configuration, your switchboard capacity and your network approval all come into it. If you’re on a legacy feed-in tariff, changing capacity can also affect your eligibility. We’ll walk you through it before anything is ordered.
A straightforward like-for-like swap is usually a few hours. If the switchboard needs work or the mounting location is changing, allow longer. We’ll tell you which one you’re looking at when we quote.
Very common. It means repair generally isn’t viable, but replacement is straightforward — a new inverter from a different manufacturer will run your existing panels fine as long as it’s sized correctly.
Often yes, modestly. Newer units are more efficient and, if the old one was shutting down or underperforming, the difference can be significant. We’re not going to promise you a transformation, though — the panels do most of the work.
Yes, on any system, any brand, any age.
Tell us the brand, the rough age and what the display is showing, and we’ll come back with a clear plan and a fixed price.
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