What solar monitoring apps show you
All solar monitoring apps show the same core data: current power output in watts or kilowatts, daily generation in kilowatt-hours, cumulative generation since installation, and typically a graph of output over time. More capable apps add: self-consumption vs export breakdown (if you have a smart meter or meter clamp); battery state of charge and charge/discharge activity (if you have a battery); per-panel output (if you have microinverters or optimisers); and fault alerts when the inverter detects an issue.
The data is transmitted via your home Wi-Fi network to the manufacturer's cloud platform, then available via a web dashboard or smartphone app. If your inverter is not connected to Wi-Fi — which is true of many older systems — there may be no remote monitoring available at all.
The main monitoring platforms in the UK
Fronius Solar.web is the monitoring portal for Fronius inverters (Primo, Symo, and GEN24 series). The free portal shows daily, monthly, and annual generation with export and self-consumption if a Fronius Smart Meter is installed. Fronius inverters are popular in UK commercial installations.
SolarEdge monitoring portal is used with SolarEdge inverters and HD-Wave inverters with DC optimisers. The portal shows per-panel performance — useful for identifying an underperforming panel before it becomes a significant financial drain. The SolarEdge app and portal are free to use.
Enphase Enlighten is the monitoring platform for Enphase microinverter systems. Because each panel has its own microinverter, Enlighten shows individual panel output and historical data at the unit level. It also provides alerts when a microinverter enters a fault state.
GivEnergy and Solis are common in UK domestic battery-storage systems. Their apps show generation, battery state, grid import/export, and consumption in a single dashboard. GivEnergy's app is generally considered one of the cleaner consumer interfaces in the UK market.
Older systems from brands like SMA (Sunny Portal), Growatt (ShinePhone), and Solax (SolaxCloud) have their own portals of varying quality. If your inverter manufacturer is no longer actively supporting the monitoring platform, consider whether the data you are receiving is reliable.
How to use the data — practical benchmarks
The most useful daily check is a comparison against recent comparable days. A south-facing 4 kWp system in the UK on a clear June day should generate approximately 20–24 kWh. The same system on a clear March day might generate 12–16 kWh. Comparing against the same day type — not just the day before — prevents false alarms from seasonal variation.
A sudden drop in output that is not explained by weather is worth investigating. If your monitoring shows your system generating 30% less than usual on a clear day, the most common causes are: a fault-state inverter (check the display for an error code); a shading or soiling event on one string of panels; or, in a microinverter or optimiser system, a failed unit on a specific panel.
Gradual decline over months without an identifiable cause is often soiling. If your monitoring shows a slow downward trend in peak daily output across a sunny season — one that is not consistent with seasonal angle changes — a professional clean is worth trying before assuming a hardware fault.
What to do when your monitoring shows a problem
For fault codes on the inverter display, consult the manufacturer's documentation first. Many codes are transient (grid voltage fluctuation, overtemperature during a heatwave) and clear themselves without intervention. Persistent fault codes that do not clear within 24 hours warrant a call to your installer or a qualified solar technician.
If monitoring shows a specific panel producing significantly less than its neighbours — common in SolarEdge or Enphase systems — start with a visual inspection from the ground. A bird dropping concentrated on a cell, a shadow line from a new object, or visible damage are all diagnosable without roof access.
For underperformance without an obvious cause, a professional clean followed by a monitoring period of two to three weeks is a cost-effective first step before commissioning a full electrical inspection.