Whether you are investing tens of thousands of dollars into a solar installation or not, today’s homes are filled with expensive control boards, electronics and sensors. Many of these can cost up to $1,000 to replace (such as a furnace control board) or cannot be repaired at all leaving you to replace the device (such as your $2,000 – $10,000 smart TV). Solar inverters and micro-inverters are no different. Most electronics have little to no internal capacity to handle unstable power or a surge.

At SolarNinjas we have seen this issue developing as surges have damaged clients homes while new developments are built, or destroyed some solar equipment when a utility company services a transformer and has some incident down the line. A lightning strike or a number of other conditions can result in an unexpectedly worse day than just a power blip. In the worst cases a surge can cause fires and damage in old OR new electrical panels and equipment.

It is our policy to suggest surge protection with every electrical service upgrade we do, and this includes SolarNinjas PV Installations as well. As the problem grows we are proposing them every time we visit a home (even just for an estimate) if we don’t see one in place. Whether you are our customer or not, we want you to investigate this and get taken care of.

This is online monitoring of an older clients system who did not have surge protection installed, and the repair cost was in the area of $1,500. 

There is no reimbursement by construction or utility companies or the city. Without being able to prove (not just know) direct cause and all losses, the buck always passes around and lands (as usual) with the consumer.

The cost to install a device ranges widely based on quality, but can be as little as $400 and as high as $900 depending on the size required, type chosen, and other installation factors.