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Safety Disclaimer

Effective date: September 26, 2026

Solar, battery storage, and EV charging equipment can injure or kill you. Read this before using any troubleshooting step in SolarTriage.

The hazards

  • Solar panel wiring is live whenever light reaches the panels. Turning off a breaker or the inverter does not make roof wiring or panel connectors safe to touch.
  • Batteries store large amounts of energy even when a system appears off, and damaged lithium-ion batteries can release toxic, flammable gases, catch fire, and reignite hours or days later.
  • Inverters and other equipment hold dangerous voltage internally after being switched off.
  • Roof work carries serious fall risk.

How to use SolarTriage safely

Every step is labeled:

  • DIY-Safe: checks you can do without touching electrical parts, such as reading a display, checking an app, or looking from the ground.
  • DIY-with-Caution: simple actions on switches and breakers that are designed for owners to operate, such as resetting a clearly labeled breaker once. Follow the stop-if warning on each step.
  • Licensed-Only: work that must be done by a qualified, licensed professional. Do not attempt these steps yourself.

Never open an equipment enclosure, remove a panel cover, touch wiring or connectors, go on your roof, or bypass a safety device, even if you have electrical experience, unless you are qualified and licensed for that work. Stop immediately whenever a step's stop-if warning applies. If something doesn't look or sound right, stop and call a professional.

Emergencies

If you see smoke or fire, smell burning, or hear hissing or popping from any equipment, or see a battery swelling: leave the building, and call 911 from outside. Tell the dispatcher that solar or battery equipment is involved. Do not try to put out a battery fire, and do not go back inside until the fire department says it is safe.

Your responsibility

SolarTriage provides general information, not professional services. You decide whether to perform any step and are responsible for doing so safely and in compliance with local codes, permits, utility rules, and manufacturer instructions. Working on your own equipment may affect your warranty; check your warranty terms first. See our Terms of Service for the full limits on our liability.