Solar Monitoring: What to Track (Philippines)
TL;DR
Use your inverter brand's monitoring app — ShinePhone for Growatt, SolarmanPV for Deye, mySolarEdge for SolarEdge — and track three things regularly: daily kWh output, how much is exported versus self-consumed, and performance ratio. A sudden drop in daily output for no obvious weather reason usually means a fault, not just a cloudy week.
Monitoring your solar system means checking the app tied to your inverter brand — ShinePhone for Growatt, SolarmanPV for Deye, mySolarEdge for SolarEdge — and tracking three numbers on a regular basis: daily kWh output, how much of that gets exported versus used directly, and your system’s performance ratio. A sudden, unexplained drop in any of these is usually the first sign of a fault, and catching it early can mean the difference between a quick fix and months of quietly lost output.
What app do I actually use?
The monitoring app is tied to your inverter brand, not the panels themselves. Growatt inverters — common across residential installs in the Philippines — use the ShinePhone app, known for a simple interface covering real-time power, daily/monthly/annual yield, and system status. Deye inverters, the standard choice for hybrid setups with battery backup, typically pair with SolarmanPV. SolarEdge systems, more common in premium installs with panel-level optimizers, use mySolarEdge for panel-by-panel tracking. Your installer should hand over login access during commissioning — if they didn’t, ask for it; it’s standard, not an add-on.
What should I actually check regularly?
Three metrics cover almost everything that matters:
| Metric | What it tells you | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Daily kWh output | How much energy the system generated that day | Consistent drop with no cloudy weather to explain it |
| Export vs. self-consumption | How much power you’re using directly vs. sending to the grid | Export rising while your bill isn’t dropping as expected |
| Performance ratio | Actual output vs. theoretical maximum for the sunlight received | Ratio well below 75-85% for more than a few days |
Daily output is the easiest to eyeball — most apps show it as a simple bar chart. Export versus self-consumption matters because net metering only credits exported power at the lower blended rate, so a household that shifts usage to daytime hours gets more value per kWh generated than one exporting most of it.
What is performance ratio, specifically?
It’s the ratio of what your system actually produced to what it theoretically should have produced given the sunlight hitting your panels that day, expressed as a percentage. A well-installed, well-maintained residential system in the Philippines typically runs somewhere around 75-85% — it’s never 100%, because inverter conversion losses, wiring losses, heat, and normal wear all eat into the theoretical maximum. A ratio that drifts noticeably below that range, and stays there, points to something worth investigating rather than normal weather variation.
How do I tell a real problem from just a cloudy week?
Compare against expectations, not just against yesterday. A single overcast day dropping output is normal — see our how shading affects solar output guide for how weather and shading interact with generation. What’s not normal is a decline that persists across several clear-sky days in a row, or a sudden step-change drop that doesn’t track with the weather at all. That pattern usually points to a faulted string, an inverter issue, or a building shading source that changed — a new structure next door, an overgrown tree — rather than the sky.
Does monitoring replace physical maintenance?
No — it points you toward a problem, it doesn’t fix it. A gradual output decline with clear skies and no new shading is a classic sign of dust or grime buildup on the panels, but confirming that means a physical look, not just app data. Our solar panel maintenance guide covers what a physical inspection and cleaning schedule should look like, and how it pairs with what the app tells you.
Does declining output always mean a fault?
Not always — panels also degrade gradually over their lifespan, typically losing a small percentage of output capacity each year even when running perfectly. That’s a slow, predictable curve, not a sudden drop, so it’s easy to tell apart from an actual fault once you know to expect it. Our solar panel degradation and lifespan guide breaks down what a normal aging curve looks like versus what isn’t.
What if I don’t have monitoring access at all?
Ask your installer for it directly — login credentials tied to your inverter’s serial number should already exist and be handed over as part of commissioning, not something you have to negotiate for separately. If an installer is reluctant to provide it, that’s worth treating as a flag on its own, since monitoring access is a basic, expected part of a properly installed system.
Frequently asked questions
What app should I use to monitor my solar system?
It depends on your inverter brand — Growatt systems use the ShinePhone app, Deye systems typically use SolarmanPV, and SolarEdge systems use mySolarEdge. Your installer should set this up and give you login access during commissioning.
What's the most important number to check regularly?
Daily kWh output compared to your system's expected generation for that time of year. A consistent, unexplained drop is the clearest early sign something's wrong.
What is performance ratio and why does it matter?
Performance ratio compares actual energy output to the theoretical maximum your system should produce given the sunlight it received. A healthy system typically runs 75-85%; a ratio that drops well below that points to shading, dirt, or equipment issues.
How often should I check my solar monitoring app?
A quick glance weekly is enough for most households — checking daily kWh trends and any inverter alert flags. A closer monthly review comparing output against your bill and the same month last year catches slower, gradual problems.
Can monitoring alone tell me if my panels need cleaning?
It can point you toward it — a gradual output decline with no shading or weather explanation often means dust or grime buildup — but a physical check confirms it, since monitoring shows the symptom, not the cause.
What if my installer never set up monitoring access for me?
Ask them directly for login credentials to the monitoring app tied to your inverter's serial number — it's standard practice and should already be part of your system, not an extra request.