Economics · 4 min · Updated 11 October 2026

Is solar monitoring worth it?

Short answer: The manufacturers' apps are free, and for many owners that is enough, as long as someone actually uses them. The cost comes when the app is offline or nobody notices a stop. Paid help with setup and ongoing follow-up starts at €6.99/month, and a system standing still for a week in June can cost around 190 kWh for a 6 kWp system, based on PVGIS figures for Denmark.

Monitoring sounds technical, but it is about one thing: noticing quickly if your system does not produce as it should.

What is monitoring, really?

Almost all modern inverters send data to the manufacturer's cloud when they are online:

In the app you see production, consumption, battery and alarms. The challenge is rarely the app itself. It is getting it set up, keeping it online after a router change and understanding what the numbers mean. See How to read your solar production data.

Why staying online matters

1. Warranty. Both manufacturers link warranty terms to an online connection:

• Huawei: the extended warranty on the LUNA2000-S1 battery lapses if it is not connected to FusionSolar after commissioning or has been disconnected for more than 6 months.
• FoxESS: the warranty policy for Europe names not registering in the monitoring portal within 3 months, or more than 6 months offline, as making fault analysis during the warranty period difficult.

2. Lost production. A stop that goes unnoticed costs every day. See the example below.

3. Overview. You can see whether the battery works and whether production fits the season.

Example: what does an unnoticed stop cost?

PVGIS figures for a south-facing 6 kWp system near Odense, Denmark (35 degrees tilt, 14 percent system loss):

Run PVGIS for your own address and multiply by your electricity price to see the amount. The point is that a stop in spring or summer quickly costs more than a stop in winter.

Your options

Our Care, Complete and Rescue packages are available in Denmark only. See packages.

We want to be clear about what we do not do: today we have no automatic alerts or integrations of our own. We work in the manufacturer's app together with you, and you can call us.

When is doing it yourself enough?

• The app is online, and you look at it at least once a week.
• You know what normal production looks like for the season.
• You know who to call if an alarm appears.

When does help make sense?

• The app is offline and you do not know why. See How to set up the Huawei FusionSolar app or FoxESS FoxCloud 2.0 app: how to get started.
• Your installer has closed or does not reply.
• You have a battery and want to protect the warranty.
• You would rather call than read manuals.

Slow decline or sudden stop?

Monitoring is mostly about sudden stops. Slow panel ageing is normal: a widely cited review by Jordan and Kurtz (NREL, 2012) found a median loss of 0.5 percent per year. It needs no action, but it is worth knowing when you compare year on year.

• How to read your solar production data
• Huawei inverter alarm codes explained
• FoxESS error codes explained
• FAQ