I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues
AlphaESS common problems & faults
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My 90-year-old father-in-law had a solar system installed nearly three years ago that never worked properly and kept tripping out. Neither the original installer nor GivEnergy could resolve the issues, and we were even pushed towards replacing the system entirely when GivEnergy went bust. I contacted Ron at Solar Tech Support via WhatsApp, and within a few hours he had diagnosed multiple faults — including incorrect wiring that posed a potential fire risk. He carried out a home visit in Nottingham for £295 (including parts), fixed everything, completed firmware updates, and ensured the system was fully operational. Since then, it has worked perfectly. Ron was knowledgeable, responsive, and took the time to explain everything clearly. Highly recommended — excellent value and complete peace of mind.
Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.
Ron made more sense in 20 mins than our installer has done over the last 12 months There is a jungle out there and you need someone like Ron to give a comprehensive overview and solution
STS were incredibly responsive and helpful In diagnosing an issue with my GivEnergy inverter. Although distance meant it was impractical for me to use them to fully solve the issue, I’m grateful for the help and detail they provided. Don is a real professional gent and a hero in my eyes.
I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration. So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.
What actually goes wrong with AlphaESS kit
Two faults bring AlphaESS owners to us above all else: AlphaCloud going offline and battery alarms on SMILE B modules. The offline one is rarely serious. The communication dongle on the SMILE inverter has lost its internet connection, usually after a router swap or a WiFi password change. On 4G installs an expired SIM does the same. Either way the system carries on generating and charging in the background. The dongle only talks 2.4GHz WiFi, which catches plenty of people out.
Battery alarms need more care. A cell voltage alarm means the BMS has caught cells drifting apart inside a SMILE B module, and mild imbalance can sometimes be rebalanced with full charge and discharge cycles. An isolation error is different: that is a ground fault, it is safety-critical, and it needs a qualified engineer rather than guesswork.
As independent engineers we start with the AlphaCloud event log and cell-level data, work out whether the fault is transient, remotely fixable or a hardware job, and tell you straight. Start with AlphaCloud offline if your app shows no data, or send us the alarm code and we will diagnose it for free.
2 common problems & faults we cover
Each topic links through to an engineer-led step-by-step guide.
AlphaCloud offline — WiFi Dongle fix
AlphaCloud shows no data, the app says your system is offline, and you have no idea if your SMILE inverter is even working. Free remote…
Battery Cell Alarm & Isolation Error
Your AlphaESS shows a battery alarm — the BMS has detected a cell-voltage imbalance in a SMILE B module, or the inverter has flagged an…
AlphaESS fault questions answered
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- No fix, no fee — pay only if we resolve your fault
- Same-day response within within 4 hours during business hours
- Written report regardless of outcome
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