I have a GivEnergy system consisting of two batteries, two inverters and a controlling EMS (Energy Management System) which has not worked since Nov 2025. After six months I discovered Solar Tech Support, reached out to them and Ron phoned me back – how often do you get that service? Could not be more helpful – worked directly with me over the phone, outside what I would call normal working hours. Lucid explanations and we were able to discuss the issues and history using camera and email history. As this was a very rare setup, Ron was able to access an EMS expert in the field to confirm the solution. One sunny day in, I am now only paying for standing charge and a few pence for spikes in grid consumption while battery catches up with house demand.
GivEnergy Click of Death — Relay Clicking Diagnostic Guide
- Written from real diagnostic experience
- Covers GivEnergy hybrid inverters all generations
- Clicking accelerates relay wear — don't leave it running
The click of death is one of the most disruptive GivEnergy faults — the inverter produces no power and the relay cycling causes progressive wear. We diagnose the cause and provide a clear fix plan, usually without a site visit.
Book your free remote diagnosticInverter won't turn on?Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd. Independent diagnosis and repair.
Excellent response to diagnose a problem on our SolarEdge installation. Kept us informed at every step. Diagnosis quickly completed and solution implemented.
Ron was brilliant. He really tried to help. He spent hours trying to fix our GivEnergy AIO and ultimately it became apparent that it needed parts to fix the BMS management system. As there appears to be no replacement parts available on the market, he gave excellent advice on what options are now available to move forward. He is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.
Our 3 year old GivEnergy batteries froze. They were showing 0% on the app, but they were fully charged. Some how Ron took over our inverter and remotely cured the problem. We live in King’s Lynn, he is in Leeds I believe. Very grateful.
I work for a Solar Company and had a customer with a GivEnergy system that we are not versed in. Ron took the time to explain the issues my customer was having and between us managed to rectify the issues. 10 Stars ... Thanks again STS
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
What is the GivEnergy click of death?
The "click of death" is informal but widely used terminology for a specific GivEnergy failure mode: the inverter repeatedly attempts to synchronise with and connect to the AC grid, immediately trips its own protection circuit, and then tries again — endlessly. The audible result is a rapid mechanical clicking, typically 1–3 clicks per second, coming from the relay inside the inverter chassis.
What you'll see and hear
Why it's urgent
The clicking is not just annoying — it is mechanically destructive. Every click is the relay switching under load. Relays have a finite switching life (typically 100,000–500,000 operations). If the inverter cycles 2 clicks per second, it can exhaust years of relay life in a matter of days.
While the inverter is clicking, it generates no power — your home is running entirely from the grid. Battery charging is also suspended. The sooner the cause is identified and the clicking stopped, the better for the hardware.
Do not open the inverter. The inverter contains live high-voltage DC from the solar panels (present whenever light reaches the panels) and high-voltage AC from the grid. Do not attempt to inspect or repair relay components yourself. All diagnostics on this page are done through the portal and app only.
Check these immediately
Before investigating specific causes, run through these three checks to gather the information needed for an accurate diagnosis.
Log into givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → Event Log. Look at entries from when clicking started. Common codes associated with click of death: AC voltage out of range (V too high/low), grid frequency fault, relay fault, or connection timeout errors. Note the exact code — it often identifies the cause immediately. Cross-reference with the GivEnergy fault code index.
In the portal's live overview, look for the Grid Voltage reading. UK grid voltage should be 230 V ±10%, giving an acceptable range of approximately 207–253 V. If the reading is consistently above 253 V, the inverter is correctly refusing to connect because grid voltage exceeds G99 limits. This is a DNO issue, not a GivEnergy fault — see the high voltage section below.
Was there a firmware update just before clicking started? Did it start after a power cut or grid outage? Did it start on a very hot day? Did it start after a storm or lightning nearby? The timing often points directly to the cause: firmware update → check firmware section; power cut → try a full restart; hot weather → check for overtemperature fault codes; storm → suspect a hardware fault requiring an engineer visit.
High grid voltage — inverter correctly refusing to connect
High grid voltage is the single most common cause of the click of death on GivEnergy systems. When grid voltage rises above 253 V (the G99 upper limit), the inverter is legally and technically required to disconnect from the grid. If the voltage stays high, the inverter will keep attempting to reconnect — and keep immediately disconnecting — producing the characteristic clicking.
Why grid voltage spikes above 253 V
Check the portal live monitoring for the Grid Voltage reading. If it shows 253 V or higher during clicking, high voltage is confirmed as the cause.
Clicking that happens mainly in the middle of the day on sunny days — and stops in the evening or on cloudy days — is almost always a high voltage issue.
What you can do about high grid voltage
Your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) is legally required to maintain voltage within statutory limits. Report the high voltage — include your address, the dates and times of the problem, and the voltage readings from your portal. In England and Wales, voltage must be maintained within ±10% of 230 V under the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002.
GivEnergy inverters have a voltage ride-through setting that allows operation at slightly elevated voltages, and a reactive power (VAR) response mode that helps push voltage down by absorbing reactive power. These are engineer-level settings not available in the standard portal — contact a GivEnergy-trained installer or STS to assess whether these are appropriate for your installation.
Reducing the export limit reduces the power pushed onto the grid, which reduces voltage rise from your installation. This won't fix the underlying DNO issue but may allow the inverter to connect on borderline days while you pursue the DNO complaint. Note: this reduces how much you can export, affecting SEG payments.
Relay failure — worn or damaged grid connection relay
The relay inside the GivEnergy inverter is a mechanical component that physically opens and closes the grid connection. Relays have a finite operational life measured in switching cycles. If the relay has been weakened — either by age, previous fault conditions, or by the relay cycling accelerated by the click of death itself — it may fail to make a clean connection, causing the inverter's internal self-tests to reject the connection every time it attempts to close.
Signs pointing to relay failure
Is relay replacement covered under warranty?
GivEnergy inverters typically carry a 5-year warranty (extendable). Relay failure within the warranty period is usually covered, particularly if the failure was not caused by external factors (such as extreme over-voltage events from the DNO). A written engineer report confirming the fault and ruling out installation error is recommended for warranty claims.
We can provide a diagnostic report that documents the fault and supports a warranty submission with GivEnergy. Contact us to arrange a remote assessment first — this determines whether a warranty site visit or a billable repair is appropriate.
Firmware bug — clicking started after an update
Several GivEnergy firmware versions have introduced bugs that alter grid connection logic, changing voltage thresholds or connection timing in ways that cause the relay to cycle. If clicking started immediately following a firmware update, the update is the prime suspect.
How to check if firmware is the cause
Go to My Inverter → Event Log and look for a firmware update event in the days before clicking started. If a firmware update event immediately precedes the first relay clicking event, firmware is the likely cause.
Note the current firmware version shown in My Inverter. Search the GivEnergy knowledge base or community forums for reports of relay cycling on that specific firmware version — known issues are often documented.
Contact GivEnergy support directly and report the firmware version and the clicking behaviour. GivEnergy may be able to push a corrective update remotely, or advise on a rollback. Do not attempt to manually flash firmware yourself — this requires authorised tools and can brick the inverter.
Full system restart — clears transient relay faults
A full power cycle — in the correct sequence — allows the inverter firmware to reinitialise its grid connection logic from a clean state. This clears transient relay faults, resets protection thresholds that may have latched in a fault state, and re-establishes communication between the inverter and battery. It should be the first active step for any click of death fault.
Full restart sequence — follow exactly in order
Go to givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → Remote Control → Battery and set to Paused. This safely halts the battery before you cut power. If the portal is not accessible because the inverter is offline, proceed to step 2 — the battery has its own BMS protection.
This disconnects the inverter from the grid. The AC isolator is typically a red rotary switch mounted near the inverter. Turn it to the OFF position. Do not touch any wiring.
The DC isolator disconnects the solar panels from the inverter. It is typically mounted below the inverter. Switch it to OFF. Note: panels continue generating voltage — only the connection to the inverter is broken.
The battery has its own isolation switch or button — usually on the battery unit itself. Switch it OFF. On GivEnergy battery units the isolator is typically a large switch or a small breaker on the side panel.
Allow all internal capacitors to fully discharge. Do not skip this wait — a premature restart can cause the same fault to reinitialise without clearing. Two minutes is the minimum; five minutes is safer.
Switch on the battery isolator first, then the DC isolator, then finally the AC isolator. The inverter will take several minutes to complete its start-up sequence, synchronise with the grid, and begin normal operation. Do not interrupt this process.
Once the inverter appears to have started normally, go to Remote Control → Battery and set to Not paused. Listen for clicking. If the inverter runs normally for 5–10 minutes without clicking, the transient fault has cleared. Check the portal for any remaining fault codes.
If clicking resumes after the restart, the cause is not a transient fault — it is either high grid voltage (which will still be present after restart), a hardware relay fault (which will still manifest), or a firmware issue. Proceed with the specific cause sections above to narrow down which it is.
When to stop self-diagnosing and call an engineer
Safety reminder: Do not open the inverter enclosure or the consumer unit. The DC side of the system is live at all times when light reaches the panels — voltages can exceed 400 V DC. The AC side is live from the grid. All diagnostics on this page are done through the GivEnergy portal only.
We review your portal event log, grid voltage history, and firmware version to identify the cause — and come back with a clear fix plan, usually without needing a site visit.
LED status codes, isolator positions, restart sequence, and hardware checks for all GivEnergy models.
What different LED flash patterns mean on GivEnergy inverters and batteries.
What to do when a firmware update breaks settings or system behaviour.
Similar clicking but on the DC side — battery isolator tripping from cable or inverter faults.
This is a brand-specific version of our general inverter not turning on guide, which covers all brands.
GivEnergy click of death questions
GivEnergy still clicking? We'll diagnose the cause.
Tell us what you're seeing — when the clicking started, what the portal event log shows, and what the grid voltage reading is. We'll identify the cause and advise on the correct fix, usually without needing a site visit.
- Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd
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- Engineer reports available for warranty claims
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