This diagnostic guide covers every cause. Single occurrence = likely nothing to worry about. Daily occurrence = work through these steps to identify whether it's a settings issue or normal system behaviour.
Book your free remote diagnosticError 04 (the safety fault)Growatt Error 117 occurs when the inverter detects that it is generating above its rated maximum capacity.
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Work through these steps in order to understand whether Error 117 is a setting issue, a design characteristic, or a genuine problem.
Log into ShineServer and navigate to Fault Logs. Check: when did Error 117 first appear? Does it occur once or twice, or multiple times per week? Single occurrence = likely transient grid condition, nothing to worry about. Multiple daily occurrences = needs investigation.
Navigate to Device Settings → Export Limit (if configured). Check the limit value and confirm it matches your G98/G99 registration with the DNO. If export limit is correctly set but Error 117 still appears, the issue is not misconfiguration — it's that your PV array is capable of exceeding the inverter's power rating.
Check your original installation paperwork: what is the total kWp of your solar array? What is the rated AC output of your Growatt inverter? For example, a 5kW Growatt MIN with a 6kWp array is oversized — on a bright day, the array can generate more than 5kW, triggering Error 117. This is normal. It's a tradeoff: over-paneling maximises generation in poor light, but clips peak power on bright days.
A reversed CT clamp can confuse the inverter's power management logic and cause spurious Error 117 trips. In ShineServer, check the grid power readings at night with no solar generation — the reading should show a positive value (import). If it shows negative (export) when you're clearly consuming from the grid, the CT clamp may be installed backwards.
Some older Growatt firmware versions (particularly pre-2020) logged Error 117 spuriously even when the inverter was operating normally. Check your current firmware version in ShineServer (Device → Info → Firmware Version). Visit the Growatt website and check the release notes for your inverter model. A firmware update may resolve repeat false-positive Error 117 trips.
If Error 117 is occurring daily and affecting your export earnings, we can review ShineServer historical data to confirm whether the fault pattern matches expected peak generation times (indicating oversizing) or anomalous behaviour (indicating a configuration error or hardware issue).
Inverter screen shows "Error 117" with amber/orange LED. Generation stops briefly, then may restart when output drops.
Log into ShineServer → Device → History. Error 117 appears with timestamp, usually on bright sunny days at peak generation hours.
Error history tab shows Error 117 entries, typically clustered around midday in summer.
MIN-TL-X series — most common (especially MIN-5.0-TL-X, MIN-6.0-TL-X)
MOD-TL3-X series — three-phase inverters with oversized arrays
SPH-TL-BH series — some hybrid models when export limit misconfigured
Unlike Error 04 (insulation fault), Error 117 does not indicate dangerous DC wiring, water ingress, or component failure. It is the inverter protecting itself from sustained overload.
Many installers deliberately oversize the PV array (e.g. 5.4kWp on a 5kW inverter) to improve winter generation and annual output. Error 117 on peak sunny days is expected behaviour in an oversized system.
When Error 117 trips, generation stops briefly. As the output drops below the limit (usually within minutes), the inverter may automatically restart. You may not need to manually restart the system.
Error 117 shutdowns typically last only a few minutes during peak generation hours. Annual energy loss is usually less than 1–2% unless shutdowns are very frequent.
Error 117 is common on Growatt MIN (string) and SPH (hybrid) inverters, particularly in installations from 2018–2022. Unlike Error 04, it is NOT a safety fault — it is a protection code triggered when the inverter detects that its output power has exceeded the rated maximum for too long. The inverter may automatically restart after the error, or it may require manual reset depending on firmware version.
Error 117 is most commonly caused by an oversized PV array (e.g., 6kWp on a 5kW inverter), which is a design choice, not a fault. Some installers intentionally oversize arrays to maximise generation in low-light conditions. The tradeoff is that on bright days, peak generation is clipped. This is normal and acceptable.
Tell us how often Error 117 is occurring. We'll review your ShineServer data to confirm whether it's a normal characteristic of an oversized array or a genuine configuration issue that needs fixing.
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