SolarEdge HD-Wave failure — diagnosis, warranty and replacement
Your SolarEdge HD-Wave inverter has stopped producing, shows no LED lights, or is cycling on and off. HD-Wave units — particularly the SE3000H through SE6000H manufactured between 2017 and 2020 — have a documented history of premature failure. This guide covers diagnosis, the 12-year warranty process, and what to expect during replacement.
Share your inverter serial number and SolarEdge Go fault codes. We confirm whether it's a warranty replacement, coordinate the claim, and manage the swap.
Book HD-Wave diagnostic → Back to SolarEdge hub12-year warranty on all HD-Wave models. We handle the claim process with SolarEdge on your behalf.
Known issue: SolarEdge HD-Wave inverters from certain 2017–2020 production batches have experienced higher-than-expected failure rates. If your unit is within the 12-year warranty period, SolarEdge will replace it. Keep your serial number and fault code evidence ready — these are required for the warranty claim.
6-step HD-Wave failure diagnosis
Work through these steps in order. The fault code and production history from SolarEdge Go and the monitoring portal are essential for the warranty claim.
Check the LED panel — are all LEDs off?
Look at the front of the HD-Wave inverter. There are three LEDs: DC (left), Communication (middle), and AC/Grid (right). If all three are completely dark, the inverter has no internal power.
Check the AC isolator at the consumer unit first. If the isolator is on and LEDs are still dark, the inverter's internal power supply has failed. This is the most common HD-Wave failure mode.
The inverter is powered but not converting DC to AC. This could be an internal component failure, a DC string fault, or a firmware issue. Continue to Step 3 to read fault codes.
Check for thermal shutdown — is the casing excessively hot?
HD-Wave inverters are rated to approximately 60°C ambient temperature. In enclosed spaces — cupboards under stairs, unventilated lofts, south-facing walls in direct sun — the inverter can exceed its thermal limit and shut down as a protective measure.
If the casing is too hot to hold your hand on comfortably, allow it to cool for 30–60 minutes with ventilation, then check if it restarts. Repeated thermal shutdowns mean the installation location needs better airflow or the internal fan has failed.
The HD-Wave has no external fan — it uses a fanless convection design. If the internal thermal management has failed, the unit will need replacement.
Connect SolarEdge Go via Bluetooth and read fault codes
Open SolarEdge Go on your phone, stand within 3–4 metres of the inverter, and attempt to connect via Bluetooth. If it connects, navigate to Status and Alerts.
If SolarEdge Go cannot connect at all (no Bluetooth response), the inverter's communication module has also failed — confirming a total internal failure. Screenshot the error for the warranty claim.
Review monitoring portal production history for failure pattern
Log in to monitoring.solaredge.com and look at the production graph over the last 1–3 months. HD-Wave inverters approaching failure typically show a characteristic pattern:
Export or screenshot this production data — SolarEdge's warranty team will request it as evidence of the failure.
Test AC output voltage at the inverter terminal (if competent)
If you have a multimeter and are competent to use it safely, measure the AC output voltage at the inverter's external AC connection point. During daylight with DC power available, a working inverter should show approximately 230V AC output. If the LEDs are green but AC output is zero, the inverter's output stage or AC relay has failed internally.
Do not open the inverter enclosure. Do not touch DC wiring or connectors. This test is at the external AC terminal only. If you are not confident with electrical testing, skip this step and proceed to Step 6.
Contact an engineer for warranty assessment and replacement
If the HD-Wave has failed, contact a qualified solar engineer with the following information ready:
The engineer will submit the warranty claim to SolarEdge with this evidence. SolarEdge typically approves within 3–5 working days and ships a replacement unit directly. The physical swap takes 2–3 hours on site. Total time from claim to working system is usually 2–4 weeks.
Why HD-Wave inverters fail — and what SolarEdge has done about it
The SolarEdge HD-Wave is a single-phase string inverter used in the majority of UK residential SolarEdge installations. The "HD-Wave" name refers to the inverter's patented power conversion topology — a distributed switching architecture that reduces the size and weight of the unit compared to conventional inverter designs. Models range from SE3000H (3kW) to SE6000H (6kW), with the SE3680H being the most common in UK systems.
Between 2017 and 2020, certain production batches of HD-Wave inverters experienced higher-than-expected failure rates. The predominant failure mode is an internal power supply or output stage fault that causes the inverter to stop producing entirely. SolarEdge has not publicly disclosed the specific component responsible, but field engineers consistently report capacitor and relay failures in affected units. The failure is typically sudden — the inverter stops producing overnight or mid-day with no preceding fault code — though some units show a gradual decline in output over several weeks before complete failure.
SolarEdge covers these failures under the standard 12-year warranty. The warranty replacement process requires the engineer to submit the serial number, fault code evidence, and production data. SolarEdge ships a replacement unit (new or refurbished) directly. The original optimisers on the panels do not need replacing — they are compatible with the replacement inverter and will re-pair automatically once the new unit is commissioned.
SolarEdge HD-Wave failure questions
The most common causes are thermal stress from poor installation ventilation, internal component degradation in early-production units (particularly the SE3000H–SE6000H manufactured between 2017–2020), and power surge damage from grid events. SolarEdge has acknowledged higher-than-expected failure rates in certain production batches. The 12-year warranty covers these failures.
HD-Wave inverters have a standard 12-year manufacturer warranty covering component failure and manufacturing defects. SolarEdge ships a new or refurbished inverter to the engineer. Labour costs for the swap are typically not covered. Some installations have extended warranties (up to 25 years) purchased at installation. Check your original paperwork or contact SolarEdge with your serial number to confirm.
SolarEdge typically approves the warranty claim within 3–5 working days. The replacement unit ships in 5–10 working days depending on stock. The physical swap takes 2–3 hours on site. Total time from claim to working system is typically 2–4 weeks.
Yes, but with important considerations. If you replace the HD-Wave with a non-SolarEdge inverter, the power optimisers on each panel become redundant — they only work with SolarEdge inverters. Removing them and rewiring for a string inverter is a significant additional cost. The warranty replacement will be a like-for-like or equivalent current-model HD-Wave within the SolarEdge ecosystem.
Your system produces zero electricity while the inverter is failed or removed. If you are on the Smart Export Guarantee, you lose both self-consumption savings and export income. If on the legacy Feed-in Tariff, deemed export payments continue but generation payments stop. Keep a record of the dates offline for any insurance or loss-of-income claim.
HD-Wave failed? We handle the warranty claim.
Share your inverter serial number and SolarEdge Go fault codes. We confirm the failure, submit the warranty claim to SolarEdge, and manage the replacement from start to finish.
Return to the SolarEdge brand hub to explore other common faults and services.
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