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Field note · Case study · SunSynk · May 2026

When 4 inputs aren't 4 MPPTs A SunSynk 8kW diagnosed by graph

Patrick's 12-month-old SunSynk 8kW was quietly losing generation every sunny day. The installer (All Seasons Energy, now in administration) had wired three uneven strings as if the inverter had four MPPTs. It has two. The graph showed exactly when the algorithm gave up.
  • Real customer fault
  • Diagnosed from monitoring data
  • Bad engineering, named
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If sunny days look flatter than they should — or one MPPT consistently lags the other — the wiring may be the problem, not the panels. A remote diagnostic confirms it within one sunny day.

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23 Customer reviews

Very very helpfuland so quick. Made sure that a non expert like myself understood what the problem was and how to resolve it.

Declan S · Jun 2026

Contacted Solar Tech about my Givenergy battery storage system that wasn't working. Battery status was "idle". Given the company Givenergy had gone bust, I need independent quality technical help. Very patient and clearly very knowledgeable about battery systems Ron diagnosed possible issues and suggested several possible remedies. Worked our way through them and fortunately it began to work. The fault was very specific and only an experienced engineer would have thought to check. Suffice to say I'll be back if I need independent support again. Lastly you only pay if there is a solution. Outstanding.

Mr P · Jun 2026

My Givenergy battery stopped working nearly a month ago. After unsuccessfully reaching out to my installer, who looks like he's also busted, I found Solar Tech Support on a Google search. They fixed my issue in a couple of hours. Any frustrated Givenergy customers, I highly recommend these guys.

Sarma Amirapu · May 2026

Excellent response to diagnose a problem on our SolarEdge installation. Kept us informed at every step. Diagnosis quickly completed and solution implemented.

Les Bennett · May 2026

Prompt and useful support regarding my Sunsynk system lack of performance. Ronald simplified the technical issues to make them understandable. Many thanks, looking forward to follow up.

Patrick Keenan · May 2026

Amazing support, went out of his way to help try and get us back up and running

Paul Smith · May 2026

What a fantastic service. Had my fault diagnosed within minutes and actually managed to resolve the issue remotely within a few minutes more. This guy is like a “Solar Batman” helping consumers fix their problems using his extensive industry knowledge and expertise. Outstanding service. Thank you so much.

Andrew Palmer · May 2026

Excellent service from Solar Tech Support. Extremely quick to respond, easy to deal with and clearly very talented engineers. They were persistent throughout a complex GivEnergy battery issue and resolved everything completely. Highly knowledgeable, professional and reassuring support from start to finish. Highly recommended.

David Harris · May 2026

Ron responded very promptly regarding my GivEnergy battery issue, his knowledgeable diagnosis was spot on and resolved the issue on first attempt. Would recommend to any and all.

Simon Hill · May 2026

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

David · May 2026

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.

Ian · May 2026

When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.

Sree · May 2026

Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them

Dennis Brown · May 2026

Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)

Tony Deacon · May 2026

Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone

Phill · May 2026

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

michael fairhurst · May 2026

Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.

Mr Machin · May 2026

After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026

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.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026

Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.

Christopher · Apr 2026

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.

customer · Apr 2026

This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing. If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026

I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!

Philip · Apr 2026

Very very helpfuland so quick. Made sure that a non expert like myself understood what the problem was and how to resolve it.

Declan S · Jun 2026

Contacted Solar Tech about my Givenergy battery storage system that wasn't working. Battery status was "idle". Given the company Givenergy had gone bust, I need independent quality technical help. Very patient and clearly very knowledgeable about battery systems Ron diagnosed possible issues and suggested several possible remedies. Worked our way through them and fortunately it began to work. The fault was very specific and only an experienced engineer would have thought to check. Suffice to say I'll be back if I need independent support again. Lastly you only pay if there is a solution. Outstanding.

Mr P · Jun 2026

My Givenergy battery stopped working nearly a month ago. After unsuccessfully reaching out to my installer, who looks like he's also busted, I found Solar Tech Support on a Google search. They fixed my issue in a couple of hours. Any frustrated Givenergy customers, I highly recommend these guys.

Sarma Amirapu · May 2026

Excellent response to diagnose a problem on our SolarEdge installation. Kept us informed at every step. Diagnosis quickly completed and solution implemented.

Les Bennett · May 2026

Prompt and useful support regarding my Sunsynk system lack of performance. Ronald simplified the technical issues to make them understandable. Many thanks, looking forward to follow up.

Patrick Keenan · May 2026

Amazing support, went out of his way to help try and get us back up and running

Paul Smith · May 2026

What a fantastic service. Had my fault diagnosed within minutes and actually managed to resolve the issue remotely within a few minutes more. This guy is like a “Solar Batman” helping consumers fix their problems using his extensive industry knowledge and expertise. Outstanding service. Thank you so much.

Andrew Palmer · May 2026

Excellent service from Solar Tech Support. Extremely quick to respond, easy to deal with and clearly very talented engineers. They were persistent throughout a complex GivEnergy battery issue and resolved everything completely. Highly knowledgeable, professional and reassuring support from start to finish. Highly recommended.

David Harris · May 2026

Ron responded very promptly regarding my GivEnergy battery issue, his knowledgeable diagnosis was spot on and resolved the issue on first attempt. Would recommend to any and all.

Simon Hill · May 2026

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

David · May 2026

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.

Ian · May 2026

When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.

Sree · May 2026

Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them

Dennis Brown · May 2026

Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)

Tony Deacon · May 2026

Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone

Phill · May 2026

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

michael fairhurst · May 2026

Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.

Mr Machin · May 2026

After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026

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.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026

Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.

Christopher · Apr 2026

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.

customer · Apr 2026

This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing. If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026

I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!

Philip · Apr 2026

Patrick pinged me this week about his SunSynk 8kW. The system was less than twelve months old — installed by All Seasons Energy, who are now in administration — and the numbers weren't adding up. Three strings of panels (9, 8 and 5) on the roof, and the total generation just wasn't where it should be.

It was a question of where the daylight was actually going. Let's start with the inverter.

The first thing that wasn't right: four inputs isn't four MPPTs

SunSynk's 8kW hybrid has four physical PV input connectors. So at a glance, you might think you have four independent MPPT inputs and you can hang anything off them.

You don't. Inside the inverter those four connectors are wired as two pairs in parallel. There are only two real MPPT trackers — they just give you a second connector each so you don't have to use a Y-splitter at the roof. Anything you plug into a pair has to behave electrically as if it were one combined string.

That distinction matters. An MPPT is an algorithm hunting for the voltage that gives the panels their best power output at any given instant. Each tracker can only sit on one voltage at a time. If you parallel two strings of different lengths into the same MPPT, you've handed it two different optimum voltages and asked it to find one — which doesn't exist.

What Patrick actually had on the roof

Three strings — 9 panels, 8 panels, and 5 panels. Two MPPTs to land them on. So the installer had to make a choice. There were exactly three options:

  • 9+8 parallel, 5 alone — closest voltage match, only a one-panel gap.
  • 9+5 parallel, 8 alone — four-panel gap on the pair. The bad one.
  • 8+5 parallel, 9 alone — three-panel gap. Better than option two, worse than option one.

All Seasons Energy chose option two. The four-panel-gap option. The 9-panel string and the 5-panel string were paralleled into the same MPPT, with the 8-panel string on its own.

That single wiring choice was the entire problem.

The signature, every sunny morning

SunSynk portal output for 26 May 2026. Two voltage and two current traces. The dominant current trace ramps to 18 A by 08:13, then cliffs to about 13 A and tracks the other MPPT for the rest of the day — the moment the algorithm gives up on the mismatched parallel pair.
Live SunSynk portal data from Patrick's system, 26 May 2026 — a perfectly sunny day. The dominant current trace ramps cleanly up to 18 A by 08:13, then cliffs down to about 13 A and tracks the other MPPT for the rest of the day. That cliff is the algorithm conceding it cannot reconcile the two voltages on the mismatched parallel pair, and dropping back to the lower one.

This was the moment the diagnosis became free. Five sunny days in a row, the same cliff at the same time of morning, the same plateau for the rest of the day. If the weather had been unsettled, this would have taken hours of detective work; the perfect-sun week handed it over.

What you're looking at is the MPPT making a survival decision. Up to about 08:13 the voltages on the parallel-paired strings are still close enough that the tracker can hold a compromise that works for both. As the sun rises higher and irradiance ramps the panels into their normal operating range, the voltage gap between a 9-panel string and a 5-panel string widens — and at some point the algorithm gives up and clamps to the lower of the two power peaks. From that moment until sunset, the longer string is being run below its operating point and the system is leaving generation on the table.

The bodge — and what a clean fix would look like

The fastest possible fix is a re-pairing. Swap which connectors go where so the inverter sees 9+8 paralleled on one MPPT and the 5 on its own. The voltage gap shrinks from four panels to one, the MPPT can hold both peaks, and the cliff disappears. That's the bodge.

With the re-pair done, the system performs properly again. Not perfectly — the 9+8 pair still isn't an exact match, and the 5-panel string then has a whole MPPT input to itself — but it's the best you can do with the inverter you've already paid for and the panels already on the roof.

A cleaner fix exists, but cost-considerations kick in. Options on the table:

  • Add a second small inverter so the 5-panel string lives on its own properly matched MPPT.
  • Swap the SunSynk for one with three or more independent MPPTs.

For Patrick, the re-pair gets him 90% of the way back. The cleaner fixes are on the shelf for if and when he wants them.

What Patrick said

Prompt and useful support regarding my Sunsynk system lack of performance. Ronald simplified the technical issues to make them understandable. Many thanks, looking forward to follow up.

Patrick Keenan · May 2026

Bad engineering design strikes again

Patrick paid for a 22-panel solar system. The hardware was there. The installer's design choice — paralleling two strings four panels apart on a single MPPT pair when a one-panel-apart option was sitting right there — was costing him generation every sunny day for twelve months before anyone looked.

This is the part of the industry I keep writing up. A homeowner pays a five-figure sum for solar, gets a system that quietly underperforms by 10-15% because somebody skipped the first-year design rule on string matching, and then has no recourse when the installer disappears into administration. The hardware is fine. The panels are fine. The inverter is fine. The engineering decision behind the wiring is what was broken.

If your system has more strings than the inverter has independent MPPTs, and the strings aren't all the same length, get someone to look at the wiring. It's a ten-minute job to confirm or rule out from monitoring data.

If you suspect this might be your story too — drop me a line. The graph tells you within a single sunny day.

Written up · STS field note · May 2026 · Installer gone bust? · All customer reviews

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

An MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracker) is the algorithm inside an inverter that constantly sweeps voltage to find the operating point where a string of panels delivers the most power. Each MPPT can only track one voltage curve at a time. If two strings with different voltages are wired in parallel into the same MPPT input, the tracker can only sit at one of the two power peaks — never both — and the system leaks power for the whole day.
No — and this catches a lot of installers out. The SunSynk 8kW has four PV input connectors but only two MPPT trackers; the connectors are wired as two parallel pairs. So if you put four strings on a 4-input SunSynk, you actually have two MPPT inputs running two parallel-paired strings each. The strings sharing an MPPT must have matched voltages — same panel model, same length, same orientation — or the tracker cannot do its job.
Because cell voltage rises with irradiance until the panels saturate. Early morning the voltage gap between the long string (9 panels) and the short string (5 panels) is at its narrowest and the MPPT can still find a workable compromise. As the sun climbs and voltages diverge, the tracker can no longer hold both — so it drops back to the lower curve and stays there. The graph here cliffs at 08:13 every sunny day for exactly that reason.
It is installer negligence. Matching string lengths across an MPPT pair is a first-year design rule, documented in every inverter manual including SunSynk's. A competent installer either matches the strings, picks an inverter with enough independent MPPTs, or splits the array differently. Patrick's installer (All Seasons Energy) is now in administration so the warranty path is closed off — but the diagnosis still establishes who built it wrong.
Two paths. First — a remote diagnostic identifies exactly which design choices are losing you generation, with monitoring data as proof. Second — depending on what the diagnostic finds, the fix may be a simple re-pairing (as it was here), a hardware swap, or an MCS-route warranty claim against the manufacturer rather than the installer. See the installer-gone-bust hub for the framework, and book a diagnostic to confirm what you actually have.

Is your sunny-day generation lower than it should be?

Tell me what your system is (brand, panel count per string, inverter model) and roughly when you suspect generation falls off. A remote diagnostic confirms whether the wiring is doing what your installer thought it was. No fix, no fee.

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