What should I do with my solar and battery after a storm or flood?
Short answer. If water has reached any part of the system, do not touch it or switch anything on, even if the power is off in your area. Essential Energy says residual moisture can make a flooded solar system live. Call a licensed electrician or us to inspect and recommission it, and tell Essential Energy before reconnecting.
After a storm without flooding, look from the ground only: damaged panels, loose cables or debris on the array are for a licensed electrician to deal with, not for you on a ladder.
Safety first. Treat every panel, cable and battery as live. Do not climb on a roof after a storm. Never open a switchboard, remove a cover from your battery or inverter, or touch any wiring. Anything beyond the app, a light you can read from a safe distance, or your own router is a job for a licensed electrician. If you see smoke, smell burning, hear arcing or see water on or near the unit: keep everyone away, switch off at your main switch only if it is safe to do so, and call 000 if there is any fire or smoke.
If there has been flooding
- Do not attempt to operate any switches. Essential Energy says residual moisture from floodwaters may have made your solar power system live, with a risk of serious or lethal electric shock even if the power is out.
- Do not try to turn the system off if any of it is covered in water or still wet.
- Keep everyone, including pets, away from the inverter, battery and cabling.
- Contact us or another licensed electrical contractor to test the system and make it safe. Essential Energy says to ask a Clean Energy Council accredited installer to recommission it, or a licensed electrical contractor if no installer is available.
- Essential Energy says a solar inverter that has been submerged or partly submerged should be replaced.
- If you were disconnected from the network, contact Essential Energy for the reconnection steps. Essential Energy describes a safety inspection by an accredited service provider or electrical contractor, with a Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work, before the network is reconnected.
The battery
Sigenergy’s manual says that if a battery has been under water, dropped or hit, or smells, leaks or is hot, do not touch it and contact a professional. Do not use it again until it has been checked. GoodWe’s manual warns that a battery fire releases poisonous gas and that firefighters need full protective clothing. In any fire or smoke, get everyone out and call 000.
Useful numbers
- Emergency: 000
- Essential Energy power outages: 13 20 80
- Essential Energy network enquiries: 13 23 91
- NSW SES: 13 25 00
Essential Energy also publishes a general shutdown procedure for solar systems before a flood. It works through isolators we do not want owners operating, so please call us in advance and we will explain what applies to your system.
Read more: Sigenergy batteries and GoodWe batteries from Sun Connect Solar
When to call us
If we installed your system, call us on 0483 903 020. Our service help for existing customers is free: we start by working through it with you by phone. If you are not yet a customer, a service call is $250 + GST, which covers one hour on site within 20 km of Mullumbimby; travel further out is quoted separately. Contact us or call 0483 903 020 (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 7am-4pm).
Quick questions
Can I switch my system back on after a flood?
No. Have it inspected first. Residual moisture can make a flooded system live.
Do I have to replace the inverter?
Essential Energy says an inverter that has been submerged or partly submerged should be replaced.
Is storm damage covered by insurance?
We cannot advise on insurance. Talk to your insurer and keep photos.
A tree has fallen on my panels. What now?
Keep clear, treat it as live and call us or a licensed electrician. If wires are down in the street call Essential Energy or 000.
Sources
Last checked 6 October 2026. Only the manufacturer’s, the network’s or the government’s own documents are used; app menus change between versions, so if your screen looks different, call us rather than guess.
- Essential Energy, Small Scale Solar Connections: Flood Safety fact sheet
- Sigenergy's official SigenStor Home User Manual, Version 04, section 6.4 (emergencies)
- GoodWe's official ESA Series 3-10kW User Manual, V1.8, section 1.3 (emergency measures)
Related guides
- Why does my RCBO or safety switch keep tripping after a solar or battery install?
- How often should my solar and battery be checked, and what can I do myself?
- Why did my battery not switch over in a blackout?
- All help and how-to guides
Related: Is my battery waterproof? IP ratings
